whats up with mini's design on the 09 oil dipstick. mine has an orange colored end with two raised areas. the oil is suppossed to be between the two areas when full. I just can't seem to read the darn thing. when I got my mini the dealer checked all the fluids and they were perfect. Now that i have 1000 miles on her I went to check the oil again. feels oily but cant see squat for level? any suggestions. Thanks

 

Same problem here.. I can't tell where/if the oil is on the dang thing. Crazy design. I need to try again in better light or something.

 

take a drill and put two-three small dimples int he orange piece at the end and you should then be able to see the oil level.

But I do agree it is a poor design.

 

I guess the good news is that we actually HAVE a dipstick (most new BMWs don't), but yeah, it's borderline useless.

 

Yes, be thankful you've got a dip stick, albeit Teflon-coated. The geniuses at Porsche decided to eliminate dip sticks because they figured their dumb customers couldn't be trusted to read them. The funny thing is that Porsche's software can't reliably figure out the oil level either...

 

It seems that the dipstick changes from year-to-year. The 2007 version is like a tight spring with aluminium bits for min and max levels. With it, you lay it on a paper towel and roll it slightly so you see the oil stain on the towel. Then you can see where the level is. Don't know whether that will work on the 2009.

 

well I guess the oil can't be too dirty if we can't see it . . .

when I'm struggling to see the level on the dip stick I just blot it with a paper towl or better yet a hunk of brown paper as from a paper bag. Just lay the ds against the paper and the oil will spot it immediately.

 

I check the engine cold, which gives a very accurate reading.

I place a finger on the end of the dipstick, parallel to the dipstick. It's a little messy but it's easy to tell where the oil level is.

 

09 owners manual says to drive at least 6 miles, park on a level surface, shut down, wait 5 minutes and check. Yes the stick is a bit of a pain but the paper towel or sack trick work well.

This is off the top of my head so don't take it as gospel. It is how I do it though.

 

I hate to say it but I also have trouble reading mine. I hear there is an aftermarket dipstick out there. I won't go out of my way to get one but if there is vendor selling one at a run, I just may pick one up. BTW, I thought of rolling it on a paper towel but I'm not happy with the accuracy.

 

http://www.cravenspeed.com/index.php?productID=119

 

Unfortunately the Craven is $74.95.

Here is an example of what schatzy62 suggested and I did with mine

Possibly more holes and grooves than needed but makes it fairly easy to see. The grooves I cut with a file.

 

I'm still confused because the little automatic transmission does not seem to even have a dipstick. Am I missing something?

 

The transmission is sealed for life... No need to check...

 

So which works better in capturing the oil - a dimple or a groove? I'm guessing a dimple...

 

I couldn't decide which. That's why I did both.

 

This really is silly guys....

Let me give you simple instructions:
1. Wait at least 10 minutes since you shut down your engine. Best is when engine is cold.
2. Pull dipstick out and wipe it down thoroughly
3. Quickly dip the dipstick and pull it back out.
4. Put it up against the light or use a flashlight as I do.

I think the problem most people are having is that they don't wipe down the dipstick first before taking a reading. Once it's dry you will clearly see where the level is. Hope this helps.

 

I don't understand the need to be quick about dipping the dipstick. Why can't I take my time at this step?

 

I've wiped down the dip stick... I've used a flashlight... etc.

It's still a terrible dipstick as far as recognizing the oil level goes.

 

+1

 

"I think the problem most people are having is that they don't wipe down the dipstick first before taking a reading. Once it's dry you will clearly see where the level is. Hope this helps."

Spoken like a person who has never experienced bifocals.

First its having to have binoculars on the beach, then its having to get a magnifying glass to see the dipstick. Come to think of it, there may actually be some correlation here.

 

Hey... Just checked my oil this morning, and the stock dipstick works fine when your oil is really dirty. Haha

(Free oil change scheduled for this Saturday)

 

That's the one I use, and it's great-- I dont have enough German in me to understand the cryptic OEM D-stix.

But if I go to the dealer for an oil change, I have to put the OEM one back in because the techs dont get the Cravenspeed

 

Okay, so it's not just me thinking that dipstick (more like dipwire) is hard to read! I've only used it once (Had our R56 for a little over three weeks), but noticed right away that it was being rather coy about showing me my oil level. Ah well, something else to get used to... And that Cravenspeed unit is splendid, but I can't let myself spend $75 for a dipstick.

Spridget

 

Use the paper towel method I described early in the thread.