inaccurate temperature displayed

[melomaniac]

this comes down to whom one believes more: when the bimmer says 90 and the android phone says 80, who is right? partly I can ascribe this to being in traffic, on tarmac in the sun, but sometimes I see the bimmer overestimating the outside temperature even on a cool morning right after sliding out of the garage... what can I do to verify or check?

[carid]

The temerature sensor is underneath the front of the vehicle. usually mounts into either the skid plate on the drivers side, or up by the bottom of the front bumper. (mostly from what I've seen). I would say that the sun beating in the hot pavement and the sensor being less than a foot away from that would cause the temperature to read slightly higher. I'm not sure how you can test this being that your phone doesn't actually have a temerature sensor. it goes by weather info.

[Lord Vader]

I personally believe the in car one to be more accurate to your location then the android app. On my E36 the temp sensor is in the brake cooling duct near the front of the bumper. It measures air temp as it passes by the sensor. The heat radiating from the pavement can make it read higher then a normal thermostat would, but probably not by much.