No dipstick??? WTF

[matthewb0051]

Last week I was changing the oil in our Land Rover LR4 (Discovery 4). No issues, everything went as planned since we owned an LR3 before so fairly similar procedure except for the filter. I get to the point to check level after adding 8 litres and can't find a dipstick anywhere. I'm sure I amused the neighbors looking all over for the stupid thing.

Some internet research later and a look thru the manual and I confirmed that there is no dipstick. Huh? How in the name of all that is holy am I supposed to check the oil level?

It gets better. To check the oil level, you access a menu in the display screen that takes you to service menu and buried in there is oil level display. No you can't have this display all the time, you can only check it after the vehicle has been turned off for about 10 minutes because otherwise the level will not show up. Oh it will display the gauge but no reading will be given.

Worst of all: up to the time I changed the oil there were no warning lights for low oil level. When I measured out the oil I took out of the vehicle I was around 4 litres short. Hopefully this is a bullet dodged. I read a internet post on this where a guy lost his engine same way and it only had 800ml of oil ...no warning light.

Vehicle is running great and I've checked the level a few times since. No issues.

I would prefer a dipstick thank you. This is Land Rover number 5 for us and we love them in case anyone was questioning that or suggesting a brand change.

[legion]

These kinds of things are intentional so that you have to pay the dealership to maintain the vehicle.

IIRC, Boxsters lost their dipsticks 10+ years ago.

[aschen]

saves $8 per car and increases the likely hood customer will get service at the dealer. The person who came up with it prob got a promotion. It is pretty common these days actually.

[GH85Carrera]

Our 2017 Macan has no dipstick. I think it is nuts. I guess that dipstick would cost 20 or 30 bucks to engineer and put in, so they just don't.

We have not had a first oil change as yet.

[masraum]

Basically the same for my '08 Boxster. No dipstick. If the engine is fully warmed, you have to wait 5 mins to check the level. The manual recommends checking the level when you get gas. It takes 2-3 mins to get gas, maybe another min if I'm cleaning the windows. It sucks to sit around for another min or two to wait for that to finish.

I liked my old 911. Not only was the oil level gauge accurate, but there was also a dipstick. If the car was fully warmed up, I could look at the gauge and know what I would find if I shut the car off and then checked the dipstick.

Yeah, not all new tech is great. This is more about "them" protecting the non-mechanical from themselves. Sadly, I'm not one of them. If there was a way to mod my car to have a dipstick, I'd certainly do it.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

How in the name of all that is holy am I supposed to check the oil level?

If you had an old Farmall you would open the three petcocks on the side of the oil pan, starting with the top one. If you get oil out of the top one, too much kerosene has leaked past the rings - change the oil. If you get oil out of the middle one, but not the top one, oil level is OK. If you don't get oil out of the bottom one, oil level is low. Did you check the oil pan for three petcocks?

[manbridge 74]

My favorite is certain Ford cars from around 2005 with lifetime air filters. Yep, can’t get one from any FLAPs..

[Stutzdriver]

Quick FYI on the dipstick issue. The EU countries are moving to it being illegal to change your oil and to that end you must use a sealed extractor to remove the oil. Soon you will see NO DRAIN PLUG on the oil pan and further there can be no access to install a drain plug, with some structural member covering the oil pan to eliminate access.

Welcome big brother!

[aschen]

Originally Posted by manbridge 74

My favorite is certain Ford cars from around 2005 with lifetime air filters. Yep, can’t get one from any FLAPs..

double WTF

Originally Posted by Stutzdriver

Quick FYI on the dipstick issue. The EU countries are moving to it being illegal to change your oil and to that end you must use a sealed extractor to remove the oil. Soon you will see NO DRAIN PLUG on the oil pan and further there can be no access to install a drain plug, with some structural member covering the oil pan to eliminate access.

Welcome big brother!

triple WTF


this is the type of stuff that has me terrified of newer cars.

[hcoles]

I think some "older" versions of the 911, sold in Europe, didn't have the engine case drilled and tapped for the drain plug - required some sort of extractor. I heard, from friends in Germany, people would go out in the woods and drop the oil, this was one of the reasons for the oil plug delete.

[JackDidley]

Wish my Cayman had a dipstick. Unless its parked in the same spot every time its checked the dash will give a different reading. First time I backed in the garage instead if nosing in, it was about 1/2 quart low.

[hcoles]

I'll bet dealers are kicking and screaming about all electric cars. There is very little maintenance needed. My buddy got a Leaf and after 2 years the dealer made a big deal about bringing it in to change the brake fluid. That was all they did.

[look 171]

I often wonder how accurate is that damn gauge. I discovered that in my Cayman S and went nuts looking for the dip stick.

[hcoles]

from Edmunds....

So where does the majority of a dealership's profit come from? It's not from car sales: at least not directly. It's from the service and parts department, which accounts for 44 percent of the dealership's gross profits, according to NADA.

[Tobra]

This issue is what crossed BMW off my list last time I was car shopping. I would not buy a car without a dipstick to check engine oil level

[T77911S]

my brother (timc) is looking at getting an LR4

[KNS]

Originally Posted by Stutzdriver

Quick FYI on the dipstick issue. The EU countries are moving to it being illegal to change your oil and to that end you must use a sealed extractor to remove the oil. Soon you will see NO DRAIN PLUG on the oil pan and further there can be no access to install a drain plug, with some structural member covering the oil pan to eliminate access.

Welcome big brother!

Will they be able to sell those cars in the US? Isn’t there some sort of law here that says owners must have the right/ability to work on their own cars and not be a slave to the dealership?

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by hcoles

from Edmunds....

So where does the majority of a dealership's profit come from? It's not from car sales: at least not directly. It's from the service and parts department, which accounts for 44 percent of the dealership's gross profits, according to NADA.

with service advisors who work on commission...the thick plottens.

[GH85Carrera]

If you want to find the dipstick, just look over in PARF. Lots of them, just everywhere all the time.

[Tervuren]

Maybe someone didn't like getting hit.