Volvo 850 Made from 1993 to 1997, this Volvo line was available in both a wagon and a sedan, both with were graced with several trim levels.

Exterior Temp Sensor help needed...

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Old Dec 17, 2011 | 10:41 AM
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Default Exterior Temp Sensor help needed...

Greetings..... '97 turbo

The dash outside temp indicator is showing 'LO' What does this mean?
I think this is some sort if fault message saying the sensor is not working.

A. Where is the outside temp sensor located?

B. Any experience w/ this 'LO' being displayed

C. Will this also cause the blinking lights on my ECC?
(eventually I will pull codes for these)

TIA!!!!
 
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Old Dec 17, 2011 | 12:14 PM
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On my 95 its on the drivers side lower valance. Sort of on the lower corner of the radiator. I clips into a small bracket. Pretty easy to spot if you squat down and look at the front of your car.

Might be easy and cheap to pick another one up from a wrecker and plug it in for starters.
 
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Old Dec 17, 2011 | 10:15 PM
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Mine was showing low, so I purchased one from a guy and it was showing LO at first. Now it works right (past 30 days).

It will not effect your ECC.
 
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Old Dec 17, 2011 | 10:52 PM
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The Blinking lights on the ECC are a separate issue.

Ambient air temp sensor. The second picture looks like it's in upside down. The body is above the mount and the sensor tip sticks through the hole pointing down.
 
Attached Thumbnails Exterior Temp Sensor help needed...-ambient-air-temp-sensor-1347010.jpg   Exterior Temp Sensor help needed...-ambient-air-temp-sensor-installed.jpg  
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Old Dec 18, 2011 | 06:05 PM
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Man, that temp sensor is suppose to be snapped into the air guide under the motor.
 
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Old Dec 18, 2011 | 10:05 PM
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@Kiss - Is that picture from your car? rspi is correct, that is not where that goes. It is supposed to be exposed to air in the front of the car. It hangs from a light gauge metal bracket.
 
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Old Dec 21, 2011 | 06:12 PM
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Thanks for responses..update:

I found a sensor at a local salvage yard. Checked part #, and they were the same. Spiced new one in....and still no luck. Agh. The reading on the
dash still says 'LO'.

Bad replacement sensor? I checked the wiring connections. They seem
correct and good.

Thanks..
 
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Old Dec 21, 2011 | 08:44 PM
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Hmmm, you should not have had to cut anything...its a plug
 
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Old Dec 21, 2011 | 09:57 PM
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I'm not sure why my replacement showed low a few times. Maybe it would correct itself. Like I said, mine works fine now. They just plug in like BoxPin said.
 
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Old Dec 21, 2011 | 11:49 PM
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That's the problem with getting a used part. Might be the vehicle was on it's last leg and that sensor was bad but the owner ran it till it dropped. You can go Rockauto.com and get a good one (new) for $32. That way you'd know if it's the sensor or something else.

Boxpin, nope not a picture of mine. That was a cut and paste job. I've seen mine but I can't remember the positioning of it behind the bumper. I do know the sensor end should be forward or down to access air flow and away from the radiator. I ran across it when I relocated the horns out of the way of the radiator and fabricated mounts to put them where fog lights would be. Ended up replacing them with high output ones as the ones it had, one was dead and the other was on the way out.
 
Attached Thumbnails Exterior Temp Sensor help needed...-horn-replacement-wolo-extra-loud-high.jpg   Exterior Temp Sensor help needed...-horn-replacement-wolo-extra-loud-low.jpg  

Last edited by Kiss4aFrog; Dec 22, 2011 at 12:14 AM.
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Old Dec 22, 2011 | 09:18 PM
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hey..thanks..I think I will post a pic of the sensor. I can get to this on Friday..

Cheers!
 
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Old Dec 22, 2011 | 10:37 PM
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This is the one on my 850. I'm guessing it's the stock position but the horn behind it I relocated down from the stock position centered and in front of the radiator. It's on the driver's side next to the small opening used for a fog light.
 
Attached Thumbnails Exterior Temp Sensor help needed...-ambient-air-temp-sensor-mounted.jpg   Exterior Temp Sensor help needed...-ambient-air-temp-sensor-mounted-2.jpg  
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