Broken dipstick!

[kash_v]

Hi guys,

Didnt happen on my s3 but my mates.

The little ball cracked and fell into the dip stick tube along with the top piece.

Happened to anyone else? Sump off?

Thanks

 

[Darren92]

Yep sump off

 

[Rob C]

This happened to me. As it was a relatively large piece I just replace the dipstick as I thought the oil pickup pipe should stop it from getting into the engine. 20k miles later I had the pickup pipe replaced as a precaution and the piece that was broken off was sat in the bottom of the sump and the pickup pipe didn't even look like it needed replacing.

But I guess best practice would be to take the sump off to get it out.

 

[fangio]

Personally, I wouldn't bother. It's plastic, not metal, so probably wouldn't do any damage. Plus, as Rob C's experience shows, the mesh is fine enough to stop it getting sucked into the oilways.

 

[fangio]

.....and why are they made out of stupid BLACK plastic? How can you see black oil on it?

 

[kash_v]

Cheers guys.

@fangio its actually orange on the s3, however even then its stupid its made out of plastic lol

 

[fangio]

You're lucky, then! Mine's black, in a diesel engine that has the blackest oil of 'em all!

 

[kash_v]

Get a new one mate , only £9 from TPS

 

[fangio]

Do they do a metal one for the BKD engine?

 

[kash_v]

It is metal, just has stupid plastic bits that get brittle over the years and break off.

 

[SootySport]

Good job it is plastic, won't damage your engine if bits break off and fall into the dipstick tube.

 

[fangio]

'It is metal, just has stupid plastic bits that get brittle over the years and break off.'

That's not what I mean. In my handbook there is a pic of a 'normal' flat metal dipstick where the oil level is obvious.