Where can I get a car themometer?? (rush thread)

[lamsalfl]

I am leaving in 2 days to go out of town and I would LOVE to get a car thermometer, since I'll be driving through some cold weather!  Where can I get one?  Should I be looking for wireless ones?

[Truvelo]

Most cars these days have dashboard readouts that give the temperature.

[Dougtone]

My car does not have a dashboard readout that gives the temperature.  Perhaps try an electronics superstore?

[US71]

My car does not have a dashboard readout that gives the temperature.  Perhaps try an electronics superstore?

Check with AutoZone-type stores first.

[allniter89]

I've always gotten mine at truckstops or WalMArt in the automotive section where you find air freshners and compasses etc. It will have velcro and or screws to mount it and have about 20ft of wire with a sensor at the end you need to put outside. The sensor will have some kind of glue on it to stick to the vehicle, and its removed easily also. Of course you will need to put the sensor out of direct sunlight and away from where engine heat might affect the temp, wind doent affect the temp. I usually mounted mine underneath the outside mirrrors. I've found them to be surprisingly accurate but of course the more you spend the more you get, some also have a inside temp option and a 24hr hi/low temp option  . As far as routing the sensor wire, it will work well in thru a vent window or even thru a door you dont open much, the wire is pretty sturdy. BTW the thermometer will work off a couple of AA or AAA batteries, usually included. I havent seen a wireless one for a car altho a electronic store might have one, I do have a wireless one at home and it works well, got it at WM for maybe $20? I'm a retired truck driver, and a weather geek evidently, and always had a outside thermometer to keep an eye on freezing precip and roads and just for fun  .  Have a great safe road trip!!!

[agentsteel53]

mine cost about $2.69 (in 1993, so double that or more - be prepared to spend $10.) - it measures the temperature just about at the midpoint of the undersection of the car, between the four wheels and far away from the engine.  Seems to be pretty accurate - just doesn't measure wind chill 

It was bought at a Napa Auto Parts and wired up just like allniter89 discusses.

[agentsteel53]

and: see if you can beat -33  that was my temperature up at Crater Lake a few weeks ago.  Macdonald pass in Montana was only -17 but the wind chill (which my thermometer does not measure) was apparently -68!  f'n ouch - I had to hold my tripod down with both hands so it wouldn't blow away!

[lamsalfl]

Wow thanks for the replys everyone.  I'll check Pep Boys and see what they got, but yeah I was thinking a truck stop might have that.  They have everything else there.  Still not sure about how to get the wire from outside the car to inside.  Should I just send it through my window?  Is it that small?  I don't want to destroy the track of my power windows now! 

[allniter89]

oh yeah, wire from sensor to unit is pretty small. maybe dont roll window too tight onto wire. I guess you dont have a vent window huh? BTW, where is your road trip taking yoou?

[AZDude]

You can close the door on the wire.  It won't do any harm.  I bought one from walmart for $10 a few years back.  Very easy to install.

[lamsalfl]

I'm going to Charlotte on Sunday for the Saints game, but I'm stopping in Nashville first, then (b/c of the I-40 closure in the Smokies) having to go up to Kingsport down I-26 into NC then probably I-40 to Statesville before going south.

[Sykotyk]

Truck stops carry them. Probably around $10 or so. Just close the door on the wire.

I had one, but it stopped working after less than a year. Was nice, showed inside and outside temperatures.

Sykotyk

[hbelkins]

I'm going to Charlotte on Sunday for the Saints game, but I'm stopping in Nashville first, then (b/c of the I-40 closure in the Smokies) having to go up to Kingsport down I-26 into NC then probably I-40 to Statesville before going south.

That's out of the way. Take US 25/US 70 to reconnect with I-40 north of Asheville.

My sister-in-law is in Cherokee, NC with her mother. They drove down from southeastern Kentucky and ran into a double-whammy. US 441 across the Great Smoky Mountains (Newfound Gap) is closed due to weather, and there's the I-40 closure. They ended up taking US 129 (the infamous Tail of the Dragon) to get to Cherokee. My brother called me tonight to ask for a better way home. I suggested US 25/70 through Marshall and on into Tennessee. Then they can just follow US 25E from where the E and W split of US 25 occurs to her mother's home, which is just  a few miles off US 25E in kentucky.

[US71]

I am leaving in 2 days to go out of town and I would LOVE to get a car thermometer, since I'll be driving through some cold weather!  Where can I get one?  Should I be looking for wireless ones?

So, how did that work out?

[lamsalfl]

Well I picked one up at a truck stop in Tuscaloosa.  Installed it.  It's digital. Seemed to be ok.  I have no idea of its accuracy, but I was able to tell that when it said 14 that it really was in the teens!

[Android]

Digital ones are usually quite accurate if the sensor gets good airflow to it.  In my 85 Golf I have mine running so it hangs inside the fenderwell.  Not a lot of air moving there so if I'm in traffic or idling it reads high, but on the highway it's pretty accurate.  On my other two cars I have them right in the windstream and those are very accurate. In the Golf,  I have it taped to the dash out of the way by the ignition switch.  The very first one I ever got years ago, it was one sold for cars and it gave me problems.  Since then I've used ones sold for the home instead and never had any issues.

[lamsalfl]

I put my sensor on the bottom (underneath) of my left mirror.