Incorrect reading on LCD temp display on outside air temps?

Yes I checked the forum and could not find the info I hope is available.

I did recently flush my coolant system and could possibly make the connection that somehow I affected internal engine temperature reading but I doubt it.

I've noticed in the last week or so that my once reliable temperature display ( Gen 5 ) is now off by at least 10 degrees F and sometimes as much as 20 F. This occurs with the outside air reading, but could also be happening with internal engine / coolant temps display as well but I have not verified that ( although now perhaps i will verify with my IR temp gun).

Forgive the noob, are there two separate sensors or one? Where are they / is it located? Is there some cleaning or adjustment that can be done?

Is there a thread or 12 on this subject and I'm not using the correct key words?

 

I have now found several threads.
Air temp sensor is on right inner fairing above radiator. I will check and see if I impacted in in some fashion. Moderator feel free to delete.

 

Your IR gun may be off, needing calibration.

Are you factoring in wind chill?

 

I haven't used the IR gun yet, I was saying that I would do so to verify engine temp sensor was dispolaying accurate data.

How would the sensor be accounting for windchill?

 

You have to forgive BB... he has a dry sence of humor..you may just need to replace the outside temp sensor.... here in Texas, Great State of, there are only two temps we worry about here.... Damn nice day for a ride and Fuckin hot as hell but still going to ride.

 

Ahhh Texas! What is it they say there? Now I remember.. "Fuck em if they cain't take a joke"

I thought the dude may have whipped out his IR pistol and verified that perceived increase in temperature.. Guess not.. Wind chill is wind chill. The calculation is a little hairy but a mired nomograph tells the tale.

Back to Texas.. Managed to get through the UofH, Rice and 95 N 95 more than a few times.

 

I also have noticed my outside air temp gauge is also consistently 10 degrees to high. I thought it was just like a hand grenade: close is good enough.

Is there a fix for this or are they all that way?

 

Part of the problem I discovered was nothing more than dirt in the sensor. Some of it is probably just road dirt, some of the issue was definitely my fault. I forgot that a week or so ago I attempted to set front fork sag and was dusting the forks with chalk from my chalk line to give me a visual mark on fork dive. Aside from that being a stupid was to tune the suspension it also seems to have caused a problem with the air temp sensor. Solution= aerosol contact cleaner liberally sprayed into the sensor and then alternatively blown out with compressed air, repeat. The sensor is now reading only about 3 degrees high, which I can live with.
And as it turns out my suspension was pretty well dialed into where I needed it to be in the first place. Go figure.

 

Problem solved. If the sensor somehow gets clogged again, could you use your IR gun?

 

Yeah I will if it acts up again.

 

Be careful if there are any LEO's lurking. They might think you are texting.

 

This problem is usually very simply fixed. Your inner fairing is not sitting flush against the side fairing, creating a gap and engine heat hitting the sensor. Check the mating surfaces of the inner fairing usually the front side. This always fixes this problem for me. No replacement necessary

 

Mine was reading high after a static fall due to the plastic clips popping on the inner plastic dropping the sensor closer to the right side radiator, repositioning and new clips sorted it.

 

Who needs the outside temp reading anyways. This is the "bike" way on how to determine weather...the redneck way.



Bike in mist = Foggy
Bikes wet = Raining outside
Bike on fire = to hot to ride
Bike has ice on it = cold
cant see bike = its late/night time
Bike in tornado = its windy
Bike on ground = its Randys (or earthquake) :funky:

 

Randy is going to be busting out that button...