Outside Temperature Display

Assuming this is your 1998 E320 (based on your previous posting 3 minutes ago).

Does the odometer still show? If yes, the outside temp sensor is bad. The sensor is somewhere near the front bumper. Older cars have it behind the license plate. Look for a metal tip (1/4" diameter) followed by thick cable.

If the odometer does not show either, the display is bad. I am not sure about your model but I suspect the whole cluster needs to be replaced.

Bill Leavy wrote:

Hi -

Thanks for the quick reply.

Yes it is a 1998 E320.

The odometer and the clock do still show, so if I'm understanding you correctly, that should mean that the sensor is shot.

I looked underneath, and saw something that looked like an insulated wire/cable with a lot of little metal bristles coming out. Looks almost like a cut wire cable. Is this it?

Seems like it would be an easy repair then.

-- Bill

What car do you have? Alot of time it is that display unit that is bad... buy good used unit on ebay.

Ahh... in your case, it is a $800 bill... My mom's 2001 E320 had the same problem... losing digits... same for the clock. They swap out the entiire cluster.

In the older cars (80s to early 90s), the cable looks and feels like the TV cable (slightly thinner) and the metal tip is about 1/4" in diameter and one inch long with a mounting base at the latter half. The cable routes along the front bumper, behind the left headlight, then along the left fender top and going thru the firewall. If what you find is indeed the "sensor", I am afraid it has been cut, either by accident or someone else.

You > Hi -

Hi Tiger -

I'm hoping the cluster is not the problem since the odometer and the clock seem fine.

-- Bill

Hi Wan -

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong thing, I don't see any insulated wires, almost looks like a metal brush.

You may be right about the sensor being cut, I'll ask my mechanic about it.

-- Bill

Hi Tiger -

It's a 1998 E320.

Still hoping it is the sensor.

-- Bill

#17 is the sensor, #11 is the harness:

Re. outside temp: The display unit itself is very often the cause of this problem, and not the sensor. The display unit is repairable and not to expensive to fix.

yours RD

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