Cleaning out Cabin Temperature Sensors

Post by **jreed** » 11 Sep 2010, 16:18

I cleaned out the cabin temperature sensors today (a pretty quick job) on my '97 855 GLT at 140K. All I needed was a fine tipped brush and a straw for blowing air to clean the sensor wires.

Location of grilles covering temp sensors:

: Location of plastic 'grille' covering temperature sensors; DirtySensor_01.jpg (73.42 KiB) Viewed 7233 times

Check the grille for dust too. One of mine was packed:

: The grille was full of dust too.; DirtySensor_02.jpg (75.91 KiB) Viewed 7233 times

The sensor wires were covered with dust:

: Dirt covering the sensor; DirtySensor_03.jpg (87.99 KiB) Viewed 7233 times

After gently brushing off the dust with a fine tipped brush and then blowing air through a straw to blow loose dust away:

: Sensor after cleaning with fine tipped brush and blowing air.; DirtySensor_04.jpg (82.3 KiB) Viewed 7233 times

Pretty fun job!

Post by **MNCO1** » 11 Sep 2010, 22:01

Good to know. Thanks for the guide.

geokilla · Post by **geokilla** » 13 Sep 2010, 19:11

There's more than one sensor? I thought there was only one by the wiper stalk.

Post by **marginal** » 13 Sep 2010, 19:15

There's two of them, one above every front door.

Post by **marginal** » 13 Sep 2010, 19:15

I just blew compressed air in mine, I am not sure it has cleaned them.

Post by **marginal** » 13 Sep 2010, 19:16

How do you take off the plastic?

Post by **jblackburn** » 13 Sep 2010, 19:43

geokilla wrote:There's more than one sensor? I thought there was only one by the wiper stalk.

850's have 2 sensors; 98 and later models only one.

Post by **jreed** » 14 Sep 2010, 04:16

On my 855, the plastic grilles pull straight out with just a small amount of force. No need to pry or pull to the sides. They're held in place with a little lip of plastic and you just grasp the sides and pull out.
I tried blowing the dust away first to avoid risk to the wires from touching with a brush, but I couldn't get any of the dust to come off. So, I used a fine tipped brush (an old art brush or touch up brush) and gently brushed away the dust. Then I blew air and removed what the brush had loosened up.

Post by **Red-Arrow** » 25 Sep 2010, 03:28

I did this to mines and found a broken thermistor wire, took around 30 minutes to get it out and another 30 to resolder it.

Good write up

Post by **jreed** » 25 Sep 2010, 16:39

Interesting! What did you have to remove in order to get the sensor out?