Do NOT check you oil level

[Bulli]

My uncle comes over and he dont know [censored] about cars so i do the usual and chek his oil. I take the dipstick out and clean off the oil. When i tried to put it back in to recheck oil level it just BROKE! I dont know how.. It was nuts. I didnt even apply any pressure. So i just ended up squeezing the tube so the dip stick wont fall any further down. I will probably have to get a new tube and dipstick when i have to change his oil... Dam i hate old stuff.....

Cant see it but its there.

 

[mstrjon32]

This happened to my friends '93 Cutlass w/the 3.4 DOHC engine. Only other time I've ever seen it happen.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Is this a GM? My dad`s 88 and my Toronado`s dipsticks both broke in that exact same spot :^(

 

[Bulli]

this is a 02 nissan sentra gxe

 

[Colt45ws]

Yeah, the dipstick fell off the cap on my old 2.2L OHV cavalier. My brother also managed to melt the transmission dipstick in half on that car. Stupid GM side posts.

 

[Pablo]

Happened to my Volvo, but I kept a firm grip on my stick so it didn't go too deep. I did a jerryrig job on it, but ended up buying a new one.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I used needle nose Vise Grips to pull the dipstick out of my Olds.

 

[Jetronic]

can't do any harm down there, so the squeezing of the tube just put you back a little more...

seems very common with the plastic dipsticks though

 

[oilyriser]

I'd make a tiny corkscrew, heat it up, and try to drive it into the remaining plastic.

 

[brian12]

Just use one of those mechanic's magnets to get it out. Then all you have to do is replace the dipstick unless you damaged the tube.

 

[Bulli]

i was thinking about the magnet but there is still some plastic, wood on top of the broken part so no magnet will grab.

ps. Jetronic.. are you sure it cant do any harm if it would to fall in???

 

[Loobed]

Thanks for the info.

From now on, when I take my dip-stick out, I will wiggle the connection to see if it will brake before inserting it back into the tube.

 

[bikerider]

This happened on my Volvo a few years back. I think the heat of the engine compartment and various fumes/chemicals under the hood dry out and weaken the plastic.

On mine I had to get a new tube as well as dipstick because Volvo changed the spec on the stick since my car had been made - it was longer. Easy repair though, took about 5 minutes to replace the tube.

 

[Cutehumor]

Originally Posted By: Bulli
this is a 02 nissan sentra gxe


is this with the infamous coolant leaker 1.8L?

 

[strongt]

Late 90's Dodge's have that same problem. They have a different model of dip stick that replaces the ones that broke off.

 

[bdcardinal]

when i worked at sears we seemed to brake a few of those nissan dipsticks a year. i never broke one that god, but other techs seemed to break them a lot.

 

[Bulli]

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
Originally Posted By: Bulli
this is a 02 nissan sentra gxe


is this with the infamous coolant leaker 1.8L?

i have no idea. Im not into nissans that much but from what it looks like the coolant level never dropped since 02. i want him to get another car but he doesn't have money.

 

[04SE]

I can't count the dozens of times this happened when I worked at the lube center during my undergrad work. Ford's were the WORST about breaking.

Like the OP said, no pressure on it at all, just normal usage and SNAP!

 

[oilyriser]

Does the o-ring groove have square sides, by any chance?

 

[nooil]

Back in the day, dip sticks used to be metal!!