Dipstick tube

[Bignick]

Managed to break my dipstick tube today while changing the thermostat, how dose the rest of it get removed? i gave up because of bad light. I will get a new one tomorrow, I'm hoping it will be self exsplanitary, but the way my luck has been going lately. Is it held in with a screw somewhere?

 

[Imteyaz]

Dipstick tube is just' push-on' fit, expect more of it to break off when removing what is left! Try covering the exposed hole if possible to stop any further remnants of orange plastic falling down the tube and into the sump. Maybe wrap some gaffer tape on the broken tube before yanking it of to keep all the bits together?. Soften the new dipstick tube in hot water before fitting, it should 'click' into place.

I had a similar problem when I was changing my thermostat, broke the dipstick tube (luckily I had read up so expected it to happen and had ordered a new dipstick tube too). A few weeks later, I took the sump off to check the oil strainer before changing the oil and found quite a few bits of orange plastic lodged in the oil pick-up gauze.... cleaned it all out using compressed air.

HTH,

 

[tompearson]

I did just that today as well. Not sure how to describe it properly, but the bottom end has a lip so that pipe it connects to sit inside it - the plastic tube is both inside and outside the pipe for about 10mm or so. I think it should just slide off, but everything I tried caused it to shatter some more. I ended up breaking it off in chunks whilst trying (and failing) to stop bits failing down into the sump. Apparently this isn't too much of a problem though as the bits won't get through the gauze into the engine.

 

[rossbrownlee]

Apparently this isn't too much of a problem though as the bits won't get through the gauze into the engine.

Personally i'd be more concerned about it choking the strainer and causing oil starvation. I did the same a couple of weeks ago but luckily enough was just about to replace the sump & oil pump anyway.

 

[tompearson]

Personally i'd be more concerned about it choking the strainer and causing oil starvation. I did the same a couple of weeks ago but luckily enough was just about to replace the sump & oil pump anyway.

I didn't think of that, but I don't think much went down, only some smallish pieces. The "not too much of a problem line" is an Audi one apparently and others have stated that the hot oil will break it down anyway, although I think I read a post somewhere about finding bits of the dipstick tube in the sump.

Cars is in bits at the moment anyway and I need to put on stands to do the brakes so maybe I ought to think about removing the sump, or would an oil change be enough? Shame the thermostat didn't die a month or so earlier before its last oil change. Oh well...

 

[Bignick]

Thanks for all the help guys i was going to do it today because the audi web site said they are open....... no such luck

 

[ruairi83]

IVe got a brand new one sitting here mate. £15 posted if you want.

 

[HTC]

They are like £3 or something from Audi.

 

[ruairi83]

i got one from agnew audi belfast and it was £18 all mate.

 

[HTC]

You were done. I bought one from a VW dealer for a couple of quid if I remember. It was so cheap I ended up grabbing two.

 

[HTC]

Maybe they were on special?

 

[ruairi83]

agnew audi in belfast usually charge alot more than across the water mate as few thing have been alot more expensive. Aw well it here if the guy wants it mate.

 

[swatchuk]

i changed mine 2 weeks ago after snapping it. £3.20 from audi dealer

 

[mitch18]

Iv just snapped mine!got to go collect mine from audi tomorrow. Hopefully the new 1 isnt as brittle lol

 

[<tuffty/>]

Iv just snapped mine!got to go collect mine from audi tomorrow. Hopefully the new 1 isnt as brittle lol

They all do it... have stock of the ****** things at the workshop as if you have to touch them they break... thankfully they are cheap... get yourself a dipstick too ... they are only a couple of quid

<tuffty/>

 

[mitch18]

Yes true I didn't know I broke mine at first, think I broke it doing the N249 bypass only noticed when I I went to take the thermostat out ! New pickup pipe and another oil change in need lol