# 1994 Tempo warns of cold conditions outdoors **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 25, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1994-tempo-warns-of-cold-conditions-outdoors/7617 "2007-11-25T01:12:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jeff2161](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7cd45c/32.png) [@jeff2161](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jeff2161)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1994-tempo-warns-of-cold-conditions-outdoors/7617/1 "2007-11-25T01:12:32Z")
For some reason, My car’s check engine light comes on but, only when the outside air temperature is above freezing. Is this a possible ice warning? ---
**Author:** ![MG-McAnick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mg-mcanick/32/188_2.png) [@MG-McAnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MG-McAnick)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 3:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1994-tempo-warns-of-cold-conditions-outdoors/7617/2 "2007-11-25T03:31:50Z")
Ifit’s above fereezing, why would it be warning you of possible ice? ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 3:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1994-tempo-warns-of-cold-conditions-outdoors/7617/3 "2007-11-25T03:58:34Z")
You need to read the codes and see what the ECM is trying to tell you. AutoZone should be able to pull the codes for you (they do this free) or you can buy an inexpensive code reader (20 bucks) and learn to do it yourself. ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 5:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1994-tempo-warns-of-cold-conditions-outdoors/7617/4 "2007-11-25T05:15:12Z")
No, there are no “ice warning” sensors on cars. There are intake air temperature sensors, barometric pressure sensors, coolant temperature sensors, fuel temperature sensors, battery temperature sensors; but, no impending ice sensors. // Auto Zone, and other auto parts stores, will read (scan) check engine lights on 1996, and later, cars and trucks, for free…but, not for models years before 1996 (there are two, or three, exceptions for 1995). An inexpensive code reader will do. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1994-tempo-warns-of-cold-conditions-outdoors/7617/5 "2007-11-25T22:17:42Z")
The only car I ever heard of with an Ice Alert were the Rover 2000TD and Rover 3500. These cars were built in the late sixties and early 70s in Britain, and had a temperature probe to warn the driver that the outside temp would fall below freezing and cause a thin layer of frost to form. With the high humidity in the UK thins made sense, if it worked. ---
**Author:** ![melinuxfool](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/melinuxfool/32/530_2.png) [@melinuxfool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/melinuxfool)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1994-tempo-warns-of-cold-conditions-outdoors/7617/6 "2007-11-25T22:27:46Z")
I don’t know about the Tempo, but in many vehicles that were pre-1996, you could read your codes without going to a shop. In my old van, you turned the key on and off (without starting the engine) a number of times, and the check engine light would flash a number corresponding to the code. ---
**Author:** ![Scudder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scudder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scudder)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1994-tempo-warns-of-cold-conditions-outdoors/7617/7 "2007-11-25T22:33:24Z")
I think you mean TC - the unit was made by - wait for it - Lucas ! And looked like a normal lucas square spolight with a black front cover and a 1" dia lense. With a mix of British weather and Lucas ingenuity it warned of ice during mid summer - a totally useless device whose complete crapness was only exceeded by the car john…remember them ??? ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 10:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1994-tempo-warns-of-cold-conditions-outdoors/7617/8 "2007-11-25T22:56:10Z")
Yes, I remember! I did mean the TC. At that time I was offered a job in Cuwmbran?, Wales and the job had a free cottage and a Rover TC with an “unlimited petrol account”. However , the pay was only 3500 pounds per year, and my wife figured we could not live on that. Lucas got its nickname “Prince of Darkness” honestly. A friend of mine had an Austin, and one dark and stormy night we hit a patch of gravel during highway construction. We hit a pothole and all the lights went off. We drove to the nearest town with our heads out of the window, since the electric wipers also failed. Then I learned that in the sixties the failure rate of LUCAS products coming off the assembly line was 30% rejects!!. Compare this with Honda’s current SIX SIGMA standard for suppliers, which allows one bad part in 344,000 approximately.