Worst dipstick ever?

[Kira]

place a small piece of paper towel on the end of the stick,

I believe I now know what a troll is.

Also, thanks again kschachin. Maybe a cleanout of these neurotic threads is healthy?

 

[oldhp]

Take a scotch brite pad and scuff the end up. Helps to see the oil level.

 

[92saturnsl2]

I hate any car where the dipstick goes down through the valve cover through an oil return passage, they're pretty much useless unless the engine has set all night.

This.

Of all cars I've owned, my '96 Maxima is the worst one for reading the dipstick on. If you're just checking oil on a whim, it's not terrible but close... Any oil running down into the pan from the top of the head has to run down the dipstick first. On a hot engine it just takes a couple minutes.

In the event you have to add [presumably cold] oil, or checking after an oil change? It is terrible. Better come back the next morning or have a bunch of rags on hand because it will require a lot of wiping. Very idiotic design-- I just go with 4.5qt with filter change and don't even bother checking it afterward.

 

[atikovi]

Funny how I never run into this problem. Perhaps a vision issue?

 

[michaelluscher]

Nissan products usually cause me the most uncertainly
Anyone who's checked the dipstick on a VG V6 (looks like a lead fishing weight) knows that it can be difficult to interpret

Worst is my neighbors wife's QX60 with the VQ35DD
It's bent @ a 45° angle, the port for it is halfway down in the engine bay, you can't get a good shot at it
And if it's not 100% inserted perfectly, it hemorrhages oil when filling

I checked the oil on a E39 530i once, and the plastic on the dipstick was actually broken, so I had to find a picture of what it was supposed to look like, and super glue it into position
I think of myself as fairly competent, but when a dipstick needs major familiarization before you can understand it, I question the design

 

[JavierH19]

Just about all oils can be light enough to not be seen. Though i dislike the dip stick my 21 escalade that's the weird type that isn't a long flat piece of metal but a metal cable with like a dark metal cylinder for a reader that isn't too insightful on oil level. It's more of a you should add oil or not indicator. Can't really measure with it. At least if has something i guess.

 

[2010Civic]

My car has a plastic dipstick. Totally sucks. Hard to wipe off and read.

 

[dnewton3]

Try reading a tractor hydraulic fluid dipstick. Because there's no soot in the trans, the fluid generally stays (nearly) clear its entire lifecycle. Hence, it's hard to read on any dipstick.

 

[tblt44]

2021 4 runner awfull dipstick

 

[ctrcbob]

sounds more like the fault of the clear oil than the dipstick. maybe the oil makers should add some dye to the oil.

Anyone remember ARCO Graphite?
Came out of the BLACK. Easy to check.

 

[ripcord]

This was my first thought when I saw the title of this thread

 

[dumkid]

I like the dipsticks with orange plastic on the end. If it has cross hatching that works too. I hate the dipsticks that are mirror smooth with just a thin line for full and add, there's nothing to hold the oil on the stick

 

[nate379]

Can't remember what it was on now, but had a 4ft, if nit longer, dip stick that took 28 attempts to get it all the way in.
Pretty sure it was shorter from being bent up from the years of jamming on it.

 

[nate379]

This was my first thought when I saw the title of this thread

Rick Hurst aka Cletus Hogg. He's almost 80 now.

 

[Gus_Mahn]

I had a few 1st 1.4 Chevy Cruzes for my kids. Almost impossible to read after an oil change. Even the dealers overfilled when I had to take them in.

I have a step stool and flashlight in the back of my '15 F150 because at 6' tall I can't see the dipstick hole or reach the dipstick standing next to the fender. I has to sit 20 minutes before I can read the stick.

 

[chrlsful]

they alll suck. Who cares...
Fill w/recommended amount/filter. Check.
Start motor/run a few sec. Re check. I no,
I no, the new oil is hrd 2 C BUT... move the
stick around in some good light. Check in a day
after it sat (1st nxt-day commute?) At nxt few tank fulls.

 

[Delta]

Toyota Tacoma. Gen 3 3.5L V6

That thing is 2.768KM long and overcooked spaghetti.

I agree! The 2nd gens with the 4.0 V6 were not any better.

 

[PF52]

Can't remember what it was on now, but had a 4ft, if nit longer, dip stick that took 28 attempts to get it all the way in.
Pretty sure it was shorter from being bent up from the years of jamming on it.

That describes my Fiero, exactly. Super-long dipstick, and its twisted into a spiral to (I'm assuming) help guide it through it's long, curved tube. Impossible to find the hole in the dark. And the handle end of the dipstick has so much play in it it's possible to push it in another 1/4 inch or so and get a different reading.

 

[Bailes1992]

The Renault/Nissan/Mercedes 1.5DCi or 'K9K' engine has a dipstick built into the filler cap. It's an outright idiodic idea that ruins an otherwise solid and reliable motor. We've owned a number of these engines now, both my partner and I along with the family member I maintain cars for.

This dipstick come filler neck causes two issues...

1. It takes a minute to pour 1 litre of oil into the engine because it's so slow.
2. Reading the oil level is only possible when the engine is freezing cold and been sat for at least 10 hours. This is because the 'tube' fills up with oil when the engine is running or when you are pouring fresh oil in which makes the dipstick unreadable.

 

[Pablo]

I agree! The 2nd gens with the 4.0 V6 were not any better.

And there is really only one way down the skinny tunnel to Hades. I hardly check my oil both the cars don't use or dilute.

The best were the iron block Volvo. Stout dipstick! The white block I5 in our 1996 850, the red finger pull came off. Orff!