Are the horizontal vent-looking slots next to the temperature screen on the auto climate control panel for the cabin thermostat sensor? I want to put a cell phone holder on that general area, but don't want to cover the slots if they are important.

 

I don't think it is a thermometer. I know that there is a thermometer on the dash right next to the winshiled a little left from the center,it is a little black circle. I have read you are not supposed to cover that one up. Hopefully someone else can confirm what the little vent thing is,try checking your owners manual that may help.

 

It is a heat vent for all of the electronics in the dash. When you get the auto climate control, they put that on the dash. With the radio and the electronic a/c, it gets hot! My old '87 maxima actually had a same fan that was connected to that vent to help pull air in. I don't know if the new ones have that still???? The thermometer is on top of the dash. I would not cover the vent completely. It is there for a reason.

 

The in-vehicle temperature sensor is located immediately behind those slots.

The automatic climate control is a sophisticated closed-loop device. It relies on signals from four sensors.
- The in-vehicle sensor, attached to the A/C control finisher.
- The ambient sensor, attached to the radiator core support.
- The sunload sensor, located on the right defroster grille.
- The intake sensor, located on the cooling unit housing.