I just checked my oil and, of course, encountered the slinky dipstick. Reading clean oil on that thing is almost impossible --- if you try it the "normal" way. I had always checked oil by pulling out the stick, wiping it off, reinserting it, then pulling it out and turning the wide part toward me. The slinky stick makes it almost impossible to see. But, I have found another way: When pulling the stick out the second time for the read, don't pull it out all the way. As soon as you see the pointy metal end piece, with the stick still mostly vertical (like an extension of the tube), look down the side of it and you can see which "rings" the oil covers. If that still doesn't work for you, doing it the traditional way, roll a piece of paper towel round the stick. The oil will blot the paper towel. Line up the blots on the paper towel alongside the dipstick. (The two marker rings on the dipstick should correspond to two blobs on the paper towel and the oil mark in between will correspond to the oil level on the stick).

 

Nice trick!!! Thanks.

 

Your welcome. I am also contemplating painting the end of the stick with high temp paint, but that could be risky. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

 

Probably wouldnt last, giving the conditions in the crankcase.

 

I'm more worried about what it could do to the engine internals. There are marine engine/exhaust paints that can easily take the heat.

 

i really hate the dipstick in these new engines. plus i noticed that since the dipstick is metal (and quite thick) that when i take it in and out it actually scrapes against the inside of the black tube leaving tons of little metal/paint particles all over the dipstick. hope the oil filter catches these.

 

I've never seen a dipstick that wasn't metal.

 

One of my daughters has a yellow plastic dipstick. I can't remember the car, but it was either a Saturn, Nissan, Dodge, Mazda or Ford.

 

I understand exactly what was meant here. The first sentence is clear and concise.
I still blew tea out my nose.

 

we have our MCS for about a month and I haven't bothered looking for the dip stick hehe

 

Ok, I read the title as "Reading the R56 Old Dipstick" and kept wondering why anyone would want to read an old dipstick. And wondering who the old dipstick actually was or if it was a general commentary aimed at us old farts who drive around in R56's.

Then I start reading LynnEl's post about some oiled up slinky stick,..and I stopped dead in my tracks, figuring this is waaaaayyy TMI!

Ok, that was OT, but I had to say it.

 

Lynn, my R53 has a plastic tip on the dipstick. It's a b***h to remove/insert. Difficult to see the oil on it also. I've read somewhere here on NAM that folks have broken off the plastic tip. Guess "no plastic" on the dipstick is another improvement for the R56.

 

Just be thankful there is a dipstick. Some cars don't have them these days.

 

You dont drive around the people I do!

 

I take it you are not counting the dipsticks behind the wheel?

 

There appear to be a lot of problems with dipsticks in Texas!

 

The dipsticks in Texas are just fine. When they get all lubed up, they are a hoot.

 

Yeah, but just like the one in the MINI, you still can't tell what they say.

 

Until they start to use sign language, you are quite correct.

 

Yeah, but then you risk becoming blind

 

This is helpful. Given that I just changed my oil, it was hard to guage exactly how much oil was in the crankcase when I filled it. The blotting towel idea is cool, will try that this evening.

The daughter with the yellow plastic dipstick raised my eyebrow too...

 

A lot of Dipsticks and Bubbas live/drive in Texas.

 

Some parts of Texas are worse than others. But, yeah, we have our fair share of the dipsticks, bubbas, and rednecks.

And I would not try sticking them into an oil pan. It just would not be pretty.

 

I doubt she'd fit in the tube.

 

Last time I heard that phrase was at a water park and it came from one of the employees in reference to a lady about to slide down a 'closed-in' water slide.