Why Your Car Thermometer Is So Bad at Telling the Temperature. Sometimes outside car thermometers are so inaccurate that they feel like random number generators. They’re basically the worst feature of the car, next to the car’s infotainment systems. That’s because they’re not actually thermometers, they’re actually thermistors.

Why Your Car Thermometer Is So Bad at Telling the Temperature. Sometimes outside car thermometers are so inaccurate that they feel like random number generators. They’re basically the worst feature of the car, next to the car’s infotainment systems. That’s because they’re not actually thermometers, they’re actually thermistors.

What’s the difference? Unlike a thermometer, which measures heat, a thermistor measures the changes in electrical current after heat is added or removed. Thermometers and thermistors do really similar things, so this isn’t why your car is so bad at measuring outside temperatures (but we’re still appalled and kind of upset that it’s not a thermometer). The real reason is the thermistor’s placement. Most thermistors are at the front of the car behind the car’s grille (which is normally between the two headlights). This makes the reading a lot less accurate, especially on hot, sunny days because it also picks up on the heat radiated from the road.

Network Ham Radio in the Age of the Internet. Ham radio has been around for decades, but fans say it's still a vibrant tool for experimenting with electronics. Sometimes outside car thermometers are so inaccurate that they feel like random number generators. They’re basically the worst feature of the car, next to the car. Super User is a question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. Join them; it only takes a minute: Sign up.

Measurements are most accurate when you’re traveling at quick speeds and at times when the sun isn’t hitting the road, like at night and during cloudy weather. Your car thermistor can still be helpful in measuring below- freezing or freezing temperatures during cold weather, but it’s important to note that it isn’t that precise. You can still use it to look at changing temperatures in different areas, but we recommend having a good weather app in the meantime. Like most ways of measuring things, the United States uses a different temperature scale than most.

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