Sensor, Ambient Temperature: Operation
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2021 Chrysler 300. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The ambient temperature sensor is a variable resistor that operates on a five-volt reference signal sent by the Body Control Module (BCM). The resistance in the sensor changes as temperature changes, changing the temperature sensor signal circuit voltage to the BCM. Based upon the resistance in the sensor, the BCM senses a specific voltage on the temperature sensor signal circuit. The BCM then translates the voltage into a temperature reading that it sent over the Controller Area Network (CAN) data bus to other modules utilizing temperature information.