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Car Thermometer question

Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 9:08 pm
by hembramacho
Going to have a go at fitting my new Digital LCD Car Thermometer tommorrow and was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on where to mount the external temperature sensor. I'm going to position the unit in the DIN space under the radio, so need a route to run the wire to outside somewhere and a good place to mount it so it doesn't get affected by engine heat, cold wind, etc. Having read up on here, a wheel arch or behind the front bumper seem good places. If so, what's the best way of routing the wire there, or any other suggestions??

Cheers

Andrew

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 9:34 pm
by not so old
woul it not work putting it where the coolant alarm usually goes. that wouldnt be affected with heat ?

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 9:46 pm
by mikexgough
routed mine through the big grommet Leisure battery side and down to the Bumper mounting bolt........ it's about 9 inches off the ground and gives me a 1c difference than my home all singing/dancing job....

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 11:47 pm
by dandywarhol
I take it you're measuring outside temp. (kinda baffled by anna's suggestion :? ) They're usually located in the exterior mirror shell.

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 11:56 pm
by jaylee
Had a Vauxhall Combo van for 13 years, year old when bought.. The external temp sensor was front centre behind the bumper, below the number plate... Stopped working 7 years in!! :roll:

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 1:29 am
by Jaws
Been thinking around this too for the last few days after an impulse buy :)

I was wondering about drilling a small hole in the air inlet for the engine, near the battery. Route for wire via driver side grommet.

Curently the probe is hanging out of the drivers door and not yet registered above 1 Centigrade!!

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 3:18 pm
by not so old
dandywarhol wrote:I take it you're measuring outside temp. (kinda baffled by anna's suggestion :? ) They're usually located in the exterior mirror shell.

:oops: :oops: :oops: Sorry about that. I didnt fully understand the question #-o #-o

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 6:05 pm
by hembramacho
Cheers for that guys.
mikexgough wrote:routed mine through the big grommet Leisure battery side and down to the Bumper mounting bolt........ it's about 9 inches off the ground and gives me a 1c difference than my home all singing/dancing job....
Seems like a good plan Mike - would have had a go today but the bongo's under 8 inches of snow. #-o

Andrew

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:46 pm
by Barrington
Hi Andrew mine is routed the same as Mikes and give a very accurate reading this way :(
hembramacho wrote:Cheers for that guys.
mikexgough wrote:routed mine through the big grommet Leisure battery side and down to the Bumper mounting bolt........ it's about 9 inches off the ground and gives me a 1c difference than my home all singing/dancing job....
Seems like a good plan Mike - would have had a go today but the bongo's under 8 inches of snow. #-o

Andrew

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:45 pm
by hembramacho
Barrington wrote:Hi Andrew mine is routed the same as Mikes and give a very accurate reading this way :(
hembramacho wrote:Cheers for that guys.
mikexgough wrote:routed mine through the big grommet Leisure battery side and down to the Bumper mounting bolt........ it's about 9 inches off the ground and gives me a 1c difference than my home all singing/dancing job....
Seems like a good plan Mike - would have had a go today but the bongo's under 8 inches of snow. #-o

Andrew
Cheers Barry. Might give it a go tomorrow if it's not too cold! :wink:

Andrew

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:46 pm
by David Edwards
I did the same as mike but fixed it behind my offside fog lamp blank plate, works a treat.

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 5:47 pm
by hembramacho
Finally sorted this today. :D
Put the sensor, as suggested, through the big grommet to under the bonnet and down to the bracket which holds my bull bars on. There was a handy hole underneath the headlight unit to thread it through too.

The unit looks like this

Image

Image

Cheers for all the help. =D>

Andrew

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:13 pm
by bongod
Thats neat! 8)

I need a clock (and a voltmeter would be nice) anyway so am tempted to copy you.

looks like one of these
http://www.virtualvillage.co.uk/indoor- ... 0-066.html

I presume you cut off the cig lighter plug and wired it in directly.

Cheers.

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:55 pm
by hembramacho
bongod wrote:Thats neat! 8)

I need a clock (and a voltmeter would be nice) anyway so am tempted to copy you.

looks like one of these
http://www.virtualvillage.co.uk/indoor- ... 0-066.html

I presume you cut off the cig lighter plug and wired it in directly.
Cheers.
Thanks.
That's the right one - took a while to delivered, but at that price you can't complain.
I didn't cut the plug off, no. I've hard-wired 2x 12v sockets from the LB, via an in-line fuse, main switch in the dash, and then each socket has it's own seperate switch, which are the 2 shown in the photo, 1 each side of the unit. I mounted it all in a blank DIN plate from ebay. 1 switch is for the thermometer unit, and the other switch is for all my other 12v stuff via a 4 way splitter (ipod charger, DVD screens, Tomtom charger, etc,)

Cheers

Andrew

Re: Car Thermometer question

Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 7:02 pm
by Nevets
I've seen one of these http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20103016 fitted to a non bongo as a temp gauge on a newish astra owner said it worked fine and was fitted up on the thermostat housing area with some insulaion around it..

only £6.99 worth a punt??