Dip sticks !!

[fast95pony]

I can't figure this out .Auto makers spend bazillions of dollars on nav systems,but they can't come up with a better way to check your oil other than a dip stick . On my Ford ,the stick is about 2 feet long and makes two bends and a twist.There's no way of pulling it out without rubbing the tube, making the reading inaccurate.
I consider the amount of oil in my engine MUCH more important than the location of the nearest MacDonalds


Do any other makers have a better,simpler,more accurate device ???



Alan

[Dino IV]

Indeed, fast95pony!

Although I haven't experienced any other device, my cars' oils have been infinetly easier to check than my bikes'. They don't even feature a centre stand, only a side-one, and checking the oil must be done with the bike in upright position. Fine, stand next to it and keep it steady. Then kneel down and try to spot a misty, greasy 1-inch piece of glass which is located at the bottom side of the block. When you've spotted where to stare at for the next five minutes, take that time and decide afterwards that's it's still inconclusive what you saw, or better, what you guessed. Yuk!

[Bluebottle]

Our 1983 Granada has a 'Hot Wire' dipstick which lights up a little orange light when the oil falls below a certain level. Not a substitute for checking the dipstick manually- and a bit of a pain as the wire gets in the way of removing the stick!

[Sharky]

I know most Renaults have a dashboard needle that indicates the oil level just before you start the engine. My dad has a R19 RSi and we never use the dipstick. It's quite useful and very siple. I can't undertand why nobody else uses it.