Member Since: 01 Sep 2020
Location: SPALDING
Posts: 8
Dipstick won't go fully down into the tube? Is there a trick
Hi Ive recently bought a D3 2.7 2009 and the dipstick wouldn't come out, I drove it home, and used a prybar to get the dipstick out of the tube, it came out whole. It did snap while trying to reinsert it though (luckily high enough I could get it back out again. I bought a brand new dipstick, same length and the correct part etc and it gets jammed half way in, with a wiggle it goes down until there's about an inch of the yellow part sticking out the tube still, before the loop, is there a trick to get it to go down fully please so I can get a reading of the amount of oil (I've just done an oil change and want to make sure it's right)
Thanks
(Two pics should be attached)
5th Sep 2020 11:20 am
adam
Member Since: 20 Sep 2005
Location: Home and Happy
Posts: 6917
Must be an obstruction that was causing the old dip stick to get stuck and stopping the new seating correctly, shouldn’t need a tool to remove it.
It’s been over 9 years since I had a D3, but I don’t remember having to twist it etc. to get it in or out?Now Golf GTI PP, 7 speed DSG.
Ex D3 and D4
5th Sep 2020 3:58 pm
hcashmore11
Member Since: 01 Sep 2020
Location: SPALDING
Posts: 8
Thank you, I can't get the tube to come out, but I've bought a new sump gasket, and will go to my ford dealer this week to get new bolts too. i think I'll take the sump off and look up the tube, maybe throw some compressed air down it to see if anything comes out at all, but hopefully by taking off the sum, it may be evident there's a snapped dipstick (or part of one) still in there or something.
Thanks
5th Sep 2020 4:32 pm
ronald.soak
Member Since: 29 Apr 2008
Location: London
Posts: 519
I have tried mine, (MY05), and it almost goes straight in and out but when it is replaced it usually rotates through about 90 degrees when I let go suggesting that some tension has built up as it has been inserted. No idea what causes this but suggests that more than a simple tube is involved. Perhaps a retaining arrangement. Unfortunately this may have malfunctioned and then become mangled when you extracted the dipstick.
5th Sep 2020 4:45 pm
ronald.soak
Member Since: 29 Apr 2008
Location: London
Posts: 519
Just looked at the Advanced Factors site, for a sump plug, and see that they show the dipstick tube as kinked. They also show it retained by a single bolt and a grommet. Any chance that you can take the tube off and avoid having to drain and remove the sump?.
5th Sep 2020 5:03 pm
ronald.soak
Member Since: 29 Apr 2008
Location: London
Posts: 519
Apologies. Just read your last post again and see that you cannot extract the tube.
My rotation now explained by compression of the dipstick spiral cable as it is pushed through the kink.
5th Sep 2020 5:09 pm
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10489
You don’t need new bolts.
Even the lower gasket is reusable
There are two sumps.
The lower is easy to remove.
It’s not a jag engine is it
5th Sep 2020 6:12 pm
Globetrotter448
Member Since: 21 Mar 2017
Location: Londonderry NSW
Posts: 1793
I would unbolt the dipstick tube (one bolt) and remove it as it may have got crushed somehow. This way its easier to work on.
6th Sep 2020 1:02 am
Discoveringcomfort
Member Since: 16 Sep 2015
Location: Berkshire
Posts: 637
Modern dipsticks are flat spring steel (pre 70s cars had narrow rectangular rods) in order to fit the modern style ones the flat face needs to be 90 deg to the tube bend otherwise the edge will bind in the tube or not bend.
When fitting mine I make sure the flat face is parallel to the side of the engine and let the handle rotate a litle if it needs to when pushing down.
TBH though yours does sound a little suspect?Series 1 V8
Series 2 Hibrid V8
Discovery 3 HSE V8
6th Sep 2020 7:39 am
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10489
This is where petrol and diesel ones are different.
Diesel ones are steel wire, therefore round.
The tubes are very difficult to reinstall in the diesel to route around the turbo. So would avoid as the first step.
6th Sep 2020 7:50 am
hcashmore11
Member Since: 01 Sep 2020
Location: SPALDING
Posts: 8
Globetrotter448 wrote:
I would unbolt the dipstick tube (one bolt) and remove it as it may have got crushed somehow. This way its easier to work on.
I unbolted the dipstick tube, it was two bolts near the top of the engine, absolute to unbolt too, but pry'ed and tried to pull it, but no way it was coming out, as said below, it's a horrible routing between the turbo and the engine mount and so it's almost trapped down there?
6th Sep 2020 10:36 am
hcashmore11
Member Since: 01 Sep 2020
Location: SPALDING
Posts: 8
Discoveringcomfort wrote:
Modern dipsticks are flat spring steel (pre 70s cars had narrow rectangular rods) in order to fit the modern style ones the flat face needs to be 90 deg to the tube bend otherwise the edge will bind in the tube or not bend.
When fitting mine I make sure the flat face is parallel to the side of the engine and let the handle rotate a litle if it needs to when pushing down.
TBH though yours does sound a little suspect?
Thanks for the reply, mine looks like this though, as it's just a steel 'cable'
6th Sep 2020 10:38 am
hcashmore11
Member Since: 01 Sep 2020
Location: SPALDING
Posts: 8
Hi all, Just an update, thanks to 'Pete K' I took the sump off, and checked it from underneath there was nothing stuck in the dipstick tube, it seems the silver piece on the dipstick is getting stuck before it gets to it's final place, which would indicate the tube is crushed somewhere, but as has been said, the tube won't come out easily and looks a right faf to get out (it's trapped between the turbo and the engine mount bracket. I'll cancel my order for the new gasket as there doesn't appear to be any leaks and I'll order a new tube.
Thanks all
6th Sep 2020 1:42 pm
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10489
Did you actually see where the dip stick would come out ?
If you have 2 dip sticks you could always file down that metal bit to prove your theory.
Still leave it slightly raised incase it’s a join.
It’s a 2 man job to change the tube.
One up top and one under the car to give instructions and guide down with a screwdriver
Still a pain.
How much oil are you putting in it ?
5 litres is above minimum.
5.2 getting near half way.
6th Sep 2020 2:15 pm
Motolab
Member Since: 18 Oct 2019
Location: Sleen
Posts: 1820
Maybe these images come in handy..
To see what is there Behind the scenes Best regards
Harold
Always looking for Pre '55's & Pre war British Motorcycles! knowing or having one for sale? PM please. I visit the UK 6 times a year
Ps. I edit my texts quite often, english is not my native language, so I will edit My “typo’s” etc.
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to unbolt too, but pry'ed and tried to pull it, but no way it was coming out, as said below, it's a horrible routing between the turbo and the engine mount and so it's almost trapped down there?
