Dip stick Broke off inside Engine.
Discussion
I gave my daughter's 307HDi a quick service today. I changed the oil and parked on level ground to give it the final check with the dip stick. Well not quite, when I pulled out the dip stick about two inches had broken off the end and is now somewhere in the sump. It broke just at the "full" mark.
It's a plastic dip stick so presumably it had become brittle with old age. I know it will not go through the strainer on the pick-up of the oil pump so I'm wondering is it safe to leave it where it is. Is there anything else it could get caught in such as a chain driven oil pump? Would it come out with the next oil change?
The car is a 2004 model, 1.6 diesel with 150k miles on the clock so it's not worth very much. I don't think I could justify the cost of opening up the engine just to remove a piece of plastic.
It's a plastic dip stick so presumably it had become brittle with old age. I know it will not go through the strainer on the pick-up of the oil pump so I'm wondering is it safe to leave it where it is. Is there anything else it could get caught in such as a chain driven oil pump? Would it come out with the next oil change?
The car is a 2004 model, 1.6 diesel with 150k miles on the clock so it's not worth very much. I don't think I could justify the cost of opening up the engine just to remove a piece of plastic.
Yeah, leave it in there! Even if it gets "sloshed" up into the crank it is just going to get sliced up without doing any damage.
I have seen a small SCH bolt manage to hammer its way through a metal gauze oil pickup strainer. Not really sure how (must have been some sort of oil hammer / pressure fluctuation on the intake), but i don't think a plastic part would manage it (and at worst it would probably go through the oil pump in small pieces and get caught in the filter).
I have seen a small SCH bolt manage to hammer its way through a metal gauze oil pickup strainer. Not really sure how (must have been some sort of oil hammer / pressure fluctuation on the intake), but i don't think a plastic part would manage it (and at worst it would probably go through the oil pump in small pieces and get caught in the filter).
Thanks for all the wisdom guys. I was inclined to leave it in myself but needed confirmation that my thinking is correct. I also agree with the reservations about leaving it in a cherished car.
I found a metal dipstick in another Pug in a local breaker's yard and our 307 has gone back on the road this evening with the new dipstick and the plastic bit in the sump.
I found a metal dipstick in another Pug in a local breaker's yard and our 307 has gone back on the road this evening with the new dipstick and the plastic bit in the sump.
+1 for leave it.
If it helps put your mind to rest - I have a BMW E34 540, have run it for years and love it. Anyway the M60 V8 engine is infamous for vibrating bolts out of the internal sump-mount oil pump from the factory (wrong torque/no threadlock). It's easily fixed by dropping the pan and re-torquing when you buy one, but they all do it. And the oil pan is quite shallow.
I've never heard of any harm done, even if three or four bolts of worrying length have been rattling around in there for years / 100K+ miles - it has been known. Definitely no smashed cranks reported*
If it helps put your mind to rest - I have a BMW E34 540, have run it for years and love it. Anyway the M60 V8 engine is infamous for vibrating bolts out of the internal sump-mount oil pump from the factory (wrong torque/no threadlock). It's easily fixed by dropping the pan and re-torquing when you buy one, but they all do it. And the oil pan is quite shallow.
I've never heard of any harm done, even if three or four bolts of worrying length have been rattling around in there for years / 100K+ miles - it has been known. Definitely no smashed cranks reported*
- and due to the way the pump fits & works, no oil-pressure-related bearing problems I've read of either - that bit's not relevant to your case.
Hi, I've got the same problem with s 5008 1.6 HDi EXCEPT the broken plastic tip is stuck in the tube at the bottom. The replacement dipstick ( right length etc) will not bed. From the earlier comments I'm thinking about just forcing the broken tip into the sump but not sure what to use. Any ideas?
keepitgoing said:
Hi, I've got the same problem with s 5008 1.6 HDi EXCEPT the broken plastic tip is stuck in the tube at the bottom. The replacement dipstick ( right length etc) will not bed. From the earlier comments I'm thinking about just forcing the broken tip into the sump but not sure what to use. Any ideas?
Welding Rod, hammer off the flux first though!mickyh7 said:
keepitgoing said:
Hi, I've got the same problem with s 5008 1.6 HDi EXCEPT the broken plastic tip is stuck in the tube at the bottom. The replacement dipstick ( right length etc) will not bed. From the earlier comments I'm thinking about just forcing the broken tip into the sump but not sure what to use. Any ideas?
Welding Rod, hammer off the flux first though!If you do, you WILL end up with the end of your old dipstick rattling round inside the engine!!!!!
Remove the full dipstick tube, it is only normally a couple of 6mm bolts & an o-ring to keep the oil in.
Yes, it will be fiddly to get to but it is the only way.
E-bmw said:
DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE!!!!!!!!
If you do, you WILL end up with the end of your old dipstick rattling round inside the engine!!!!!
Remove the full dipstick tube, it is only normally a couple of 6mm bolts & an o-ring to keep the oil in.
Yes, it will be fiddly to get to but it is the only way.
Most folks on this thread is saying the opposite to you.If you do, you WILL end up with the end of your old dipstick rattling round inside the engine!!!!!
Remove the full dipstick tube, it is only normally a couple of 6mm bolts & an o-ring to keep the oil in.
Yes, it will be fiddly to get to but it is the only way.
It'll stay in the bottom of the sump forever.
Removing the tube is ok if your half skilled and tooled up. Some people will cause havic trying to access the bolts with Molegripps, pliers and a Hammer.
mickyh7 said:
Some people will cause havic trying to access the bolts with Molegripps, pliers and a Hammer.
I think that's pretty pessimistic. It doesn't take much skill to use a socket set to undo a small screw, and somebody incapable of that shouldn't be considering shoving stuff down the dipstick tube anyway.Gassing Station | Engines & Drivetrain | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff