Where is the temperature sensor that controls the temp on the 8” display and would this temperature reading affect the engine operation any? In the photos below, there is a 17 degree difference from what it’s showing and the actual temperature outside.

 

should be behind the front grille

 

The temperature comes from the AAT (Ambient Air Temperature) sensor. On your truck it is behind the front grille below the Ford logo. The AAT is a slow acting sensor so it can take a few minutes for it to respond to a temperature change such as starting the truck for the first time in the day. The PCM does use the AAT but does not rely solely on it for air temperature. Combustion air temperature is provided by the MAPT (Manifold Absolute Pressure and Temperature) sensor.

 

Don't feel bad, my 2020 they mounted inside the passenger mirror, and is about as accurate as wetting a finger and sticking it out the window. It is accurate first thing in the morning under cover, and not again all day.

 

Mine is not accurate either. It read 109 once, so I ain't looked at it since. I already knew it was hot. Didn't make it any better knowing how hot.

 

It's pretty quick to respond in my 2016, but not always.

It stayed on a cool display a few days ago -it was cool so perhaps it was still trying to figure out just how much warmer it was outside than in my garage.

Generally though it's adjusted before I take note. My normal use-case would be going to mountain bike ride and checking to see what the temp is when I'm leaving home. Otherwise, I never notice how quick/slow it is. I can be a mile from home and the number is similar to my guess, therefore I assume it has updated.

When it doesn't update, well then I don't care because I'm already comfortable, or I have already turn on the heat or A/C. I like it for traveling through mountains in cold seasons to see how close to freezing it is, or if I've left the 'freezing zone' yet. I haven't had a reason to question it while on the go.

 

Those sensors located in an outside Black mirror housing will not be accurate in the daytime SUN.
At Nite and in winter temp that location can be quite close.
Road running will show the near correct Temp in the area at any one time and change as location changes.
The tire pressures monitors wheel to wheel even move according to the same changes plus how hard the tire heats from aggressive driving and road areas.
My Scanner can look at the Mirror location, the cylinder head, the Cats temps and the Trans temps.
In cold temps they are all very close after complete cool down such as over Nite.
5L, 2018 XLT.

 

In either location, the sensor will not be close to accurate until the vehicle has been moving for about 5 minutes. Mine (in the passenger mirror) is usually within a couple degrees of other local sources, once the vehicle is moving.

 

My 2019 sensor is in the mirror and it suck's. During the summer months hop in the truck after it's been parked all day I've seen read 124 degrees. Yes it does seem to effect how the truck drives maybe it's just me. During hunting season I may be in an area with no cell phone service and say the temp on the truck says 30 degrees outside. It'll stay that until I get into an area with wireless service again before it shows the correct outside temp. Odd to me that it does that.

 

The temp sensor on my '19 is pretty much worthless, too. It will get stuck on a certain temperature, sometimes for several days, then start working again. Not sure why it's so much worse that what was in my '05, which worked pretty much flawlessly.