Dipstick may no longer exist (muscle car, seats, trucks, Audi)

[gotoptions]

I heard recently that some car manufacturers will be removing dipsticks from new models and replacing it with electronics.
I haven't touched a dipstick in a long time, but I'm wondering if I wouldn't miss it.

When was the last time you checked your oil using a dipstick?

[DOUBLE H]

I know I would. I've been driving old clunkers for 4 decades plus!

I always check that dipstick. One time I let it go for a couple thousand extra miles and it almost really cost me.

[momof2dfw]

My BMW does not have one. When I first got the car, brand new in 2006, I came home and read the manual front to back and was checking out the car. One of the first things I noticed was the NO DIPSTICK! I even came in the house to my husband and told him this car had no dipstick, he didn't believe me. To this day I still have to tell him how I have to check the oil.

I'm used to it now but it is sometimes a little bit of trouble as the car has to be running and you have to have driven it at least 6 miles and then on the lever on the steering wheel you operate the digital readout and go to the Oil setting. It then on a bar graph shows where you are on oil.

Now I'm wondering if his Porsche has one or not. I don't check on that car like I do my own cars.

We have older muscle cars and they have everything under the hood clearly visible. Nowadays the cars are housed in entire alum. and you see nothing. For years they have been putting the battery under the backseat.

[Deez Nuttz]

My father in law's Chrysler 300 doesn't have a dipstick. For the transmission that is.

[M3 Mitch]

One more reason I remain a hard-core old car guy. No dipstick, like no stickshift = no sale.

Battery under the back seat is not new though, MG cars were doing that (well benind the only 2 seats it has) in the 1960s or earlier. VW Bugs (aircooled) also have the battery under the seat.

A lot of older trucks (pickups) have the battery under the cab, or under the bed.

[rosecitywanderer]

My first experience with the electronic oil level sensors told me all I needed to know about this newfangled ha-ha "better" technology. It was a brand-new Audi A4 and somebody told me that it didn't have a dipstick so I hopped in to check it out. I'm a bit of a techno-nerd so I thought that it would be pretty cool.

I turned the ignition to 'ON' and pulled up the menu on the center display to the CHECK OIL LEVEL selection and pressed select. A message popped up, 'ENGINE MUST BE RUNNING TO CHECK OIL LEVEL'. So like any rational person would do, I started the engine and repeated the menu process. I get another message, 'TURN ENGINE OFF TO CHECK OIL LEVEL'. At this point I was mildly annoyed so I shut the engine off and tried a third time. Yep...got a message, 'ENGINE MUST BE RUNNING TO CHECK OIL LEVEL'. At that point I gave up. This is one thing that is most certainly not better than what it's replacing and is most definitely something I can live without.

[TheViking85]

I check it about 2/3rds through it's cycle, and when I change the oil, other than that, not much.

I can see how it can be problematic if the electronics fail, that said, I generally have an idea of how much longer it can go before a change.

[johnnytang24]

One of my cars doesn't have a dipstick. I'm not sure why they decided to mess with something so simple -- progress, I guess. In order to check the oil, you have to have the key in the 'on' position, and God help you if you don't have a level handy. Start car, pull forward a little bit. Shut off car, check level. Oops, beep. Not level enough. Repeat.

My other cars are easy. I don't really need my oil measured within the nano-liter. I just want to know there's some in there. Dipstick takes seconds.

[iTsLiKeAnEgG]

Our E60 530i doesn't have one either. Everything is monitored by the computer.

[whiteboyslo]

i like the idea of the electronic sensor, but i would hope the dipstick would stay as well. like TPMS, it seems like a great idea, but i still don't want to lose the ability to check things the old-school way.

Mike