Incorrect temperature reported?

[AnOutsider]

For a while now we've suspected that our X was reporting an inflated temperature via the app and dash. Today I was able to confirm. Both the X and S were in the garage, and the X was reporting 14 degrees higher temp than the S. Anyone notice similar?

 

[ohmman]

I just checked. In my garage (on a hot day), the S reported 81 degrees, and the X reported 86. My wife had the X out today and got back about 3 hours ago - it's possible it was still exhausting some heat. Certainly not 14 degrees, though.

 

[Scrith]

I have definitely noticed this problem. Last weekend I was parked in San Jose for about an hour and it showed 113 degrees. I'd say it was no more than 90 outside.

 

[xkwizit]

Umm...I think it reports cabin temperature and not temperature outside. And if if is 90 outside, it is very much likely that inside a cabin that is shut, the temperature would be in 110s.
Also, likely with the big windshield, Model X is getting more heat inside compared to Model S and thus difference in cabin temperatures reported by the two.

 

[McManX]

Same here, don't have actual numbers but it has been showing higher temps

 

[jomo25]

Yes, I have seen this. It showed 113 the other day after being parked outside. It was only 100. My experience with the S previously was that it was only slightly high on temp in similar situations. Not by 10+ degrees like the X showed.

 

[ohmman]

I did have this the other day..

 

[AnOutsider]

Umm...I think it reports cabin temperature and not temperature outside. And if if is 90 outside, it is very much likely that inside a cabin that is shut, the temperature would be in 110s.
Also, likely with the big windshield, Model X is getting more heat inside compared to Model S and thus difference in cabin temperatures reported by the two.

That's possible outside, but that wouldn't explain it happening in the garage (nose in, so windshield away from the sun)

 

[pthill65]

I have seen what I thought to be an exaggerated interior temp too. Car was in garage out of sun in Minnesota, might have been a little warm, but was reading 98F. Didn't have an independent reading, but this is likely high.

 

[Matt Stanley]

Do we know where the temperature sensors are located in each car?

 

[xkwizit]

Let's put a thermometer in the car say in the space between the two front seats and compare the readings between what the car is reporting and the thermometer shows rather than making guesses.

 

[ohmman]

Let's put a thermometer in the car say in the space between the two front seats and compare the readings between what the car is reporting and the thermometer shows rather than making guesses.

I think @AnOutsider is talking about the outside temperature reading, which is the one on the IC. The fact that he has two Teslas in the same conditions, reporting a 14 degree variance.. well, it appears to be an issue. Mine were closer but the X was still reading higher.

 

[xkwizit]

I think @AnOutsider is talking about the outside temperature reading, which is the one on the IC. The fact that he has two Teslas in the same conditions, reporting a 14 degree variance.. well, it appears to be an issue. Mine were closer but the X was still reading higher.

I once asked this question to my Mercedes and Lexus service advisors and their opinion was that outside temperature showing on the dash is dependent upon several factors mainly placement of the thermometer, road conditions and airflow around it. In my experience there was always a 6-10 degrees variance from actual temperatures depending upon how hot the day was..hotter the day more the variance and definitely higher on concrete highways than black tops.
Also, I don't believe the Tesla app shows outside temps.

 

[Matt Stanley]

Color of the car might also be one of the factors influencing the temperature as if you have a black car it will be almost certainly be hotter in the sun than a white car... just thought I would put that out there...

 

[AnOutsider]

I once asked this question to my Mercedes and Lexus service advisors and their opinion was that outside temperature showing on the dash is dependent upon several factors mainly placement of the thermometer, road conditions and airflow around it. In my experience there was always a 6-10 degrees variance from actual temperatures depending upon how hot the day was..hotter the day more the variance and definitely higher on concrete highways than black tops.
Also, I don't believe the Tesla app shows outside temps.

The issue here is no one is talking about the variance between outside and inside the car. It's always different. A given.

Two Teslas in the same conditions reporting different temps is another story though. Whether they are reporting outside temperature, inside temperature, or some other value, what I'm noticing is that one car is consistently reporting higher than the other in the SAME conditions. So, is the X reporting inside vs outside? vice versa? Using a completely different method?

Whatever it's reporting, it's off, as it rarely accurately reflects the outdoor temp or how the cabin feels, whereas I always felt the Model S came close.

 

[xkwizit]

@AnOutsider - you misunderstood me..intention was not to compare outside vs inside. I was responding to @ohmman who believed that OPs question was related to outside temperature and not the interior temperature. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

And while I agree that two cars standing next to each other in same environmental conditions would ideally report the same (within a couple of degrees) temperature reading. The inside temperature reading on each car is subject to being different due to many more factors such as different size of cabin, different roof, seals, etc.

 

[jomo25]

@AnOutsider was the OP. I assumed it was OUTSIDE temp since he referenced temp reading on app and dash. (And not because of his member name.) The dash only reports exterior, right?

 

[vangogh]

I was slow cooking some ribs in my car today...and this was with a sun shade covering the entire front windshield and fwd skylights...
It was 99 degrees outside though...Pretty hot for the Bay Area

 

[ohmman]

Ill be over at 6 for the ribs. Beers in hand.

 

[xkwizit]

@AnOutsider was the OP. I assumed it was OUTSIDE temp since he referenced temp reading on app and dash. (And not because of his member name.) The dash only reports exterior, right?

@jomo25 - thanks for catching my error @AnOutsider - my bad.