Jalopnik: Why the Dipstick is Dying

[jkp1187]

Originally Posted by cfg83

jkp1187 -

In the olden daze I didn't look at my dipstick either. But, now with my olden car, I know I would have destroyed the engine without it. That's due in-part to my engine's oil-burning design.

RobertSmalls -

I can't stand the plastic engine covers either. When I was in Europe I was anxious to take pictures of my company-car Renault Megane diesel, and I opened the hood to see meaningless plastic covers.

I will miss the dipstick. Every day new cars become less and less attractive to me.

CarloSW2

Just pull the cover off! Usually it's just held in by the oil cap and maybe a couple of screws.

[cfg83]

jkp1187 -

Originally Posted by jkp1187

Just pull the cover off! Usually it's just held in by the oil cap and maybe a couple of screws.

Yeah, but I was all alone in Europe without my toolbox. I wasn't brave enough to mess with a car that belonged to my employers.

CarloSW2

[Piwoslaw]

Remember when oil dipsticks were metal, not plastic? Those where the days...

[Nevyn]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

Remember when oil dipsticks were metal, not plastic? Those where the days...

And sometimes they were two or three feet long...

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by Nevyn

And sometimes they were two or three feet long...

...and looked like an automotive-version of a stilleto/rapier sword!

[cfg83]

Piwoslaw -

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

Remember when oil dipsticks were metal, not plastic? Those where the days...

Yeah, mine is metal, *and* it's two feet long.

CarloSW2

[DonR]

Small Block Chevy - 5 quarts every time, no guessing.

Part of the no dipstick in Automatic transmissions is due to contamination concerns. The dipstick/tube interface will allow dirt in no matter how many o-rings you put on the plastic handle. Most people don't change their ATF that often. Most people don't at all. Not having a dipstick probably makes fiscal sense for the mfg. as far as warranty work is concerned. It sucks for those of us who do change their ATF on a regular basis.

Not having one on the engine is a stupid idea. Made even more stupid by putting in an electronic sensor that won't read until the oil warms up. Hope your oil's not real low when you go to warm it back up.

Just make sure you put in close to the right amount before you start up.

Don

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by Nevyn

And sometimes they were two or three feet long...

It's amazing how the length can vary: On my '88 Caprice the ATF dipstick is one of those very long ones. On my '89 Galant it is only about 3 inches long, mounted right atop the tranny. That may be the world's shortest dipstick design.

[shovel]

Sucks that so many things are designed in such a way as to control user behavior, I don't try to control what companies do with the dollars I give them. Look at how tightly Apple controls what you do with their iphone/pad/crap? Bench seats in cars are gone because they want to control where you sit so the safety devices can do their job, cool but I'm an adult who can legally decide to ride a dirt bike with no helmet if I want, I can decide where inside my car I sit too and some of us like bench seats. Visible/reusable/standard-tool-type assembly hardware is gone not for aesthetics but to keep you from tampering with your own car, they put a hood under the hood but over the engine, I'm sure partially to control noise and maintain engine temp. when you hop inside a store for 10 minutes, but also it's a frickin hood hood. That's like putting tires under your tires to keep your tires off the road, or putting a windshield in front of your windshield to keep bugs off your windshield. Once I've made the leap into lifting my hood in the first place, I don't need another hood under it to shield my delicate eyes from the necessary workings of my car. My stomach is strong, I CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW MY CAR FUNCTIONS! Manufacturers had a couple perfectly good size/interface standards for in-car entertainment devices (car stereos and the like) but have almost entirely abandoned them.

For any engineers who may be reading this: Next time I give you my dollar bills for your product, you're only allowed to spend them on subwoofers. Not your mortgage, not the "Gentlemans' Club" and sure as heck not your kids' braces. Only subwoofers. You don't like me controlling how you use the money I traded you for your product? Hey, you started it.

[Christ]

We heard you liked hoods dawg, so we put a hood under yo' hood!

I could go on...