Ambient Temperature Readout

[Grumpy Goat]

It appears that it takes increasingly longer for the ambient temperature display to start reading the correct temperature after start-up. When the bike was younger, IIRC, it would read the correct temperature after less than a minute after startup and riding off. Now it takes maybe 10 minutes or more. The temperature reading is accurate, mind you, just that it takes a long time to get there.

At MAXBMW the sensor is listed at:

13 62 1 739 510 - TEMPERATURE SENSOR AIR - $102.69

If this is a known issue and the solution is the replacement of the sensor, then I would replace it.

Anyone else have the same experience?

[darrell]

I've not watched mine closely to see how fast it changes but I know it is fairly accurate when I do look at it. My Ford pickup takes about 5 minutes before I get an accurate reading. Might want to check your connector in the event you bumped when you were washing the bike. Also not sure if this probe reacts to water but if it does you could try some ice water and see if it drops quickly.

[Grumpy Goat]

I've not watched mine closely to see how fast it changes but I know it is fairly accurate when I do look at it. My Ford pickup takes about 5 minutes before I get an accurate reading. Might want to check your connector in the event you bumped when you were washing the bike. Also not sure if this probe reacts to water but if it does you could try some ice water and see if it drops quickly.

Good suggestions Darrell. I will have a check and revert. Doubt that it is a loose connection but then it could be. It does get slightly snagged if I am careless when washing the bike.

[duerrs]

I'm having the same problem. Just started noticing this year. Last weekend I had the bike in for some new tires. When I left the shop, the temp read 73* for about 10 minutes on the ride home before it jumped up to 85. Never noticed this before.

[darrell]

Today in the center part of Montana I ran in to a cold front that dropped temps from 86 to 69 in 12 miles. In that 12 miles elevation changed from 2800 to 4000 ft. I watched the temp gauge on the bike change frequently and probably dropped 3 degrees with 3 changes in on 60 second period. So mine works as I remember it did and as those of you with issues are expecting from yours.

[Grumpy Goat]

I have been noticing that the sluggishness on the temperature readout happens after the bike has been sitting in the shade in parking garage here are work, after 9 hours+ and with temperatures that rise up during the day to whatever hell the day brings.

On starting, the temperature readout says the last temperature the bike saw at 6:30 AM when it was last switched off, and stays at that temperature for over 10 minutes, regardless of what the temperature is. Then it instantaneously jumps up to whatever ambient is.

However, the bike could be sitting in my garage for days (and that garage is not climate controlled so it gets pretty hot - likely hotter than the office parking garage) and after starting up in the morning to come to work, as soon as back it out of the garage it starts to drop. This mornign it read 86 deg.F on startup. By the time I drove out of my driveway it had dropped to 84 deg.F and by the time I left the sub-division it had steadily (albeit gradually) dropped to 78 deg.F which was the ambient temperature, and where it stayed for the rest of the ride to work.

Strange difference. I would have to run a test and ride it for the first time in the day at say 4:30 PM and see if the delay happens from home too, before making a conclusion that it takes longer to read ambient when ambient is high.

[Ziggy0304361]

Have you ever found out what it was? I'll try to remember to keep an eye on mine over the next week. I guess another possibility is that BMW have updated the software at a previous service and it could be a bug?!

[Grumpy Goat]

Have you ever found out what it was? I'll try to remember to keep an eye on mine over the next week. I guess another possibility is that BMW have updated the software at a previous service and it could be a bug?!

No I never did figure it out and I have not even installed the replacement sensor under the front cowl (above the fender). Thanks for reminding me. I have been just living with it.

[Ray]

Have you ever found out what it was? I'll try to remember to keep an eye on mine over the next week. I guess another possibility is that BMW have updated the software at a previous service and it could be a bug?!

No I never did figure it out and I have not even installed the replacement sensor under the front cowl (above the fender). Thanks for reminding me. I have been just living with it.

Just saw this thread.
I seem to recall that automotive ambient temperature monitoring systems have a programmed delay that is inversely proportional to the speed of the vehicle. You might check with the shop at the dealer. I bet they would know if a similar delay is built into our system.

