2002 Es300 Ambient Temperature Sensor

[Chip]

I have spent a good deal of time trying to find the ambient temperature sensor on my 2002 es300. I have seen a couple diagrams that show where it should be but I can't find it. I am assuming if I find it and replace it, the outside temp will once again display on the dash. Anybody have any experience with this? thanks!

[pj8708]

I have spent a good deal of time trying to find the ambient temperature sensor on my 2002 es300. I have seen a couple diagrams that show where it should be but I can't find it. I am assuming if I find it and replace it, the outside temp will once again display on the dash. Anybody have any experience with this? thanks!

Hi Chip,

I can only tell you about my previous 2005, ES330. The placement of that sensor was behind the front bumper, about in front of the radiator fan(s). Is this the same location your diagrams have been showing you?

Did the outside temp display in the dash suddenly go blank, or did it slowly fade out?

ps: I'm in Des Moines; Go Clones..

[Chip]

Paul,

thanks for the reply. The screen on the dash started acting flakey last summer- once in a while displaying a couple of horizontal lines instead of the temp. Eventually it got worse and for quite a while now there is no read out of the temp- just the lines. When I ordered the part, a pretty crude diagram came with that showed the location of the sensor to be where you indicate. I spent an hour looking, took it to a local shop where they put it on the hoist and removed the under body panels and we looked everywhere and could not find it. I called the service desk at the Lexus dealer in Des Moines and they told me it was behind the bumper about the middle of the car. I told the tech who was kind enough to try and help me that it was not there and he said soomeone must have removed it. That can't be as even if it has been removed there are no wires or connectors there. I wonder if in 2002 they put that ambient temp sensor somewhere really weird? Anyway it would be nice to have the temp read out this time of year to know if the roads are water or ice..

thanks again.

Chip

ps we have kids that went to both ames and iowa city so I have to be careful about rooting for college teams :)

[pj8708]

Hey Chip, I'm back but with not good news I'm afraid.

I went to the Lexus dealer in Des Moines and talked to Jim, their Master Technician who's been there since the dealership introduced Lexus in 1990. He has more factory training and experience under a Lexus than anyone I've ever heard of. First, he said that Lexus has ALWAYS placed the outdoor temperature sensor in the same place, on all models. It is attached to the back of the bumper, about in front of the radiator toward the passenger side. The sensor, as you know since you bought the part, is about the size and shape of the cap off a stick type ballpoint pen. It is mounted on the bumper facing the open air.

I told him you had looked there but it was not there. No sensor, no mounting hardware, no wiring, nada. He was highly doubtful it could fall off, but stranger things have happened.

I'm sorry Chip, but I'm afraid I've exhausted my knowledge and logical resources. I don't know what else to tell you.

Please let us know what you find out or how you solved it.

Paul

[lenore]

is this the drawing you have....

http://lexus.sewellparts.com/oem-catalog/8715875036-Electrical-ES300-2002.html

[Chip]

Paul,

thanks for going the extra mile for me. Armed with the info from the master tech that it had to be there, I crawled under the car again tonight and noticed for the first time on the bottom surface of the bumper, there is a hole with what looks like the end of a white plastic snap-in anchor in it. I am thinking this must be the bottom view of the anchor that attaches the sensor to the bumper but to get at the sensor, it looks like the plastic bumper cover has to come off the front of the car. I am assuming now that the bumper must be shaped like a a square 'C' channel which has it's open side against the bumper cover and the sensor must be on the inside of the bumper. I suppose the wires are running out of sight inside the bumper to the elusive sensor. This hole is located slightly past the license plate on the driver's side. There is a corosponding hole in the bottom surface of the bumper on the passenger side of the plate but it is empty. It looks like a job for a body shop to take that bumper cover off.

I just hope if i do take it in and have them remove the bumper cover, that the sensor will be there and replacing it will fix the problem. It might be after the holidays before I can get the car in to do this but if I do, I will report the outcome.

lenore,

your diagram was superior to the really crude drawing that came with the part. Your diagram bears out what Paul reported. Thanks so much for sending the diagram!

Thanks again guys and Merry Christmas to you and your's!

Chip

[pj8708]

Paul,

thanks for going the extra mile for me. Armed with the info from the master tech that it had to be there, I crawled under the car again tonight and noticed for the first time on the bottom surface of the bumper, there is a hole with what looks like the end of a white plastic snap-in anchor in it. I am thinking this must be the bottom view of the anchor that attaches the sensor to the bumper but to get at the sensor, it looks like the plastic bumper cover has to come off the front of the car. I am assuming now that the bumper must be shaped like a a square 'C' channel which has it's open side against the bumper cover and the sensor must be on the inside of the bumper. I suppose the wires are running out of sight inside the bumper to the elusive sensor. This hole is located slightly past the license plate on the driver's side. There is a corosponding hole in the bottom surface of the bumper on the passenger side of the plate but it is empty. It looks like a job for a body shop to take that bumper cover off.

