ckl Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 long story short, the POS plastic dipstick broke when I tried to pull it out to check the engine oil after a 20 min drive. Here's where I'm confused, do you check the oil when it is hot, warm, or cold? All my previous cars I've checked it when it was cold and had no problems. for some reason, I decided to check it hot this time around, but I found that the dipstick does not come out so I had the stupid idea of twisting it out, and that's when it broke. Is it normal for the dipstick to not come out when the engine is hot? dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtomatoman Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 Check the oil when the engine is warm. Probably not hot, it would read low, I believe. Twisting is incorrect. You may break your dipstick. Ha! Seriously, have you had a vehicle that had a twisting dipstick? I have never seen one. My 2011 dipstick comes out easily when the engine is hot. I suppose the last person to reinsert it may have forced it into a place it didn't belong. Who changes your oil? Peace. dhh3 and ckl 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckl Posted December 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 This is probably the first vehicle ive owned that has a dipstick that would not come out while pulled. So the natural reaction would be to twist it slightly while pulling to get it moving. Since you have a 2011, I don't expect you to understand... Maybe try uncorking a bottle of wine the old fashioned way and observe what you're doing, your probably twisting while pulling. Now, after doing a Google search it seems like other dodge vehicles have this same problem. So I'm guessing that for the 2009 3.5L engine, it is normal for the dipstick to be stuck when the engine is hot. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtsr Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 I have driven a new Dodge vehicle about every 4 yrs since 1984 and never experienced your problem. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 (edited) Personally I've checked mine cold, warm and hot. Never noticed any significant difference that would cause me to change the way I check mine. It's not like a transmission. Never broken one either. Edited December 28, 2015 by jkeaton dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhareFred Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 I have an 09 with the 3.5. That dipstick can really be tight! I thought I would break mine I had to pull so hard and I do not jam the thing as far down as I can either. You can check your oil cold, but dont fill it to the top of the safe line. Best to check warm ( driven till normal op temp, then wait 5 mins) is how I was taught back in the 70's and how I do it now. Better to be a little low on oil than too much! BrianS and dhh3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 I have always been told to test the oil when cold and parked on a level surface, and fill to the full mark. Transmission: hot, in N, on a level surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckl Posted December 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 Thanks for all the information. I will probably continue to check the engine oil when cold. I usually do not fill to the top of the full line but to the 3/4 line instead. Thanks to Fred for confirming that this problem is not unique to my engine. OhareFred 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 (edited) The full line means full. The measurement is marked to take into account that the oil will slightly expand when hot. Do not fill past the full mark, because then the crank shaft can start slinging the oil around the inside of the engine block, causing air bubbles which is not healthy for the rest of the engine. Edited December 28, 2015 by dhh3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryl Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 That is a frequent problem with the 3.5 dipstick and sometimes it can be a pain getting the broken one out I had mine replaced under warranty when I owned an 09 dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted December 28, 2015 Report Share Posted December 28, 2015 The full line means full. The measurement is marked to take into account that the oil will slightly expand when hot. Do not fill past the full mark, because then the crank shaft can start slinging the oil around the inside of the engine block, causing air bubbles which is not healthy for the rest of the engine. Always fill mine with half a quart more than called for. Keeps the crankcase pressurized so it won't suck in outside pollutants which could sludge the engine over time. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS Posted December 29, 2015 Report Share Posted December 29, 2015 Hot, cold....doesn't much matter IMHO. Oil will expand a bit when hot, but it's only 4.5L, so not going to make a huge difference, Wait 5-10 min, as Ohare-Fred indicated to allow the oil to drain back into the crankcase and then check it. As for the dipstick, I think this is a Chrysler thing. Lots of broken dipsticks on the Mini-van forum (3.3L,3.8L). If it's difficult to remove, don't twist it around in a circle to get it out. Gentle twisting, maybe 1/8" turn each way should be enough to get it out. dhh3 and jkeaton 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckl Posted December 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2015 (edited) Since my dipstick broke near the top, I was able to get it out by drilling a small pilot hole and then put a small screw in there and then pulling that out. the trick is to do it while the engine is hot since that is when it is the most "stuck" and you will have no worry of accidentally pushing the dipstick further down the tube. Then after you put the screw in, you wait until the engine cools down. Then pull on the screw and the dipstick will come out easy. It is important not to drill all the way through to the other side as there is a possibility of getting plastic bits into the engine oil. You just need to drill enough so that the screw threads catch onto the plastic. When I put in the new dipstick, I was surprised at how much more "loose" it was when pushed all the way in. I haven't done this yet, but I bet that it would have no problem being pulled out when the engine is hot... maybe they changed the diameter of the plastic due to all the broken dipsticks. Edited December 29, 2015 by ckl SeanTacular, weasey31 and dhh3 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanTacular Posted December 29, 2015 Report Share Posted December 29, 2015 Definitely a Chrysler problem. Broke it on my intrepid and also my Sebring. Cheap plastic and probably brittle from a lot of cycles of really hot to freezing cold being parked outside in the winter. I always got it out with a single small drop of crazy glue on the broken handle and carefully touched it to the broken part stuck in the tube. Waited a few minutes for it to dry fully and shot a squirt of wd40 and it slide right out. I noticed they both broke shortly after the yellow plastic on the handle went from bright yellow to a dull yellow. Probably because the plastic was past its lifetime. My dipsticks weren't really stuck either. The plastic was just so brittle they broke with just a light pull. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weasey31 Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 On Monday, December 28, 2015 at 11:20 PM, ckl said: Since my dipstick broke near the top, I was able to get it out by drilling a small pilot hole and then put a small screw in there and then pulling that out. the trick is to do it while the engine is hot since that is when it is the most "stuck" and you will have no worry of accidentally pushing the dipstick further down the tube. Then after you put the screw in, you wait until the engine cools down. Then pull on the screw and the dipstick will come out easy. It is important not to drill all the way through to the other side as there is a possibility of getting plastic bits into the engine oil. You just need to drill enough so that the screw threads catch onto the plastic. When I put in the new dipstick, I was surprised at how much more "loose" it was when pushed all the way in. I haven't done this yet, but I bet that it would have no problem being pulled out when the engine is hot... maybe they changed the diameter of the plastic due to all the broken dipsticks. Mine did the same thing!!! I thought I was the only one. Ordered a new one on ebay. Glad to know it's the DJ and not us! Stupid car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted March 2, 2017 Report Share Posted March 2, 2017 1 hour ago, weasey31 said: Mine did the same thing!!! I thought I was the only one. Ordered a new one on ebay. Glad to know it's the DJ and not us! Stupid car Not the cars fault you broke the dipstick. Lol 2late4u 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecrazyfoo4u Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Mine broke the first year too. Little dab of super glue has held it on tight the last 4 years! Super glue > plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.