No dipstick??? WTF

[jcommin]

Originally Posted by 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.

This is not new. I had a 2003 MB with no dip oil stick or transmission stick. I had a display to alerting me to change oil and a display for oil level which would only come on when the level (either high or low) was not right. I, too, prefer an oil stick.

[svandamme]

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.

Source to back up that claim?
Google comes up completely empty on that.

[Eric at Pelican Parts]

No dipstick on my previous 2014 Panamera 4S, and same as the new Macan. It definitely takes some getting used to. Luckily I can check the oil level with the car off and it isn't really hidden in the menus. I still do prefer a dipstick as well.... so much quicker than having to get in/out of the car to see the oil level.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Eric at Pelican Parts

No dipstick on my previous 2014 Panamera 4S, and same as the new Macan. It definitely takes some getting used to. Luckily I can check the oil level with the car off and it isn't really hidden in the menus. I still do prefer a dipstick as well.... so much quicker than having to get in/out of the car to see the oil level.

Does your car have to sit for 5 mins with the key in and on before it will give you a reading?

In my '08 Boxster, if the car is warm, you have to turn the motor off, then turn the key to on, and wait for 5 mins before it will tell you the oil level. If I had a dipstick, I could do it a lot faster than 5 mins.

[stealthn]

But it does make it fun at those full service gas stations, when asked if he can check the oil, I told the pump jocky, "I'll give you $1000 if you can find the dipstick"

[LEAKYSEALS951]

The best I could tell, my 997S was burning a little over a quart per 1000 miles, which if I could have been sure, would have been no big deal- however- with no dipstick, I could not monitor closely enough to determine oil consumption was not increasing due to bigger issues.

The car was SOLD the next week. FU computer dipstick.

As an aside- my wife went to buy a new VOLVO engine with no dipstick. Not only was there no dipstick, the computer only registered "full" or "empty"

There was no inbetween.

Deal off.

Also- there were people retrofitting dipsticks into the volvo block even back in 2015.
God bless them!- basically- check to see if your dipstickless car had a dipstick design a dipstick for it. Worth a shot.

[Eric at Pelican Parts]

Originally Posted by masraum

Does your car have to sit for 5 mins with the key in and on before it will give you a reading?

In my '08 Boxster, if the car is warm, you have to turn the motor off, then turn the key to on, and wait for 5 mins before it will tell you the oil level. If I had a dipstick, I could do it a lot faster than 5 mins.

I'll double check later tonight, but I don't believe I have to wait. If I remember right, I was able to check immediately. Tire pressure on the other hand, I had to hit 15mph before it would give me a tire pressure reading.

[manbridge 74]

The reason for Porsche is overfilling. They don’t want warranty claims for DIY oil changes causing engine damage/leaks. But they would never go to pans without plugs. The extractor method leaves a lot of crud in the bottom and they don’t recommend it.

[Superman]

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..

Actually, air filters have PLENTY of surface area and they breathe just fine when dirty. In fact, they filter out dirt better when dirty. Heavy equipment manufacturers look at air filters on diesel equipment that are clogged with inches of debris, and suggest it be left in service.

[mocha07]

My Volvo '15 V6 t5 no dip stick,have to go through the menu to access the oil level,some what involved procedure!

[manbridge 74]

Originally Posted by Superman

Actually, air filters have PLENTY of surface area and they breathe just fine when dirty. In fact, they filter out dirt better when dirty. Heavy equipment manufacturers look at air filters on diesel equipment that are clogged with inches of debris, and suggest it be left in service.

Correct but only up to a point. Eventually the filter clogs too much. Air finds a way around bringing dirt with it. You can put a thin smear of grease in air box past filter to see when dirt gets on it. The miles and miles of mountain washboard dirt roads around here don’t do small filter areas any favors. Also, under max power when the EFI runs in open loop (almost all EFI systems) it is expecting to match the pre-programmed fuel maps to a clean filter so economy can suffer in this scenario.

[vonsmog]

Guys this is nothing new! the 32' Packard light eight we had did not have a dipstick, but there was a gauge under the hood. Ours did not work for the first 25 years we owned the car. Then when we had the motor rebuilt, they fixed the gauge.

[RKDinOKC]

You mean it doesn't send you a text telling you the oil is low and precisely how much to add? How archaic.

[Nickshu]

I think the 911 went dipstick-less in 2005. Only an electronic dipstick.

[Eric at Pelican Parts]

masraum I can confirm that even without starting up the car I can immediately see the oil level.

[svandamme]

it's not longer a true dry sump, so it needs to check with a non running engine so it has a baseline of all oil as it drained to the "integrated dry sump".

[Geronimo '74]

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!

Originally Posted by svandamme

Source to back up that claim?
Google comes up completely empty on that.

First time i hear about it, where did you hear this?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Eric at Pelican Parts

masraum I can confirm that even without starting up the car I can immediately see the oil level.

Hmm, I would be much happier with that setup. My minimum wait time is 5 mins. If the car isn't full warm, it takes longer. Consequently, I don't check as often as I should.

[masraum]

I've got the M97, so I'm screwed.
from https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/11-ENGINE-911_Engine_Swap/11-ENGINE-911_Engine_Swap.htm

Engine Oil Dip Stick - 2005 and later Boxsters have no dipstick. Instead the oil level is monitored electronically. When installing one of the later-style M96 motors into an early car, there is typically a black plastic plug that covers the dipstick hole: install your old dipstick into this location. On the M97 motors, there is no mounting boss for the dipstick, so you will have to rely on the instrument gauge.

[svandamme]

I have an M97 as well, but I don't have to wait 5 minutes for an oil level reading.
I can get a time out after the engine ran, then i have to wait for it to drain and settle to the sump, That wait can be much longer then 5 minutes.