Another "WTF?" - electronic dipstick
Discussion
dme123 said:
I think this might be an element of dealer bulls
t? AN oil level sensor is going to be in the sump, so unless the car is singularly poorly designed it should be possible to replace it without major surgery. Personal experience of my nearest Jaguar Dealership belonging to one of the major groups is that they will tell the most obvious and bare faced lies with a completely straight face, and are totally unabashed when you catch them at it. Maybe it's a JLR thing ;-)
Maybe it is - don't JLR cars, tractors, etc. have electric handbrakes these days? Another answer to a non-existent question!t? AN oil level sensor is going to be in the sump, so unless the car is singularly poorly designed it should be possible to replace it without major surgery. Personal experience of my nearest Jaguar Dealership belonging to one of the major groups is that they will tell the most obvious and bare faced lies with a completely straight face, and are totally unabashed when you catch them at it. Maybe it's a JLR thing ;-)Mr Tidy said:
Maybe it is - don't JLR cars, tractors, etc. have electric handbrakes these days? Another answer to a non-existent question!
I can actually understand why the manufacturers like electric handbrakes. They get total freedom of where to put the button/switch in an increasingly crowded cabin, they free up loads of space in the centre console as a conventional lever is quite bulky, they don't have to route a cable through the car, and there is no need for any adjustment within the service life of the vehicle (150k miles or so). JLRs last solution when they had nowhere to put a handbrake was that stupid fly-off handbrake that catches your leg in an XJS 
When they fail it can be somewhat costly, but I think if you took a hypothetical fleet of 100,000 cars with manual handbrakes and a similar fleet with electronic handbrakes the total time and money spent on adjusting, repairing, and servicing handbrakes over 150,000 miles/10 years would be lower for the electronic handbrakes.
Crap early electronic efforts like the VW Passat used have given the technology a bad name, and people forget how often you'd have to piss about adjusting manual handbrakes as cars got older. I was forever having to arse about with the handbrake on my P2 Volvo V70 and a lot of the older sheds I ran when I was younger.
Richard-390a0 said:
sebhaque said:
My W203 Mercedes has no dipstick - it's measured electronically. The most annoying thing is that it doesn't actually show you a level of oil - it just says "Engine Oil Level OK". You have to perform some fiddly work to access the diagnostic menu where it'll give you an actual volumetric quantity. Luckily the car doesn't burn much oil as it's a stupid system.
Happily Mercedes must have also used the other half of their brain when designing the W204 as the dipstick is back. It's stayed there for the W205 too.
All 203's have a dipstick tube so you can fit a dipstick if you really wanted to...Happily Mercedes must have also used the other half of their brain when designing the W204 as the dipstick is back. It's stayed there for the W205 too.
... Imagine my surprise when I yanked the handle to find no dipstick attached!!!
sebhaque said:
My W203 Mercedes has no dipstick - it's measured electronically. The most annoying thing is that it doesn't actually show you a level of oil - it just says "Engine Oil Level OK". You have to perform some fiddly work to access the diagnostic menu where it'll give you an actual volumetric quantity. Luckily the car doesn't burn much oil as it's a stupid system.
W203 would have had variable servicing intervals and if you wait until the car demands oil, and then top up the amount it askes for, it'll extend the service interval.Even the C2xxCDi's hold 6.5litres of oil so there's quite a lot of margin.
MorganP104 said:
Indeed they do have a dipstick tube, with a plastic handle plonked on the top that looks very much like it should be a dipstick...
... Imagine my surprise when I yanked the handle to find no dipstick attached!!!
The best bit is when you pull that little stopper out & it leaves the rubber grommet behind ffs!... Imagine my surprise when I yanked the handle to find no dipstick attached!!!
dme123 said:
Crap early electronic efforts like the VW Passat used have given the technology a bad name, and people forget how often you'd have to piss about adjusting manual handbrakes as cars got older. I was forever having to arse about with the handbrake on my P2 Volvo V70 and a lot of the older sheds I ran when I was younger.
My experience differs to yours:-I've run older cars for the last 10 years, effectively (A 1999 car from 2007-2013, a 1996 car from 2009 to now, and a 2008 car from 2013 to now - none of them low-mileage, BTW...), and the handbrakes have NEVER caused a problem.
