Broken dipstick - 2001 Nissan Sentra

On some vehicles the dipstick tube is a push fit into a hole in the engine block, there is usually a metal piece welded onto the dipstick tube with hole in the end of the metal piece which is bolted somewhere on the engine. cuhulin

These people have BTDT,

( also, All-metal replacements are available)

I never have had any dipstick problems with my old clunkers. cuhulin

Had a 2001 Sentra and the same thing happened to me at the shop when the oil was being changed. After a lot of work and time the mechanic managed to get it out------Don't remember exactly what he did but I seem to recall that he carefully drilled a small hole in the top of the dip stick--there still was enough of the top piece left to do this. I also think he pinched the tube a bit so that the dipstick would not fall into the crankcase. He got something in the drilled hole (screw??) and managed to pull out the dipstick. It wasn't easy. The oil and filter was replaced after it was over. MLD

Reed wrote in news:d8OdnQOCZuIutGbRnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com:

Because "iconlarry" has inexplicably decided to start a whole new thread rather than finishing this one, I'm pasting his independent reply into the appropriate place in the original thread so later searchers will have a solution to find.

From "iconlarry", December 5, 2010: "The vacuum trick worked [from the broomeman link above]! My wife (who couldn't wait for me - I sleep later) got it on the second try. She first used one vacuum we had in the house which did not have strong enough suction, and then a second one. She said it took about 10 seconds.

"Saved a lot of dough and, because of Nissan's deplorable engineering, thankfully, didn't have to give them more business.

"Again, thanks.

"Larry"

I replace a lot of dipstick tubes on Ford trucks. Both engine and trans. Usually when I do the exhaust manifold on that side. It's a rust belt thing.

Steve Austin wrote in news:4cfcd8a9$0$17872$38cefb40 @news.westelcom.com:

Honda has the same problem in the Rust Belt. A lot of their 4-cylinder engines have the dipstick at the very front of the engine bay, right behind the radiator. Enough years and miles and they corrode to nothing and the top breaks off.

It's rare, but I have had these problems. Often the dipstick tube just presses into the block (hand pressure) and is held at a certain level by an "upset", or collar, in the tube. If it breaks, you can often use a tool like a week root cutter or a screwdriver or similar to get under this collar and pry the thing out of the block. Then tap in a new one.

I know that not all cars are the same, so please spare me the obvious comments that a 1952 Zastava doesnt work that way.

Pretty much all of them use the tube and either on O-ring or simple friction seal. Depending on the engine it may or may not have a clamp securing it along the tube as well.

If the tube breaks off flush you can usually pull it with a lag screw that can just grab inside the bare tube OR since most of them extend down below the block you can take a piece of stiff wire and bend a small hook on the end, slide the wire down the tube, catch the end and coax the tube up far enough to grab it on top.

(Want a great free tool for things like this? Next time you change out a set of wipers that have the stainless strips that support the blade pull those strips out and stick them in the tool box. They are nice for many things.)

Windshield wipers,,,, I keep a little piece of wood under the windshield wiper arms on my van.The wood is just thick enough to keep the rubber wipers off of the glass.If I am driving and it starts raining, I pull over and remove the two pieces of wood.Otherwise, the springs in the wiper arms will deform the rubber wipers.I have a piece of wire tightened on to the transmission shift lever with a hook/bend on the other end of the wire.It keeps the weight of the keeys on my key ring from wearing out the ignition lock cylinder. cuhulin

Same thing happened to me (2001 Sentra) during an oil change. Took the mechanic about an hour of work to finally get it out. It's been quite a while but I recall him trying a whole bunch of desperate measures including a bit of drilling to try and thread a screw into the end of the dipstick. Had to repeat the oil change including filter (on them). The guy who did the oil change tried to cover up the broken dip stick by jamming it a bit further down the tube. I went to look at the oil level the same day and the end of the stick came off in my hand. MLD

Some time back, someone posted about a run of dipsticks that had this as a defect;d.H, after aging a little bit, the top would just come off in your hand.

Dont remember the make and model, but it was mentioned that the time to fix this is BEFORE if falls apart.

Maybe someone knows the application I am referring to.

That's a great idea, but a better one would be to bevel the spacers so the wipers lift off when retracted. It should be standard equipment, now that you mention it.

Or it could be a couple of levers that are lowered to the glass when power is on.

Invent an automatic wiper control gadget like that and you might get rich. cuhulin