I just hope if i do take it in and have them remove the bumper cover, that the sensor will be there and replacing it will fix the problem. It might be after the holidays before I can get the car in to do this but if I do, I will report the outcome.

lenore,

your diagram was superior to the really crude drawing that came with the part. Your diagram bears out what Paul reported. Thanks so much for sending the diagram!

Thanks again guys and Merry Christmas to you and your's!

Chip

[pj8708]

Paul,

thanks for going the extra mile for me. Armed with the info from the master tech that it had to be there, I crawled under the car again tonight and noticed for the first time on the bottom surface of the bumper, there is a hole with what looks like the end of a white plastic snap-in anchor in it. I am thinking this must be the bottom view of the anchor that attaches the sensor to the bumper but to get at the sensor, it looks like the plastic bumper cover has to come off the front of the car. I am assuming now that the bumper must be shaped like a a square 'C' channel which has it's open side against the bumper cover and the sensor must be on the inside of the bumper. I suppose the wires are running out of sight inside the bumper to the elusive sensor. This hole is located slightly past the license plate on the driver's side. There is a corosponding hole in the bottom surface of the bumper on the passenger side of the plate but it is empty. It looks like a job for a body shop to take that bumper cover off.

I just hope if i do take it in and have them remove the bumper cover, that the sensor will be there and replacing it will fix the problem. It might be after the holidays before I can get the car in to do this but if I do, I will report the outcome.

lenore,

your diagram was superior to the really crude drawing that came with the part. Your diagram bears out what Paul reported. Thanks so much for sending the diagram!

Thanks again guys and Merry Christmas to you and your's!

Chip

Sounds like you might be able to save the patient after all!!! Happy Days!

If you have to take the bumper cover off and it runs into some money, just send the bill to Lenore....he is a very generous and giving man. Especially around Christmas. LOL!!

Merry Christmas to you and yours Chip.

[lenore]

Yes I am, lots of folks need the extra help, however I can only offer my advice, or my hands....My grandbabies get the rest...God Bless Everyone...

[Chip]

OK. the ambient temperature is now displayed in the digital readout on the dash as it should be. I think this sad story began several years ago when the '02 ES300 collided with a deer. I beleive the ambient temp sensor must have been damaged at that time and the body shop performing the repair super glued the sensor back onto the stub of the anchor left sticking out of the bottom surface of the bumper. My theory continues.... after several years the glue-job failed and the sensor came loose and dangled. subsequent flexing of the wires in the breeze generated by highway speed driving fatigued them but before they broke completely there was intermitant connection and fucntion. Then they broke completely releasing the sensor and the section of wire with the connector plug attached- off onto the surface of some desolate stretch of highway...fast forward to fall of 2011 and the events as related in my earlier posts. Now the repair- after much thought and deduction I finally found the ends of the broken off wires sticking out of the bundle of wires running along the top of the bumper, I stripped them back and connected some jumper wires , pulled the stub of the old anchor out of the bumper and inserted a new sensor. Because I didn't have the plug connector to click onto the back of the sensor, I found some very small female spade connectors that slid onto the terminals in the sensor. I attached the jumper wires to the spade connections and- VOILA- a functinal ambient temp readout on the dash. I beleive my theory accounts for everything obseved and I hope my repair is durable. moral of the story- don't give up. thanks all.

[pj8708]

I am impressed!!!! I guess what my Mother always said is true...."if at first you don't succeed, try, try, and then give up." I'm kidding obviously. What a journey to finally get the results you wanted. Hope it keeps working for you and thank you for letting us know how things turned out and of your success. Many times, we work with other members problems, and they never come back and tell the folks who helped them if they were able to resolve their problem, or if the advice was of no help.

By the way....what happened to the poor Deer?

Paul

[Chip]

Bambi might not have been the culprit that took out the ambient temp sensor as my wife has over the almost 10 years we have had this car had up close and personal contact with not only the deer (which ran off after the incident) but also: a fox, a goose, a racoon, and several small birds ( all fatalities )resulting in trips each time to the body shop to replace plastic front end parts broken by the impacts. thinking on this and being reminded of the history of carnage with this this car, it now seems more likely to me that the damage was done by one of the smaller victims which could have better penetrated the rather protected location of the sensor...a bird going through that lower grill at 65 mph could have done it....precision bombing in effect.

[pj8708]

Bambi might not have been the culprit that took out the ambient temp sensor as my wife has over the almost 10 years we have had this car had up close and personal contact with not only the deer (which ran off after the incident) but also: a fox, a goose, a racoon, and several small birds ( all fatalities )resulting in trips each time to the body shop to replace plastic front end parts broken by the impacts. thinking on this and being reminded of the history of carnage with this this car, it now seems more likely to me that the damage was done by one of the smaller victims which could have better penetrated the rather protected location of the sensor...a bird going through that lower grill at 65 mph could have done it....precision bombing in effect.

Now days, I believe that is called "precision guided all organic ordinance"! lol

Your wife is single handedly accounting for the accelerated extinction of several non-threatened species. Whoa to those who reap carnage with a Japanese luxury car while sipping their latte' and listening to the stock reports. (My wife had a pet Deer "Bambi" when she was a child. We hit and kiiled a Deer last year and she was sure it was it's cousin.LOL...)