Jalopnik: Why the Dipstick is Dying

[dcb]

lol, memes are a little slow to get to this forum for some reason

[Christ]

That's why I figured that now, since it's been so long, would be a perfect time to unleash it here!

[ShadeTreeMech]

I love those mile long dipsticks in early 90s suburban transmissions. About as long as it could be and still function.

My explorer has a dipstick, but it also has a light that goes on when the oil level drops a quart. I was glad to have it when it did its thing.

I think bench seats went out because individual bucket seats are generally more comfortable. And you can adjust your seat without having to ask everyone sitting up front to cooperate as you try to move the seat forward. Of course, when I was in college and I had a nice looking lady in the middle of the front seat, bench seats seemed ok to me

[5EFE]

Since the general American public seems to be largely retarded nowadays, and the only way to get (some) people to do the right thing is to legally require them to do so, why don't we do just that? Ban electronic oil checking and require dipsticks. Although it's the lazy uneducated dolts who don't want or know how to open their hoods fault, it's also the automaker's fault for giving in. Give the people what they need, not what they want.

[RobertSmalls]

I'd be more worried about a nanny state telling me my EV needs a dipstick, than about people who check their oil using a level gauge. Legislation is inflexible and slow to respond, so it's really poor at mandating one technological solution over another.

[jamesqf]

I think you all are still missing the point. Back in the olden days, we checked oil frequently because many (most?) cars leaked & burned a bunch of it. Nowdays, losing a quart of oil between the 10K mile oil changes is a sign of a major malfunction. So why spend the time to check something that 99.999% of the time is not going to need anything done about it?

FTM, why not have a dipstick in your gas tank to check the fuel level? Gotta be better than one of them electronic sensors...

[Thymeclock]

[QUOTE=jamesqf;174372]I think you all are still missing the point. Back in the olden days, we checked oil frequently because many (most?) cars leaked & burned a bunch of it. Nowdays, losing a quart of oil between the 10K mile oil changes is a sign of a major malfunction. So why spend the time to check something that 99.999% of the time is not going to need anything done about it? [quote]

Most cars that are over 10 years old begin to leak some oil due to aging of seals. One of my cars is 10 years old; two others are over 20 years old. Of course nowadays, no manufacturer wants anyone to keep a product anywhere near ten years, let alone 20.

FTM, why not have a dipstick in your gas tank to check the fuel level? Gotta be better than one of them electronic sensors...

For several reasons: a car burns fuel and it needs to be refilled quite often. A dipstick for gasoline would be messy and would not have an adequate seal to prevent evaporation. Most cars hold at least 10 gallons of gas but only about five quarts of oil. No damage will be done if you run out of gas, and the car will run until all fuel is depleted. If you run out of oil, it's goodbye engine.

Most importantly, oil is checked and added with the engine not running. It is easy to do with a dipstick because you are working under the hood where you can check and add the oil. If you needed to keep stopping and restarting the car and checking a gauge on the dashboard it would be a PITA.

[shovel]

ouch.. hope the wife doesn't see that

[ShadeTreeMech]

It was before she was in the picture. Not to say it wasn't nice, but that was in my first car, and i was on my 3rd when she showed up.

I would love to have a low oil light come on in all my vehicles, but without a dipstick, how would you know if the oil in a car you're considering purchasing has the correct level? Or if the thing is starting to leak? The dipstick is just too simple and accurate to remove entirely.

[Christ]

I thought that was called a "pre-purchase inspection"?

I know everyone relies on the dealer's "1 million forty-two point" inspections now, but jeez, look over your car before you buy it!

If the engine is squeaky clean, it's kinda obvious they're hiding something...