"The Dipstick wont come out"
"The Dipstick wont come out"
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J4CKO

Original Poster:

45,878 posts

223 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
quotequote all
Last year I alerted my neighbour to the noise his Corsa (petrol) was making in the morning, he isn't a car person and bought it brand new to replace a Merc as a downsizing operation, I said I would take a look as it sounded low on oil, I would have done but the dipstick wouldnt come out, seized solid, so I said get it to a garage which he said he would do, apparently he just put some oil in.

Wind forward a year, possibly longer and its making a hell of a clattery racket, my wife was round there for female gossip type evening so I said to mention it, apparently they had been quoted a year plus ago £600 to sort it out, i.e. get the dipstick out, all it was I thought was gunked on, I could have got it off but didnt want to be responsible for breaking anything as then it becomes my problem. So its still stuck.

Anyone heard of this before and how long before the engine dies ?

TheEnd

15,370 posts

211 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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The engine is probably already dead, it just doesn't know it yet.

Laurel Green

31,007 posts

255 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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Does the chap never take the car for a service?

peeves

390 posts

186 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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Still under manufacturers warranty, no?

J4CKO

Original Poster:

45,878 posts

223 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
quotequote all
Laurel Green said:
Does the chap never take the car for a service?
He said he did but if you cant get the dipstick out you havent got a service, as lets face it service=glorified oil change most of the time.

Globs

13,847 posts

254 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
quotequote all
peeves said:
Still under manufacturers warranty, no?
I suspect they are voided if you ignore the oil changes wink

Laurel Green

31,007 posts

255 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
He said he did but if you cant get the dipstick out you havent got a service, as lets face it service=glorified oil change most of the time.
One can do an oil change without the use of the dipstick. Not the perfect solution but, would be near enough I would have thought.

As to removing the dipstick tube; would guess there to be a bolt/nut somewhere along the tube holding it in place. removal of such should allow the tube to be pulled/twisted off. Would then be easier to remove the dipstick and clean out the crud from the tube.

J4CKO

Original Poster:

45,878 posts

223 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
quotequote all
Funniest thing was, the wife, when she mentioned it, the owners wife said that they were thinking of changing it so my wife said for them to let us know when they do as it might be good for our eldest who is 17 in November, apparently me mentioning that it was "knocking its bks off" a few times means its a good buy. She thought that it would be fine if it was topped up with oil, so I explained the role of oil in an engine and was told I was boring her, funny how women find it so boring until the car cant get them to shoes and bags any more then it focuses their attention, as does spending shoe/bag money on mysterious metallic things.

J4CKO

Original Poster:

45,878 posts

223 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
quotequote all
Laurel Green said:
J4CKO said:
He said he did but if you cant get the dipstick out you havent got a service, as lets face it service=glorified oil change most of the time.
One can do an oil change without the use of the dipstick. Not the perfect solution but, would be near enough I would have thought.

As to removing the dipstick tube; would guess there to be a bolt/nut somewhere along the tube holding it in place. removal of such should allow the tube to be pulled/twisted off. Would then be easier to remove the dipstick and clean out the crud from the tube.
He couldn't I don't think, I guess just dropping the oil and filling it up with whatever the capacity would do it but I would remove the dipstick, a dremel up the side would cut a grove to release it. I am not going to get involved, just interested how long it will go, guess I will never know, they wont say it seized up and got part exed, a new car will appear.

I know some people aren't bothered about cars but what 8/10 grands worth of car bought new and they don't protect that investment by ever checking the oil, a girl at work seized an MX5 solid by not checking the oil and then seized the replacement despite spending two grand repairing it the first time, then moans about the cost.

Globs

13,847 posts

254 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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Some people can't be arsed to protect their investments, which is a bit foolish in these uncertain times!
The word 'self inflicted' comes to mind, just let them deal with it - it's only a new car, and not a very good one.

TonyRPH

13,460 posts

191 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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Laurel Green said:
As to removing the dipstick tube; would guess there to be a bolt/nut somewhere along the tube holding it in place. removal of such should allow the tube to be pulled/twisted off.
I think most dipstick tubes are an interference fit these days.



jagracer

8,248 posts

259 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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Don't newish Corsas have a low oil warning light on them?

