Dipstick "upgrade" for Audi

[dlundblad]

My dad's 2004 Audi A4 has a black plastic dipstick that is very difficult to read. Apparently they are notorious for breaking off inside the tube too. If I could find a steel dipstick with the same gasket diameter, that would be great, but so far I have had no luck. Found an older A4 with the 2.8 at a junkyard last weekend with a metal dipstick, but it was too short! It's very hard to monitor consumption too, but with how much he drives I think it's about half a quart every 1500 miles.

What if I was to find a used metal dipstick (and assuming the length is correct) use that for at least measuring when topping off. I'd keep the old dipstick in the engine, but use the metal one when checking the oil.

I'd have to do an oil change and under fill it by a quart, check it (leave a mark with a punch, small drill bit, etc.) then fill it fully and recheck/ remark.

Thoughts?

 

[DuckRyder]

Is it a 1.8t?

GruvenParts makes what you need if so.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
Is it a 1.8t?

GruvenParts makes what you need if so.


GruvenParts only makes the tube and dipstick for the "A" chassis. (golf, beetle, etc.)

The best thing to do is just replace the dipstick now, before it breaks.

 

[DuckRyder]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
Is it a 1.8t?

GruvenParts makes what you need if so.


GruvenParts only makes the tube and dipstick for the "A" chassis. (golf, beetle, etc.)

The best thing to do is just replace the dipstick now, before it breaks.


Hmmm, so the 1.8t seems to have a reputation for the "funnel" crumbling as well, is this one not a plastic "funnel" as well?

If it is more or less straight you could find a longer dipstick, cut it off and remark it.

 

[Quattro Pete]

IIRC, the OP's engine is the 3.0 V6.

 

[Rick in PA]

Funny you mention the tip breaking off, I just had a friend at work mention the plastic tip on his (Toyota?) dipstick broke off inside the engine.

Drilling a spring steel dipstick requires a carbide drill. Regular drill bits won't touch them. I know, I drill all my dipsticks to make them easier to read.

 

[Ducked]

If its straight it should be easy to improvise something. For a while I was ocaisionlly leaving a magnetic pickup tool in the dipstick hole to check on metal levels, "parking" the actual dipstick inside a drinking straw and hanging it of the indicator stalk.

Stainless steel BBQ skewer might do nicely. Has a loop at one end. You could make some cuts on the edge at the High and Low marks. You could put it through an appropriate size rubber bung, mould something, or just use your original dipstick as a plug, breaking the probe off pre-emptively if you don't trust it.

If you need something springy to go around a curve that's more difficult. Maybe an actual long thin spring, as for curtains. That'd drip too much oil though. Bicycle spoke?

IIRC windscreen wiper blades have a fairly long flat piece of spring steel in them, but maybe not long enough

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
Hmmm, so the 1.8t seems to have a reputation for the "funnel" crumbling as well, is this one not a plastic "funnel" as well?

If it is more or less straight you could find a longer dipstick, cut it off and remark it.

The 3.0 has one curvy b*stard of a dipstick tube. It's metal though, so there's that.

OP, the VW/Audi 4.2 dipstick has the same top as the 3.0, so it will fit and look correct. It is also very flexible; it is a steel cable. I have never had the two side by side though, so I cannot comment on length.

 

[bsmithwins]

You can buy spring steel stock here: https://www.mcmaster.com/#spring-temper-steel-wire/=15ht8q2 and use the existing top end.

BSW

 

[veryHeavy]

Why are carmakers being so cheap? How much money does a plastic stick actually save? 0.0001 cents per car? And in a luxury car besides! This is the same braindead thinking that led engineers to think, "We don't need an exhaust treatment system. We'll just reprogram the car to cheat and save money."

 

[jeepman3071]

This drives me insane. Small engine manufacturers are doing the same thing, namely Briggs and Stratton and Kohler. The plastic dipsticks especially the ones with the stupid horizontal hash marks on them are impossible to read, especially when filling with new oil.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: veryHeavy
Why are carmakers being so cheap? How much money does a plastic stick actually save? 0.0001 cents per car? And in a luxury car besides!

The newest models don't have dipsticks at all. I had to buy one for the wife's Q5 since I don't completely trust the electronic level sensor that is known to give erroneous results sometimes. At least her engine still has a dipstick tube. Some new engines don't.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
Hmmm, so the 1.8t seems to have a reputation for the "funnel" crumbling as well, is this one not a plastic "funnel" as well?

If it is more or less straight you could find a longer dipstick, cut it off and remark it.

The 3.0 has one curvy b*stard of a dipstick tube. It's metal though, so there's that.

OP, the VW/Audi 4.2 dipstick has the same top as the 3.0, so it will fit and look correct. It is also very flexible; it is a steel cable. I have never had the two side by side though, so I cannot comment on length.


Anyone with a 4.2 out there that can measure the dipstick length?

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
At least her engine still has a dipstick tube. Some new engines don't.




One might suggest not buying such engines

One might further suggest going into showrooms as a prospective customer, wasting a lot of the salesmans time, and then asking "Oh and how do you check the oil again?" and then, after you find out (The salesman probably won't know) laughing and walking out.

Say BITOG sent you.

I had a short campaign along these lines when the Honda CG125 came out without a kick start, but I had more free time and patience in those days.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Anyone with a 4.2 out there that can measure the dipstick length?

I'm out in the suck again, or I would.

I don't really get the hate for electronic sensors either... I've never had an issue.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Anyone with a 4.2 out there that can measure the dipstick length?

I'm out in the suck again, or I would.

I don't really get the hate for electronic sensors either... I've never had an issue.


Well neither have I, but then I've never had an electronic oil level sensor.

IIRC, that's what Shannow would call a Miyagi Defence

 

[edyvw]

When I had Passat 1.8T I paid new dipstick $19.