🌡️ Raspberry Pi Temperature Troubleshooting Guide

This guide will help you identify and fix temperature-related issues on your Raspberry Pi. If you're receiving alerts or notice degraded performance, follow the steps below.

🧪 Step 1: Check Current Temperature

vcgencmd measure_temp

Example output:

temp=74.5'C

Or live monitoring:

watch -n 2 vcgencmd measure_temp

📊 Step 2: Monitor CPU Usage

Use htop to identify any process overloading the CPU:

sudo apt install htop
htop

Look for processes using 90-100% of CPU constantly. You can kill them from inside htop.

🧹 Step 3: Improve Cooling

• Ensure the Pi is not enclosed in a small box without ventilation.
• Clean the case/fan to remove dust buildup.
• Add a heatsink or fan if none is present.
• Use a metal case or one with built-in cooling.

⚙️ Step 4: Throttling Diagnosis

Check if the system is currently throttled:

vcgencmd get_throttled

Output `0x0` = good. If it's `0x50005`, the Pi has been throttled. For breakdown: vcgencmd documentation

🧠 Step 5: Log Temperature Over Time

while true; do
  echo "$(date),$(vcgencmd measure_temp | cut -d= -f2)" >> temp_log.csv
  sleep 60
done
    

This logs the temperature every minute to a file.

💡 Optional: Limit CPU Frequency (Advanced)

You can cap the CPU speed if overheating is constant:

sudo nano /boot/config.txt
    

Add:

arm_freq=1200
    

(Default is 1500–1800 MHz depending on Pi model)

🔁 Step 6: Reboot

After clearing potential issues:

sudo reboot