Cars are getting more and more techy, if that is indeed the word.

Sometimes I think technology is used just for the sake of it; but more to the point, do we trust it?


It was time to sell my Passat estate, while it was still a saleable item, so I've been out test driving this and that,
mainly looking for another estate to use as a workhorse. Looking for an older car that would act as a works van
as well as being the family car. A must is the ability to tow a car trailer and to be able to fit a 2x1m sheet inside.
Nothing new, or even newish. Mustn't cringe at workshop/car park rash.
I settled on a Merc E320. Cars like this are cheep as chips. A rusty Transit costs more.


However, I can't find the dipstick. If I press loads of buttons, loads of times, I can get "Oil Level OK" on what was
ten minutes ago a speedo. I can't get it up, but the alternative would be "Add 1 Litre of Oil". (According to the book)
( Trying to get it back to being a speedo is another story.)

I would feel just that wee bit happier if I could find a metal rod that could be pulled out covered in brown stuff,
or even black gunge would be better than nothing.



Am I just too old for cars? A horse & cart perhaps.

Cheers
Paul G

I get what you are saying... And you just know that when that sensor goes poof you are going to have to pay a fortune to have it replaced....

Apart from a decrease in emissions over the years I swear a lot of the tech in modern cars is just there because if there wasnt anything new, nobody would buy the car...Like iphones or everything else in this consumer driven world where the measure in a countries success is how much crap the citizens buy... It sucks but there isn't any way off this conveyor belt...

[Edited on 14/4/16 by tegwin]

I feel your pain Paul, having just gone back to being a mechanic. DONT get me started on trying to turn OFF service lights. It used to be SO simple.

On my old megane is was built in to filler cap. Kept it neat and easy to find.

my old man recently bought a volvo xc60 it came up saying oil was low add 0.5 so he did, that took it slightly high and went to limp mode, 50 mile trip to dealer on a transporter to remove 100ml of oil. mechanic showed him a hidden dipstick way down at sump level after that.

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Originally posted by hizzi
my old man recently bought a volvo xc60 it came up saying oil was low add 0.5 so he did, that took it slightly high and went to limp mode, 50 mile trip to dealer on a transporter to remove 100ml of oil.



mechanic showed him a hidden dipstick way down at sump level after that.

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A lot of cars now don't have sump plugs either!

And at servicing the 'mechanics/technicians' just add the amount of oil stated in the manufacturers info

Understand your concern here as a dipstick gives instant "checkability" (is that a word?) to the oil level. Servicing my VAG cars I've been using a Pela extraction pump to remove the old oil. This has a fine tube that goes down the dipstick tube into the sump and removes the oil quickly and cleanly without having to scrabble around under the car to drain the sump. IIRC most modern VAG cars have a plastice cover underneath the engine bay, which would have to be removed to access the sump plug. Without the dipstick this would not be possible and therefore a PITA to service quickly and cleanly.

I suspect with no dipstick you rely on the sensor telling you via the dashboard when the oil level is low. The issue then for me would be how much oil to put in and how to check it afterwards. As I understand it many engines object to or suffer if over filled with oil!

One avenue would be to speak to a Mercedes garage and ask about how to look after the vehicle in this respect. If you find a good dealer they can be quite helpful I've found.

It'll be a while until I get to this madness, in car years.

I've been dealing with the MoT issues on SWMBO's Corsa, which at 2006, is the most modern thing we've ever had. It's all still 'familiar' technology, just that the packaging is so tight (whether that's because it's the 1.8 I can't say) and my arthritic joints are struggling, badly.

The Transhit (2002) still goes on, and on. The engine turns over, the mechanical pump squirts in the fuel, and the engine runs. Nothing else gets in the way of that process. I'm aware that the front chassis legs are not going to be there much longer, so another lovely welding job when (if) the summer weather comes.

I'm surprised you didn't go the Transhit route - the earlier the better. less electronics, but lots of (accessible) rust (easily fixed usually).

I've currently got a weird issue with the dipstick on mine...
(1.8 duratec HE)

I pull it out and its all but dry, wipe it replace it and pull it again and its still dry...
But then I turn it 90° and dip it again and suddenly its full

I'm going to have to drain and measure the oil that comes out to be sure

[Edited on 15/4/2016 by mcerd1]

Dipstick is an optional extra on my A5

Thinking a little further, most cars I'm familiar with have a dipstick (manual faultless check) and sensor (electronic, maybe faulty, check).

Personally I prefer a dipstick in which I have some faith. The sensor may or may not be working correctly and/or give misleading readouts.

