broken dipstick on her B5 QTS

[Kingfisher]

Checking the fluids this morning on her 1.8TQS ( she only wants to drive the car not anything like look after it !! ) and I managed to put some side pressure on the dipstick, and suddenly it was very loose. Looks like the bottom end of the orangey plastic has broken off where it enters the dipstick metal tube.
I suppose the constant heating/cooling doesn't help the plastic...... in olden days they were all metal !!
How easy is it to remove the broken end off from out of the tube ?
It should just be a tight-ish push fit ?
Best method?
I have thought of using a spare wheel spoke ( from a bike - I have dozens.... ) and the elbow end is quite large/at right angles to the spoke/is very strong.
There is not much room around it and it is way below the intake manifold....
Any help please ?
Thanks.

 

[Broken Byzan]

i popped mine out with a screwdriver iirc.

A spoke is prob a good idea, they only clip in so once you get the thing to pop past it's clip it will come out no problems

 

[B5NUT]

They just pull off or if it's a little tight the use a pair of pipe grips. I've broken 2 they must go brittle with the heat of the engine

 

[Kingfisher]

Thanks for the replies.... I'll order a new one tomorrow
Byzan haven't you got a QTS ??

This one was chipped back in about 2000, runs well, now on 77k miles, trying to get her to agree to spend a bit on keeping it really nice and maybe a few small upgrades...... she bought it new so is a known quantity.

 

[Kingfisher]

just in case anybody needs the part number it is
053 103 663 cost inc vat £2.48
Dealer told me they just push on after removing all the old one , I gently 'crushed' the remaining bit of plastic on the metal dipstick tube, it splintered into half a dozen bits and just pushed the new one on - it seems to have a couple of plastic tangs that grip over the top of the metal pipe.
It was much easier to loosen the coolant tank for a bit of extra room. I think the whole job took less than fifteen minutes !!

 

[Broken Byzan]

Thanks for the replies.... I'll order a new one tomorrow
Byzan haven't you got a QTS ??

This one was chipped back in about 2000, runs well, now on 77k miles, trying to get her to agree to spend a bit on keeping it really nice and maybe a few small upgrades...... she bought it new so is a known quantity.

Yep TQS here, had the same problem, and as you found out removing those 3 screws to loosen the coolant tank is an absolute god send