plastic dip stick rant

[mechtech2]

New cars with oils like MC oil are tough to read. Just too clear.

You can try scratching/roughening the area where the oil reads on the stick.

 

[Spazdog]

It could be worse.

My Kawasaki's sight glass eventually got so dark that I couldn't check the oil with it.

Fortunately, it didn't consume oil and only had one class one leak at the valve cover so I didn't lose much between changes.

 

[97f150]

My 97 F-150 had a dipstick that was a piece of wire with a little gray "bob" on the end. I wasnt sure at the time if it was the design change or the color I hated worse at the time, but with new oil being so clear, its a lot easier to gauge by reflection on a flat surface rather then a rounded colored surface.

 

[ARB1977]

Originally Posted By: SLCraig
'11 Civic plastic orange dipstick too.
Only part of my car I can honestly say I hate. With fresh oil you basically can't read it. I have to do the oil change, let it sit for a bit, put in the dipstick, let it sit. I may be able to see it, but I've usually resorted to pulling it out after sitting and laying it on a paper towel, and rotating it to the side to see where the oil is left behind to tell the level. What a stupid idea these things are.

The CRV is metal. I guess i paid for that option. LOL.

 

[rationull]

Add me to the list who dislikes the orange plastic dipstick on my 07 Civic.

 

[david_ES2]

add me also. im not color blind or have any trouble with my vision whatsoever...only when it comes to these forsaken plastic dipsticks.

 

[E365]

I have a plastic-tipped dipstick on my BMW and it's by far the easiest to read dipstick I've used. It has two large notches at the high & low marks which helps. The plastic has a matte finish, so the contrast between the dry stick and shiny oil is very distinct. It also has four "guide lobes" that keep the measuring section of the stick from touching the sidewalls of the dipstick tube and giving poor readings.

I also have a Subaru with metal engine oil and transmission disticks and they are very hard to read, especially the transmission. That one is basically worthless with very clean ATF. Not only can you not see the fluid, but the reading is always runined by sidewall residue.

 

[HTSS_TR]

This one is a good engineered dipstick !

 

[tgferg67]

That plastic one above is easy to read, I would prefer that dipstick to a my metal one.

 

[huffmuds9320]

On my VW the dipstick is black color which is easy to read the level but you can't tell the color of the oil unless you wipe it on a cloth or something. On the other hand the dipstick tube is bright orange colored.

 

[yaris0128]

Wow Im impressed with that BMW stick!! Those Germans know what's good!