Outside thermostat SOOOO slow

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Jasmine James, Jun 24, 2018.

  1. Jasmine James

    Jasmine James New Member

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    Hi.

    I'm wondering if my outside thermostat is broken or if they are poorly placed on this generation.

    It's been 106 degrees. When I pull the car out of the garage, it's usually showing around 93 degrees. After an hour of driving, it will have increased to 96 or 98. Do I need to replace this thing (if so, what is the approximate cost?), or is this due to an inherent problem with the car?

    Thank you in advance for your response.
     
    #1 Jasmine James, Jun 24, 2018
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i'm not sure why, but it is a common complaint. mine can take an hour sometimes, but sometimes is quicker.
     
    #2 bisco, Jun 24, 2018
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  3. 4est

    4est Active Member

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    It's a thermometer.

    Thermostat is something else
     
    #3 4est, Jun 25, 2018
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  4. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    It's not the sensor, it's the electronics that reads it. It's programmed to be slow. The reason is owners panic when they see the temp change as fast as it actually does, and the slowing tends to "average out" the heat soak spikes. Ditto for engine temp readings. I "fixed" an RX-7 temp gauge to read instantly and I panicked ascending a mountain pass. ;) Lesson learned, I "chilled out" after that and just appreciated the variability of the coolant temp. and my new ability to watch it.
     
    #4 David Beale, Jun 25, 2018
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  5. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    The thermometer will stabilize within a few minutes after you start moving, IF the outside temperature is constant. If it goes up 3 degrees in an hour of driving, that simply means the outside temperature changed that much.
     
    #5 CR94, Jul 2, 2018
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    3 degrees per hour? you mean i have to drive 10 hours for a 30 degree differential from my garage to outside temp?(n)
     
    #6 bisco, Jul 2, 2018
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  7. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    Hilarious!!!
     
    #7 Grit, Jul 2, 2018
  8. Jasmine James

    Jasmine James New Member

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    HAHAHA! I can only speak for the first hour!
     
    #8 Jasmine James, Jul 10, 2018
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  9. Jasmine James

    Jasmine James New Member

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    If the car shows 94 degrees in the garage, the temperature outside is 106, if I'm driving for an hour, the car should show sometime during the hour, 106 degrees. My roommate's car, not a Prius, reaches the outside temperature within 15 minutes!
     
    #9 Jasmine James, Jul 10, 2018
  10. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    ^^^agree^^^
     
    #10 bisco, Jul 10, 2018
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  11. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    Your Prius should, too. Mine does, within maybe 4 minutes.
     
    #11 CR94, Jul 18, 2018
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yeah, there must be some defective sensors.
     
    #12 bisco, Jul 18, 2018
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