People who really care about their dipsticks use little microfiber towels available at WalMart. They are really soft and absorbent, and extremely lint free, so much for those stinkin' Mercedes's.
What do you use to wipe your dipstick?
- Thread starter TallPaul
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A nice silk tie works well, especially if it's not yours.
I use my large stash of a few thousand pre-punched Democratic "election emergency" ballots that the Broward County Democratic party gave me after they forgot to stuff the ballot boxes with these. The only caveat is having to make sure none of those pesky hanging chads stick to the dipstick.
With the shear amount of ballots I'm in possession of, I have a lifetime supply of dipstick wipes! Woohoo! "Dipstick wipes:? Is that toilet paper for Al Gore? LOL
I keep an assortment of fragments of old clothes in my garage. If none of them are handy, I use a tissue. With neither my old truck or my Cavalier with the Ecotec needing to have oil added between 3 month changes, I am getting careless about checking the oil.
A friend of mine gave me a great tip, tuck a paper towel in somewhere under the hood so you always have something to use on the dipstick.
A friend of mine gave me a great tip, tuck a paper towel in somewhere under the hood so you always have something to use on the dipstick.
After reading all these responses I think I will get a toilet paper roller and a package of the best toilet paper in the store and hang it off the garage wall. What a conversation starter when the neighbor comes wandering by. A single two-ply square of toilet paper is just right for one wipe. No waste.
You know.....oil is supposed to cause cancer! You might want to be carefull with your oil next time you get naughty or you might be out of comission for a long time.quote:
Originally posted by tweeker43:
paper towel, shop rag, wedding dress that takes up valuable space in my garage.
i use my fingers if i'm feeling naughty.
seriously.
EDIT: Oh yeah....my wife wipes my dipstick!
[ April 01, 2004, 01:12 AM: Message edited by: Last_Z ]
I don't buy this oil causes cancer stuff. I think they megadosed rats to get that effect and it has no real world application but to keep some regulatory agency in business. California is especially bad on this. I see warnings on a lot of products like this:
"This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm."
Bah! Hoooey!
They ain't gonnna stop me from sniffin my motor oil!
"This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm."
Bah! Hoooey!
They ain't gonnna stop me from sniffin my motor oil!
I gotta get me some of that stuffquote:
Originally posted by Last_Z:
Just make sure you don't go around sniffin' Fuel Power. I almost passed out when I first got some and sniffed it!
No I don't want to sniff that. I do like the odor of "Household Goop" but use it in well venelated area as it once gave me a headache. Not looking for a buzz, just pleasant odors like plastic VII polymers. Valvoline Maxlife Engine Protector smells pretty plasticky. Also like new vinyl, new books, etc.
Clean fingers are pretty lint free.
Thats what I use.
As a chemist I have little fear of chemicals.
Fred...
Thats what I use.
As a chemist I have little fear of chemicals.
Fred...
Oh my, is this a signature BITOG thread or what??
I use a piece of a paper towel. If it's my car, the dipstick is very clean (of course) and it's no big deal. I'm careful with the dipstick and make sure there are no "fuzzies" on it before replacing it.
I've also been known to use fast food napkins (hoarded in the glove compartment, of course) as well as widowed socks (socks which have lost their mate) and other articles of clothing which have seen better days.
I'd never use somehting like the New York Times as I'm sure that'd fataly contaminate my oil supply.
If it's my Mom's car (a '99 VW Cabriolet with 24,000 miles) I need at least two (2) entire paper towels as she never checks her oil and makes almost exclusively short trips.
She's away this week and I stopped by her house a couple days ago to check on things. The dipstick was a little rusty and covered with what looked to be slime molds you'd find inside a swampy old log.
The oil filler cap was even worse. The bottom of it along with the filler hole was heavily contaminated by a tan, toothpaste-like substance I took to be more moisture and oil froth (finely aged, of course).
It was enough to make you want to hurl. Took me a good 20 minutes to get it cleaned to my satisfaction.
Of course the oil level was low ... but not below the hatch marks. So, I topped it off with Chevron.
Color was dark ... but I know she has done by the dealership so I'm not too worried about that.
--- Bror Jace
I use a piece of a paper towel. If it's my car, the dipstick is very clean (of course) and it's no big deal. I'm careful with the dipstick and make sure there are no "fuzzies" on it before replacing it.
I've also been known to use fast food napkins (hoarded in the glove compartment, of course) as well as widowed socks (socks which have lost their mate) and other articles of clothing which have seen better days.
I'd never use somehting like the New York Times as I'm sure that'd fataly contaminate my oil supply.
If it's my Mom's car (a '99 VW Cabriolet with 24,000 miles) I need at least two (2) entire paper towels as she never checks her oil and makes almost exclusively short trips.
She's away this week and I stopped by her house a couple days ago to check on things. The dipstick was a little rusty and covered with what looked to be slime molds you'd find inside a swampy old log.
The oil filler cap was even worse. The bottom of it along with the filler hole was heavily contaminated by a tan, toothpaste-like substance I took to be more moisture and oil froth (finely aged, of course).
It was enough to make you want to hurl. Took me a good 20 minutes to get it cleaned to my satisfaction.
Of course the oil level was low ... but not below the hatch marks. So, I topped it off with Chevron.
--- Bror Jace
Even greater efficiency: You may find that it can double up as a quick blotter test as well.
I wipe my stick with whatever is in my pocket at the moment.Or,just pull out the pocket liner and wipe once.That'll do it.It's just oil.
I never use clean stuff. I just pickup what ever rag is laying around and use it to wipe my stick. But I make sure it's the cleanest part of the rag. If there is no clean part I'll go onto the next secion of the rag or move onto another rag all together
A marketing guy for a vegetable based motor oil used his tongue........Really dumb and disgusting.
Seriously,if we can be serious in this thread now;
Use a clean rag if you are performing analysis on the oil because you can raise Si,K,Na,deplete adds, and give false indications for coolant,etc.
By using a nasty greasy or poorly rinsed "clean" rag with traces of fabric softener and laundry detergent skews and depletes oil adds, and everybody always wonders why !
TD
Seriously,if we can be serious in this thread now;
Use a clean rag if you are performing analysis on the oil because you can raise Si,K,Na,deplete adds, and give false indications for coolant,etc.
By using a nasty greasy or poorly rinsed "clean" rag with traces of fabric softener and laundry detergent skews and depletes oil adds, and everybody always wonders why !
TD
I use the end of my shirt. *** am I SUPPOSED TO USE?????
**** , everything causes cancer.
sometimes my wife is out of town, so i have to, uh, take care of my own service...
sometimes my wife is out of town, so i have to, uh, take care of my own service...
quote:
Originally posted by Last_Z:
You know.....oil is supposed to cause cancer! You might want to be carefull with your oil next time you get naughty or you might be out of comission for a long time.quote:
Originally posted by tweeker43:
paper towel, shop rag, wedding dress that takes up valuable space in my garage.
i use my fingers if i'm feeling naughty.
seriously.
EDIT: Oh yeah....my wife wipes my dipstick!
Do you improve viscosity by wiping with a soiled
hankerchief?
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