Can I add the outside temperature to my EX?

So I always thought the EX was the top-line of the Hondas... Not anymore... You have to shell out a few more grand to get the leather seats to get the better options...

I just traded my cool little 07 Civic EX for a stodgy 09 Accord EX. To my surprise, Honda didn't put the outside temp gauge in the Accord EX when it was in the Civic Ex... Cheap bast****...

Does anyone have any ideas how I might be able to add this little feature back in? I could care less what my overall mileage is but being in NH, I like to know if the roads are freezing before the tree tells me...

On the 7th gen, you could just add the option, but I dont see it as an option for the 08/09 catalog. I added an auto day night mirror with the temp display to my 7th instead, and it works great. It wasnt terrible to install and I use it all the time.

Hmmm, I know you can with the 7th Gen (there is a restriction around fog lights as the housing apparently goes where the temp guage does) However I can't seem to find it for the 8th Gen. You will see it for the 7th gen halfway down the page on this link.
http://www.handa-accessories.com/accelect06.html
Can anyone chime in on the 8th Gen? Can the 7th Gen kit work or is there one for the 8th you can add on? I figured it was a definite since it was on the 7th, but I guess thats what I get for thinkin!!!!

On the 8th gen. the temp feature is not included in the day/nite mirror. It has a compass instead.

On the 8th gen. the temp feature is not included in the day/nite mirror. It has a compass instead.


True, but you could get an aftermarket one.

This is one feature I'd really like to add to my EX as well.

Its on the gauge display next to the mileage....just toggle until it appears.

Its on the gauge display next to the mileage....just toggle until it appears.

i believe thats for the ex-ls only..

thats what i thought, its built into your oil life, odometers, and temp section under the tachs.....just toggle the switch like 08coupe says.....

I know Honda has this innate ability to hide the temp display sometimes. I remember on our '04 Pilot my wife was really ticked off that it didn't have an external temp display like her traded-in Buick did - and then that afternoon I was playing around and toggled the trip odometer button a few times and magically the temp popped up. I left it in that position to see if she'd notice that the temp was there. Took her 2 days to notice :-)

On the 7th gen, it's standard on the EX and above, and appears after you toggle the trip odometer button a few times. On my LX, I was able to add the module in as a Honda-supplied option. My '06 Pilot LX had the same odometer display as the Accord, but did NOT have the same add-on module that the Accord did - sigh....

andy

I was wondering the same thing, i'd love to have an external temp reading. The LX and EX models don't have it, in the coupe at least they dont

This is one feature I'd really like to add to my EX as well.

+1. I would like this too.

On the 7th gen, it's standard on the EX and above, and appears after you toggle the trip odometer button a few times.


Andy,

It's not standard on the 7th gen EX. The EX has two trip odo's... A and B. It can be installed in the place of one of them and I believe Princess had that done. It is standard on the EX-L and takes the place of one of the trip odo's.

Just put ont of those color changing stickers like that go on fish tanks on your drivers side mirror. I know it in't the nicest set-up but it works.

Your best bet is to get an "aftermarket" mirror...

http://shop.autodimmingmirrors.com/products-genk51a.asp

I have installed this mirror in my '06 Civic and my current '08 Accord EX. Its not that difficult, and having the Homelink is very nice. I put aftermarket in quotes because actually several car manufactures (Toyota for example) use this brand of mirror as OEM.

Andy,

It's not standard on the 7th gen EX. The EX has two trip odo's... A and B. It can be installed in the place of one of them and I believe Princess had that done. It is standard on the EX-L and takes the place of one of the trip odo's.

Ah, what a PITA - I'd thought it was EX and up. But going back and looking at the paperwork that came with mine, I see the EX-L designation. Guess I lucked into having the option for my gen of Accord, then - definitely a nice feature....

andy

Just put ont of those color changing stickers like that go on fish tanks on your drivers side mirror. I know it in't the nicest set-up but it works.

lol thats just ghetto. silllyyy goose

Well, I guess I can't complain too much. The temperature is the only thing missing from the car that my 07 Civic had. WTF are the Honda people drinking over there???

Probably the last Honda I'll buy...

Thanks for the help tho folks. I'll be hard pressed to buy a $300 mirror for what should be a chip update.