XG332

3,927 posts

211 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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TonyRPH said:
I think most dipstick tubes are an interference fit these days.
1 piece of tube goes into the sump then the main tube is bonded to it. I assume so that if it snaps it snaps at the joint.
Then a bolt to the engine or manifold to keep it rigid.

NadiR

1,071 posts

170 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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My cousin bought a Civic off eBay during Christmas that had the same problem, he took it to his mate who has a garage and it was taken out free of charge, he said that the dipstick looked like it was soldered on, 3 months later the engine is fine. The guy with the Corsa though must be a right donut if he isn't having the job done due to the cost.

snuffle

1,587 posts

205 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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With that title I thought you were refering to this thread

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

OlberJ

14,101 posts

256 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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J4CKO said:
He couldn't I don't think, I guess just dropping the oil and filling it up with whatever the capacity would do it but I would remove the dipstick, a dremel up the side would cut a grove to release it. I am not going to get involved, just interested how long it will go, guess I will never know, they wont say it seized up and got part exed, a new car will appear.

I know some people aren't bothered about cars but what 8/10 grands worth of car bought new and they don't protect that investment by ever checking the oil, a girl at work seized an MX5 solid by not checking the oil and then seized the replacement despite spending two grand repairing it the first time, then moans about the cost.
Dremel on a funnel straight to the sump. No no.

Buster73

5,519 posts

176 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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My mother bought a new Audi 80 sport many moons ago ( J 1990 ) iirc.

She complained about " a funny noise " coming from the engine.

I had a look and the dipstick was completely dry , not. A hint of oil on it.

Filled it up to the top level , the noise disappeared never to come back.

Nearly terminal I reckon.

Getragdogleg

9,856 posts

206 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
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I have a mate who is a serial car killer, he just neglects them to death. A car that would last me 10 years limps through about 4 months with him and then when it does actually let him down it is derided as a piece of st.

Mechanically clueless people are normally proud of their ineptitude and giggle about it like it is a badge of honor and they also sometimes have a nasty habit of trying to make me feel stupid and inferior for knowing how a car works, like I am some kind of geek, funny how it is me they call when "the car won't start" or "the car is making a noise and a smell".

Globs

13,847 posts

254 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
quotequote all
Getragdogleg said:
I have a mate who is a serial car killer, he just neglects them to death. A car that would last me 10 years limps through about 4 months with him and then when it does actually let him down it is derided as a piece of st.

Mechanically clueless people are normally proud of their ineptitude and giggle about it like it is a badge of honor and they also sometimes have a nasty habit of trying to make me feel stupid and inferior for knowing how a car works, like I am some kind of geek, funny how it is me they call when "the car won't start" or "the car is making a noise and a smell".
Sounds like he's a member of 'Proud to Be Thick', there really is nothing you can do except enjoy watching him throw vast sums of money down the drain. Car makers everywhere will love him.

J4CKO

Original Poster:

45,878 posts

223 months

Saturday 3rd March 2012
quotequote all
OlberJ said:
J4CKO said:
He couldn't I don't think, I guess just dropping the oil and filling it up with whatever the capacity would do it but I would remove the dipstick, a dremel up the side would cut a grove to release it. I am not going to get involved, just interested how long it will go, guess I will never know, they wont say it seized up and got part exed, a new car will appear.

I know some people aren't bothered about cars but what 8/10 grands worth of car bought new and they don't protect that investment by ever checking the oil, a girl at work seized an MX5 solid by not checking the oil and then seized the replacement despite spending two grand repairing it the first time, then moans about the cost.
Dremel on a funnel straight to the sump. No no.
Why not, you break the seal the dipstick has on the tube, the work would be outside the dipstick tube due to the overlap, in reality, even if you were trying, how much material could you get into the sump if you were actually trying ? in this case we are sticking this up against a £600 garage bill, on a probably already knackered engine that would get new oil anyway, there will be more metal concentrated in what is left of the engine oil than you could ever dremel into the sump, the oil on the way down would catch stuff anyway, not that there would be anything measurable,

I do actually think about things before I suggest them, honest.