Broken dipstick - 2001 Nissan Sentra

> wrote in message
...
>I never have had any dipstick problems with my old clunkers.
> cuhulin

It's rare, but I have had these problems. Often the dipstick
tube just presses into the block (hand pressure) and is held
at a certain level by an "upset", or collar, in the tube.
If it breaks, you can often use a tool like a week root cutter
or a screwdriver or similar to get under this collar and pry
the thing out of the block. Then tap in a new one.

I know that not all cars are the same, so please spare me the
obvious comments that a 1952 Zastava doesnt work that way.

hls wrote:
> > wrote in message
> ...
>> I never have had any dipstick problems with my old clunkers.
>> cuhulin
>
> It's rare, but I have had these problems. Often the dipstick
> tube just presses into the block (hand pressure) and is held
> at a certain level by an "upset", or collar, in the tube.
> If it breaks, you can often use a tool like a week root cutter
> or a screwdriver or similar to get under this collar and pry
> the thing out of the block. Then tap in a new one.
>
> I know that not all cars are the same, so please spare me the
> obvious comments that a 1952 Zastava doesnt work that way.
>
>

Pretty much all of them use the tube and either on O-ring or simple
friction seal.
Depending on the engine it may or may not have a clamp securing it along
the tube as well.

If the tube breaks off flush you can usually pull it with a lag screw
that can just grab inside the bare tube OR since most of them extend
down below the block you can take a piece of stiff wire and bend a small
hook on the end, slide the wire down the tube, catch the end and coax
the tube up far enough to grab it on top.

(Want a great free tool for things like this? Next time you change out a
set of wipers that have the stainless strips that support the blade pull
those strips out and stick them in the tool box. They are nice for many
things.)

--
Steve W.

Windshield wipers,,,, I keep a little piece of wood under the windshield
wiper arms on my van.The wood is just thick enough to keep the rubber
wipers off of the glass.If I am driving and it starts raining, I pull
over and remove the two pieces of wood.Otherwise, the springs in the
wiper arms will deform the rubber wipers.I have a piece of wire
tightened on to the transmission shift lever with a hook/bend on the
other end of the wire.It keeps the weight of the keeys on my key ring
from wearing out the ignition lock cylinder.
cuhulin

"hls" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
>>I never have had any dipstick problems with my old clunkers.
>> cuhulin
>
> It's rare, but I have had these problems. Often the dipstick
> tube just presses into the block (hand pressure) and is held
> at a certain level by an "upset", or collar, in the tube.
> If it breaks, you can often use a tool like a week root cutter
> or a screwdriver or similar to get under this collar and pry
> the thing out of the block. Then tap in a new one.
>
> I know that not all cars are the same, so please spare me the
> obvious comments that a 1952 Zastava doesnt work that way.
>
>
Same thing happened to me (2001 Sentra) during an oil change. Took the
mechanic about an hour of work to finally get it out. It's been quite a
while but I recall him trying a whole bunch of desperate measures including
a bit of drilling to try and thread a screw into the end of the dipstick.
Had to repeat the oil change including filter (on them). The guy who did
the oil change tried to cover up the broken dip stick by jamming it a bit
further down the tube. I went to look at the oil level the same day and the
end of the stick came off in my hand.
MLD

"MLD" > wrote in message I went to look at the oil level
the same day and the
> end of the stick came off in my hand.
> MLD

Some time back, someone posted about a run of dipsticks
that had this as a defect;d.H, after aging a little bit, the top
would just come off in your hand.

Dont remember the make and model, but it was mentioned
that the time to fix this is BEFORE if falls apart.

Maybe someone knows the application I am referring to.

J R wrote:
> Windshield wipers,,,, I keep a little piece of wood under the
> windshield wiper arms on my van.The wood is just thick enough to keep
> the rubber wipers off of the glass.If I am driving and it starts
> raining, I pull over and remove the two pieces of wood.Otherwise, the
> springs in the wiper arms will deform the rubber wipers.

That's a great idea, but a better one would be to bevel the spacers so the
wipers lift off when retracted. It should be standard equipment, now that
you mention it.

Or it could be a couple of levers that are lowered to the glass when power
is on.


--

Reply in group, but if emailing add one more
zero, and remove the last word.

Invent an automatic wiper control gadget like that and you might get
rich.
cuhulin