I'll be hard pressed to buy a $300 mirror for what should be a chip update.

x2, i couldnt see myself spending $300 just to have homelink/temp gauge, i know its cold in NE Ohio :thumbsdow

I guess I was just hoping that someone would know about some chip that I could get from an EX-L that I could plug in and get the temp reading. Everything beneath the dash is the same anyway...

Well, I guess I can't complain too much. The temperature is the only thing missing from the car that my 07 Civic had. WTF are the Honda people drinking over there???

Probably the last Honda I'll buy...

Thanks for the help tho folks. I'll be hard pressed to buy a $300 mirror for what should be a chip update.

I find it ironic that Honda was attempting to target the younger generations with the styling of the new Accord, yet they completely forgot to inform the people in charge of what tech should go along with it.

I have it in my EX-L

Hell my 03 Vibe had it.

I guess I was just hoping that someone would know about some chip that I could get from an EX-L that I could plug in and get the temp reading. Everything beneath the dash is the same anyway...

What you got for the 7th gen were 2 pieces. First was a "logic box" that fit under the dash that plugged into an existing (and unused) plug in the wiring harness. The other end was the temp sensor that went behind the grille and plugged into an unused plug on the engine side of the firewall. The downside was that this engine-bay plug was also used for the OEM foglight option - so you had to choose either thermometer or fog lights - but not both...

andy

I have it in my EX-L

Haha, what? Every EX-L has it. That is the whole point of this thread... The EX-L has temp, the EX doesn't...

so...no word on getting temp display on lower trims? i wanted to get a screen, but then the display on top would be empty which is why i wanted to get the external temp showing.. kinda like Kupo's setup:

http://linuxdigital.net/upload/misc_pic/car/1127081851-2.JPG

so...no word on getting temp display on lower trims? i wanted to get a screen, but then the display on top would be empty which is why i wanted to get the external temp showing.. kinda like Kupo's setup:

http://linuxdigital.net/upload/misc_pic/car/1127081851-2.JPG

That's not the outside temp you see in that picture. That is the driver and passenger auto climate control settings. The outside temp is displayed to the left of the mileage in the odometer.

accords ODO display really is soooo CHEAP..its a old fashion LED display.. even my corolla had a better display.. the BASE model CE corolla has outside temp.. and it doesnt replace a TRIP one. its ALWAYS on.. above the mileage and trip displays.. the Nissan Altima Coupe has a nice matrix LED type display even with graphics.. and push start information.. wonder why honda cheaped out.. . a 13,000 car has a better display than a 25k car.. oh well . ...

Andy,

It's not standard on the 7th gen EX. The EX has two trip odo's... A and B. It can be installed in the place of one of them and I believe Princess had that done. It is standard on the EX-L and takes the place of one of the trip odo's.

No, it does not take the place of one of the trip odos on the EX-L. We still have two trip odos. God knows why anybody needs two trip odos. :rolleyes:

The other problem is that you can't display the temp in the same window as total mileage. It shows only in the two trip odo windows, God knows why! :paranoid:

argh my mistake. i just realized that. ugh. if i get a screen, that top display really will be pointless. any ideas on what to do with it?

I have a older sharper image display that has compass and outside temperature that sits on the dashboard. It has a fairly long cord with a probe on it for the external sensor but any idea where on an 8th gen sedan is best to put the sensor?

Found one example of it if that helps any.
http://rochester.craigslist.org/ele/1009474291.html

No, it does not take the place of one of the trip odos on the EX-L. We still have two trip odos. God knows why anybody needs two trip odos. :rolleyes:

The other problem is that you can't display the temp in the same window as total mileage. It shows only in the two trip odo windows, God knows why! :paranoid:

cuz the display cant hold that many numbers. . honda really went cheap on the ODO display.. even the cheap corolla has a seperate LED display for outside temp... they cant fit all the numbers in there if hte outside temp is showing plus mileage which can get up to six digits

We still have two trip odos. God knows why anybody needs two trip odos. :rolleyes:


Just FYI: I use both trip odos constantly. Trip A keeps up with miles per tank while Trip B is used each time I use my car for business miles...also comes in handy if/when I look at miles per week sometimes.

Regarding the lack of easy upgrade: Considering how hot the aftermarket is, I'd have to believe Honda purposely designed out the easy module style upgrade to push more toward the EX-L. It's silly but it works.