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Good, it's always a messy experience to check the oil with the dipstick. Gotta find a rag and if it's dark, use the headlights. On some cars, it's a PITA to get to it. Also a PITA when you do a fresh synthetic oil change to see where the oil is on the stick. Doesn't show very well when the oil is new.
Good, it's always a messy experience to check the oil with the dipstick. Gotta find a rag and if it's dark, use the headlights. On some cars, it's a PITA to get to it. Also a PITA when you do a fresh synthetic oil change to see where the oil is on the stick. Doesn't show very well when the oil is new.
Oh, the horror! The horror!
Fine, I get it. You don't like to check your oil.
So, car manufacturers, add the computer for drivers like Pokermunkee, but please don't take away the ability to actually check the oil level manually. That idea sounds just drain bamaged.
But, then again, they'll probably sell a few more engines when these seize when the electronics fail. So I reckon we'll see the change.
My '02 Ford Explorer doesn't have a tranny dipstick nor anywhere to add fluid. To add fluid you need a special tool which only Ford dealers usually have.
That is the GIMMIC car makers have in order to corner the mkt for the dealers. Yep...they are the only ones who can do certain things with your NEW expenseive auto.
In a couple of yrs Snap On tools will have that specialty wrench for sale to all garages at a hefty price. I still have many of those that I accumilated over the yrs still in my Snap On rollaway after I retired 15 yrs ago...never know with the economy like it is I might have to go back to work.
I also have the electronic check of the oil level.
I must say I still prefer the dip stick. It allows me to visually check the color and clarity of the oil, plus I can rub it between my fingers.
Call me old fashioned.
You can pull the filter without draining the oil if you want to see color. Just got an 06 E90 and am liking the exposed filters. Will allow me to easily cut the filter apart to inspect it as well as the oil itself. But yeah, there is nothing like seeing black tar like oil on a dip stick to realize it's time to change the oil.
Static oil checks can be inaccurate as hell. Even with a dip stick, we don't static check on our planes. You got people here complaining about how the new fangled electronics won't let them check oil level unless the ground is level, but they could check it fine if it only had a dip stick....well....you'd be getting a false indication because you are not level so who cares that you can check it, because it will be wrong. My neighbor use to check and do oil changes on his driveway all the time and the driveway had a very good incline on it. Either he didn't add enough oil or worse, he added too much. Granted, not everyone does this, but how many of you "old timers" have checked your oil on a hill? Checked it cold? Hot? Didn't wait long enough for it to drain back to the pan? Look at your fuel lever needle the next time you go up or down a hill. I like that the electronics requires standards to be meet for a check, because it is pointless otherwise.
I am with you guys, a dip stick would be nice as an added security blanket, but I don't buy into the doom and gloom that it can tell you everything is fine and then all of a sudden you need a new motor. You'll be getting temperture and pressure warnings before that. Any indicator system can go bad, but at least with new computerized systems, everytime you start up your car, it will self-diagnose itself and tell you immediately if it is broken. A car with just a dipstick is far more likely to have you driving around with low or no oil and needing a new motor as a result.
Location: Still in Portland, Oregon, for some reason
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Quote:
Originally Posted by southernnaturelover
My '02 Ford Explorer doesn't have a tranny dipstick nor anywhere to add fluid. To add fluid you need a special tool which only Ford dealers usually have.
My '04 Santa Fe has a transmission dipstick but you have to add the fluid through the dipstick neck. I've spoken to several owners of the 2010 models and Hyundai has now made it a sealed unit with 'lifetime fluid'. Uh huh.....right. I've heard that before.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PokerMunkee
Good, it's always a messy experience to check the oil with the dipstick. Gotta find a rag and if it's dark, use the headlights. On some cars, it's a PITA to get to it. Also a PITA when you do a fresh synthetic oil change to see where the oil is on the stick. Doesn't show very well when the oil is new.
Well that's just the end of the world isn't it? There must be nothing worse than having to check your own oil...gosh and to think all these years I had it wrong.
Great comments here. I tend to see it as overkill to replace such a simple thing as a dipstick with and electronic system.
I figure, why make something complicated that is so simple.
You CAN add oil yourself on these cars without having to take it in to the dealer. We do it on the BMW that does not have dipstick as well as the Porsche Turbo. There are no "special" tools required either. Just your basics that most people that like to tinker with their cars will have. So what it doesn't have a dipstick......... I can still change it or add it myself. And no, it does NOT void the warranty.
However, we are teaching our girls all about cars with our older cars (68 Camaro, 69 Camaro, 69 Mustang Mach I CJ) so they DO know how cars "work".
Great comments here. I tend to see it as overkill to replace such a simple thing as a dipstick with and electronic system.
I figure, why make something complicated that is so simple.
I am sure when the norm was a manual choke, people made that same comment about auto-chokes...and then electronically controlled fuel injection and then ABS and then crumple zones on the car and then power steering and so on. I am sure someone muttered something about the .....new fangled Ford Model T's...why can't they just ride a horse like normal people?...
My car informed me today that one of my tires was under-inflated. Pulled over and sure enough...one of my tires was going flat. Overkill to have a sensor that does tire pressure? Well, the other way I would have figured out that my tire was going flat while I was driving the car was when I start feeling it, possibly violently. My car can also inform me if my oil is low, while I am driving. Pretty sure you are not going to pull a dipstick to check oil levels while you are driving.
I am sure when the norm was a manual choke, people made that same comment about auto-chokes...and then electronically controlled fuel injection and then ABS and then crumple zones on the car and then power steering and so on. I am sure someone muttered something about the .....new fangled Ford Model T's...why can't they just ride a horse like normal people?...
My car informed me today that one of my tires was under-inflated. Pulled over and sure enough...one of my tires was going flat. Overkill to have a sensor that does tire pressure? Well, the other way I would have figured out that my tire was going flat while I was driving the car was when I start feeling it, possibly violently. My car can also inform me if my oil is low, while I am driving. Pretty sure you are not going to pull a dipstick to check oil levels while you are driving.
You're probably right, but being old enough to remember nearly all of the changes you cite (just not the horse one), I don't recall anyone fussing about anything you've cited as those were improvements that improved performance and didn't replace anything integral to the absolute health and survivability of the engine. I've had a tire pressure sensor go goofy which is a little aggravating, but I can still check the tire pressure manually. I would gripe about that tire pressure sensor if they removed the tire valve stems--which is the equivalent to what they are proposing here.
The point is that replacing a dipstick, a simple cheap device that allows anyone to physically actually see with their own two eyes an item that can determine the health, longevity and survivability of the engine with an item that prevents that doesn't make too much sense. Oil level is just so absolutely basic to the health of the engine. And I'm pretty sure you're right about not checking the dipstick while driving...but short of catastrophic engine failure (which you'd have an other sign or two of) you won't need to. Most times, checking at fill-up is sufficient.
I can envision someone without the ability to check oil level driving a car until it seizes due to a malfunctioning indicator. How would you know otherwise? I don't want to rely on sense of smell.
Last edited by skinem; 05-17-2010 at 08:31 AM..
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I've heard that before.