[mspratz]

You might want to try gently cleaning the connector contacts, or spray a bit of electronic circuit cleaner or ACF-50 into the connector. Might not do anything, but is worth a shot.

[Grumpy Goat]

You might want to try gently cleaning the connector contacts, or spray a bit of electronic circuit cleaner or ACF-50 into the connector. Might not do anything, but is worth a shot.

Agreed. Hope I remember.

[buellwinkle]

Ambient temp ? Crap, I would much rather have Engine temp and OIL pressure ! ! ! !

[runnerhiker]

The engine control uses the ambient temperature for its fueling calculations. You want the reaction to this to be slow, it's not desirable for this number to change quickly so the sensitivity is slow on purpose. Now, how slow is slow is another question, but the point is to not be too concerned because it IS slow.

[Grumpy Goat]

The engine control uses the ambient temperature for its fueling calculations. You want the reaction to this to be slow, it's not desirable for this number to change quickly so the sensitivity is slow on purpose. Now, how slow is slow is another question, but the point is to not be too concerned because it IS slow.

I agree but I notice that in cooler temperatures it reads correctly after maybe 3 minutes. In hot Houston weather (like 95 deg.F) it can take maybe 10+ minutes to change. That is too slow I think.

I'm yet to make this fix but have the part.

[Grumpy Goat]

Ambient temp ? Crap, I would much rather have Engine temp and OIL pressure ! ! ! !

My S1000R has no ambient temperature and as a commuter that irritates me. The RS has ambient as well as engine temperature and an oil light for pressure that is abnormal. That is what is needed AFAIAC.

[Masione]

My 1290 SDGT seems to start by displaying the last temperature read. I've learned not to put too much stock in it. Kinda like the TPMS on my 1250 RS. Nice to have, but not necessarily a real accurate measurement...

[Bimmerman]

Hello, I thought I would chime in as I started having problems with my sensor yesterday. I have only had my bike for a month and haven't taken it in for its 1st service. I have just over 600km on it. Yesterday was very hot here (34ºC) and in the morning when I first took off it was fine but then in the afternoon it was stuck at 28ºC. When I came home it seemed to be ok as it had risen to 31ºC. I take it in for service on the 6th of Aug. so I will let you know what I find out.

[Grumpy Goat]

Hello, I thought I would chime in as I started having problems with my sensor yesterday. I have only had my bike for a month and haven't taken it in for its 1st service. I have just over 600km on it. Yesterday was very hot here (34ºC) and in the morning when I first took off it was fine but then in the afternoon it was stuck at 28ºC. When I came home it seemed to be ok as it had risen to 31ºC. I take it in for service on the 6th of Aug. so I will let you know what I find out.

Appreciate that. I am surprised that the temperature sensor is acting up with such a new bike, although the sensor is typically a third-party item, and may even be shared with the BMW cars. The sensor on my RS is still sluggish to grab the actual temperature after leaving the office, although that only happens in hot weather. In cooler weather or in the morning when leaving for work it wakes up pretty much when the bike starts up.

[Motorhead1977]

Interesting. My 2020 RS displays the ambient temp fairly accurately within a mile or two after startup everytime. It lives in the garage which is no cooled but is partially below grade.

[Bimmerman]

Hello, I thought I would chime in as I started having problems with my sensor yesterday. I have only had my bike for a month and haven't taken it in for its 1st service. I have just over 600km on it. Yesterday was very hot here (34ºC) and in the morning when I first took off it was fine but then in the afternoon it was stuck at 28ºC. When I came home it seemed to be ok as it had risen to 31ºC. I take it in for service on the 6th of Aug. so I will let you know what I find out.

Appreciate that. I am surprised that the temperature sensor is acting up with such a new bike, although the sensor is typically a third-party item, and may even be shared with the BMW cars. The sensor on my RS is still sluggish to grab the actual temperature after leaving the office, although that only happens in hot weather. In cooler weather or in the morning when leaving for work it wakes up pretty much when the bike starts up.

After coming back from Singapore the sensor seems to be working properly again. I take the bike in for its first check up today so I will see if they can find anything. It has still been very hot here in Japan, around 36ºC everyday but the last two days since I've been back and riding the bike it has worked.