Conversely, the elec handbrake in the wife's Mk7 Golf is a PITA - the auto-hold on occasion switches itself off and you can't release the handbrake without your foot on the brake. Combine those two and moving away on a slope becomes a gamble...
With elec handbrakes you're asking the driver to trust electronic technology rather than mechanical technology - and ANY mechanic (and any warranty company!) will tell you that with modern cars the biggest issue is the electronics.
My other half has a 2005 Mini. I don't think she has ever checked an oil or coolant level in her life; just tops up screen wash when the light flashes on the stalk. She's always just felt that oil and coolant are things that the garage takes care of when it's serviced. Electric dipsticks are for people like her...
I remember a VW mechanic I knew, who rebuilt a VR6 engine for a friend after it'd overheated. Turned out that, not only did she never check the coolant levels, but she kept her packet of cigarettes resting within the instrument binnacle - covering the temperature gauge...
I remember a VW mechanic I knew, who rebuilt a VR6 engine for a friend after it'd overheated. Turned out that, not only did she never check the coolant levels, but she kept her packet of cigarettes resting within the instrument binnacle - covering the temperature gauge...
havoc said:
civicduty said:
Peugeot 206 three times in twelve years.
I think there's your error.Probably my error was marrying someone who would choose a Peugeot 206 and sleep with their box-fit instructor.
Auto wipers
Auto lights
Climate control
High beam assist
Comfort access
Electric handbrake
Different suspension settings etc.
Electronic boot
Parking sensors
Keyless start
Sat Nav
Etc.
Didn't really need any of them, but rather have them as not as collectively they make it all that bit more easier
Auto lights
Climate control
High beam assist
Comfort access
Electric handbrake
Different suspension settings etc.
Electronic boot
Parking sensors
Keyless start
Sat Nav
Etc.
Didn't really need any of them, but rather have them as not as collectively they make it all that bit more easier
I liked how the temp gauge on my 306 GTi-6 was an oil level gauge when the ignition was first turned on, great idea. It still had a dipstick though - probably a good job with it being French and all...
My S3 has still got a dipstick but my girlfriends Mini is all electric. Don't trust it 100% but as there's no other way of checking, what can you do?
My S3 has still got a dipstick but my girlfriends Mini is all electric. Don't trust it 100% but as there's no other way of checking, what can you do?
BigLion said:
Auto wipers
Auto lights
Climate control
High beam assist
Comfort access
Electric handbrake
Different suspension settings etc.
Electronic boot
Parking sensors
Keyless start
Sat Nav
Etc.
Didn't really need any of them, but rather have them as not as collectively they make it all that bit more easier
A toilet would be nice...Auto lights
Climate control
High beam assist
Comfort access
Electric handbrake
Different suspension settings etc.
Electronic boot
Parking sensors
Keyless start
Sat Nav
Etc.
Didn't really need any of them, but rather have them as not as collectively they make it all that bit more easier
mybrainhurts said:
BigLion said:
Auto wipers
Auto lights
Climate control
High beam assist
Comfort access
Electric handbrake
Different suspension settings etc.
Electronic boot
Parking sensors
Keyless start
Sat Nav
Etc.
Didn't really need any of them, but rather have them as not as collectively they make it all that bit more easier
A toilet would be nice...Auto lights
Climate control
High beam assist
Comfort access
Electric handbrake
Different suspension settings etc.
Electronic boot
Parking sensors
Keyless start
Sat Nav
Etc.
Didn't really need any of them, but rather have them as not as collectively they make it all that bit more easier
Klippie said:
My Cayman has a leccy dipstick, I can only assume Porsche has spent millions developing this item to make it as super reliable as the rest of the german made cars these days...oh wait...!!!
I had a Cayman as well, it had an electronic dipstick that said I needed to top it up with a litre of oil every 300 miles. It was accurate. Unfortunately I had scored bores in my quality German engineered Porsche. Lol. I do think the best solution is to fit both a manual and electronic dipstick. I would always trust a mechanical one over an electronic one.
The Porsche ones are inherently sensitive to the car being absolutely level.
Edited by Markbarry1977 on Thursday 2nd March 12:07
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