So I'm pretty sure everyone on here feels the same way about the factory dipstick. I'm paranoid about misreading it and not realizing that my car needs oil.
Can anyone recommend an after market dipstick for my 13 Cooper S that is accurate and easy to read?
Thanks in advance!

 

Cravenspeed dipstick

 

I second that, CravenSpeed

 

$75 for a dip stick though.... Seriously I would expect concierge service with that.

 

Another Cravenspeed sticker here...

 

will be picking up one soon as well

 

If u break off the stock dipstick, u will wish u had bought the Cravenspeed.

 

Who breaks a dipstick though. That seems like you gotta be a certain kind of special. Unless mini really is that bad

 

I have never had a problem reading the stock dipstick.

I check it with a cold engine on a level surface, it works every time and is much cheaper than a $75 dipstick.

Dave

 

at first it was a pain to read but now...flat surface let the oil settle then using a clean rag i make sure the end is nice and dry drop it in and pull it back out and touch it to the rag gives me a pretty good idea where the level is every time

 

A: Checking your oil in the morning before you leave, so the oil is all in the pan, none left all over the dipstick or anything, and it's settled should give you an easy to read level every time.

B: If you have that crappy red tipped dipstick that everyone complains about, sand 2 opposing sides flat and smooth, and if you really want use a very small drill bit to drill oil catching holes at even intervals along the sanded surface.

There's actually a guy on here who did a whole how-to on this process. If a crappy reading is the only problem, and someone told me 10 minutes worth of work fixes it just as well as a $75 replacement part, I'd allocate 10 minutes of my schedule to do the fix every time.

 

"Back in the day"... dipsticks were inexpensive flat pieces of metal with some holes. Why can't anybody make one of those for a reasonable price? Why over-engineer it like Craven (big fan of BTW) did?

 

at least on the 1st gen, it really is that bad. made of fiberglass and destined to break. I got lucky and when mine broke, the bottom half was hanging on literally by a thread. if you pull your handle and the bottom half comes undone and stays in the tube, you'll spend a lot more than $75 fishing it out, and you'll still have to replace it with something...

 

The dipstick gives false readings... period. I figured out oil consumption by changing it mid cycle and adding in what I had added.

 

It only gives false readings if you are parked on a slope. The location of the dipstick is at one end of the engine, not centered like on many other cars. If the car is tipped just a little one way or the other, you will get a false reading.

Dave

 

which one are u referring to? stock or craven?

 

I am surprised that the dipstick is still an "issue". If you have the one with the red plastic tip, when checking, pull it out straight, turn it 90 degrees, and there's your level. turn it 180 degrees, and the level will be in the same spot. works every time for me!

 

Eddie,

The following link gives the best methods of using or modifying the stock dipstick I have found.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...732-post1.html

Morris, 2011 MC, PW/B, 24,000 trouble free miles

 

Thanks so much for the feedback everyone! I may try to modify the stock dipstick before dropping $75 on a Cravenspeed. Although I've heard nothing bu great things about the Craven dipstick.
Thanks again!

 

I've got one of those lousy spun wire dipsticks--that is impossible to read. What a pathetic, stupid design.

The only way I read it is to lay the "business end" on a clean. absorbent cloth or paper towel and then read the blot it makes while holding it next to the end of dipstick. $75 for a dipstick? Not really....

 

Ignore the old guy who once knew dip sticks....

 

Hi there Eddie,

I have been thinking about this too. I don't want to spend on the craven, at least yet. I have some thoughts about the modification process for the stock stick. Looking at the dipstick that was filed flat on two sides, I note that the new surface has a less polished surface than the original, pre filed sheen that exists on the dipstick. I'm thinking it's more the fact that the surface has been changed that makes the oil easier to read, as opposed to the flat portion.

There is some concern that the plastic ended sticks may, or have, broken off in the engine. If you were concerned about that, would you file the stick flat and risk weakening it? That said, what about the ones with drill holes in them? Now those sticks only have a very small amount of plastic holding them together...YIKES.

Anyway, my thoughts on where I'll be heading with this modification, is to lightly sand the stick end with sand paper, just to rough it up and hold the oil better. I don't think I will be compromising strength of the plastic with just light sanding.

I'd be interested to see what you think.

Best,
Mike

 

I think on your '13 you have the newer upgraded dipstick already (my 2011 does) So you shouldn't have to worry about it breaking, or so I've been told.

 

went ahead and ordered one on amazon for my 2013.. i'll have to see what the "new" one is like, but im fairly certain its exactly the same

 

I paid the outrageous price for the Cravenspeed dipstick and while I find it somewhat easier to read than the stock, its still not as easy as the old standard flat dipstick that most cars have, especially with clean oil.

BTW, my wife though of replacing her dipstick too but hasn't gotten rid of me yet after almost 46 years .