Many cars do have dipsticks, unfortunately some of them are behind the steering wheel.

modern cars are probably designed so you have to replace the engine when the oil get low and to do that will required every other part to be removed for access

Cars are just becoming a bad joke

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Originally posted by benchmark51
Many cars do have dipsticks, unfortunately some of them are behind the steering wheel.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Mr Whippy
modern cars are probably designed so you have to replace the engine when the oil get low and to do that will required every other part to be removed for access

Cars are just becoming a bad joke

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The mercedes service dipstick appears to be suitable to remain fitted in the vehicle, its part number: 120 539 07 21 00 from merc, there are patterned versions on 4-PIECE OIL DIPSTICK GAUGE SET FOR MERCEDES BENZ ENGINE & TRANSMISSION OIL that have all the service dipsticks.
Have a look at this thread for oil depth settings for your engine (assuming the engine is the same), you could then permently mark your engine settings on the stick to be used as normal.

Dave

That looks helpful Dave.

Cheers

My daily driver has the oil level on the dash and constantly tells me the coolant is low on start up. Its an 11 plate Daf with the euro 5 480bhp... Its done 1066200km now soon to be replaced by a new Renault, not looking forward to that.

All the newer trucks have more and more tech that's supposed to aid the owner. Problem is now when the dash flags anything up the depot mechanic shakes his head and calls Dafaid out!!

They getting more and more complicated and the tech that's not very reliable filters down onto cars. Its the future....

Just found this on eBay. eBay Item

Paul G

Rather strangely my Renault Scenic has two dipsticks- one is hard to reach and appears to have been added for when the engine is used in a different installation (I think the Renault Diesel engines are used in a few other manafacturers vehicles).

Part of the problem is that you care what the oil level is...I bet 90% of drivers who buy that car could not care less as long as it still works! I'm surprised they still have a bonnet release, dealer access only.

That's why we build our own or get a classic to work on...new cars are just as disposable as an TV or computer. I can't imagine someone restoring my Focus in 30 years time...

quote:

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Originally posted by Mr Whippy
modern cars are probably designed so you have to replace the engine when the oil get low and to do that will required every other part to be removed for access

Cars are just becoming a bad joke

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quote:

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Originally posted by zetec
Part of the problem is that you care what the oil level is...I bet 90% of drivers who buy that car could not care less as long as it still works! I'm surprised they still have a bonnet release, dealer access only.

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Like the latest Bentley - you have to drop the whole engine and transmission from below, just to change the spark plugs...

Sods law innit! Talk about it and I'm stuck 200 miles away from home with a truck that won't start!!

Oh yes, it's a stupid idea. A couple of years ago my boss bought a go-fast 2.0 TFSI A4 which had no dipstick. The trouble was, there was a bad batch of these cars with a dodgy breather system. It would drink 2 litres of oil every 1000miles. That isn't a typo either, it really did drink that much!

The first she would know about it was the dash telling her to top the oil up, how much? Who knows! It went back to Audi 5 or 6 times having 2 different "revised" breather systems installed. Audi wouldn't admit to there being an engine problem until she got trading standards involved. She got a new engine fitted along with a 3rd "revised" breather system. I can only assume the dodgy system eventually borked the engine to the point it had to be replaced. I wouldn't have liked that bill!

3 weeks later, the DSG gearbox shat itself. New gearbox fitted. All this and the car had done LESS than 20k and was 2 years old.

She now drives a Merc but guess what? No dipstick. the gear "lever" is a small, electronic selector on the steering column.

Bring back old escorts with carbs, dipsticks and proper gearboxes. None of this fancy double clutch, 43 speed electronic shite!

I have never owned a new vehicle and doubt if I ever will, but I am eternally thankful of those that do.
Without those that part with huge amounts of cash there wouldn't be an abundance of second hand (or 3rd, 4th, 5th,)
stuff for me, and those like me, to choose from.

It seems that the more expensive, technically complicated, and large it was when new, the faster it's value plummets
to the sort of figure a manual worker can afford.

As for those "simple to work on cars" of yesteryear, the type of person that buys new now wouldn't buy them.
They don't care about how easy the plugs are to change because they won't own the car when time comes round
to change them, and if they did someone would do it for them.
How many (BMW) Mini's would be on the road if the windows where "slide to close" or you had to walk round it to
lock each door?

To the lady that bought my Avantgarde, thanks, but I'd bet it wasn't chosen because a 2x1m of metal fitted in the back,
or that the braked towing limit was 2.1 tonnes.


Cheers
Paul G