Has anyone renewed the external ambient sensor?

CJ Romeo

Member
Messages
126
My Ghibli is mainly displaying an ambient temperature of more than 30 degrees higher than it is, which means the HVAC only works on HI setting.

I’ve got a new sensor (well one for a Dodge Ram) but with the bumper loose and the front undertray removed I can’t even see any wiring heading to the area shown in the parts manual, which is in the middle of the curved crash bar.

Before I risk damaging the bumper by fully removing it, does anyone know if it’s actually located there, as I can’t see it even with a boroscope, but then I can’t really access the area.

I gave up as it fixed itself, but it’s on the bum again.
 

CJ Romeo

Member
Messages
126
Not sure that would work as if I leave it for a few days it goes back to normal for a day or two, I want to swap the sensor and clean the plugs adjacent.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
Can’t say I’ve done one on a Ghibli (yet) but have done the wife’s Fiat and my Alfa with the same display fault with the same hvac issue and it fixed it, so your diagnosis is correct.

Both (and alll I have seen) are on the underside of the wing mirror.

I believe the Ghibli one is on the front beam behind the bumper and would expect that with a ramp and the undertray off it will be simple to access.
 
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CJ Romeo

Member
Messages
126
Thanks, looks like you can’t get to it without removing the bumper, with the tray off the rad pack takes up the gap and sits inside the bumper, no dice from up top either.

bumper it is!
 

CJ Romeo

Member
Messages
126
Rightttttt…..l removed the bumper and……sod all there. Looks like the later models done away with the Chrysler style one on the crash bar.

Unplugged the offside door and sure enough , went from +44 to -40…….
So I’ll order up the generic Fiat sensor and take it from there. Unfortunately this car has auto dimming mirrors and blind spot lamps, they dont sell the glass so I’ll need to be super careful There is no access just removing the shell.

if you are doing an early one, there is no way to get to the front beam without removing the bumper
 

CJ Romeo

Member
Messages
126
Thought the ambient sensors on maserati's were in the driver mirror?
The Ghibli until 2017 were on the crash bar, a Chrysler part, that’s where Chrysler put them. The only part on the system is that one so I assumed it was still there as the part matched the VIN
 

CJ Romeo

Member
Messages
126
The procedure here is pull the shell staight off, not up or down, straight.

Look through the holes and you’ll see the plastic retainer just carefully work away at the glass and the one tab you can get to from the back until it either breaks(!) or comes free, takes a good degree of controlled force to get the first tab loose. I left the glass plugged in as mine has 3 looms attached so wasn’t going to fall off.

Then remove the 4x torx screws that hold the inner shell to the outer shell revealing the sensor. It’s retained by hot melt glue that I softened with a soldering iron. Cut the 2 black wires (it’s not polarity sensitive). Install the new one, route the cables to the shell and connect to the old wires. Make sure it works before soldering and heat shrinking the connections and gluing or siliconing the sensor back in place.

When putting back together, you’ll probably have jammed the adjuster motors wrestling with the glass, so make sure this works and is freed off before refitting the glass.

Sensor is the generic one for Fiat and Alfa available for under a tenner.

Maserati don’t sell the glass and if you’ve photochromic and/or blind spot indicators there is no aftermarket solution. A whole assembly is nearly £700 plus VAT and in my spec, they are on back order.