Will the Dipstickless designs find it's way to the poor man's market?

[MountainMike]

a computer won't tell you when the oil is black.

Actually a lot of new vehicles have oil wear indicators that are usually extremely accurate on the in-house oil.

 

[Chance]

...And this is why I don't buy new cars. The car gets seriously pissed when you start taking away sensors, and I like to take away sensors (at least in my trucks, I try to have the least amount of electrical stuff possible... the rice rocket will pry end up with something from hondata so I can tune and reprogram as needed)

 

[LIMA BEAN]

Funny been doing power generation forever and even back in the day used REN oil make-up systems. Did some hybrid stuff for Alyeska Pipeline for my flying gen-sets that changed their own oil by metering it into the fuel injection system and the Ren doing make-up for the crankcase. These were stand alone sets a helo could just put a hook on and fly it anywhere on the North Slope. They had a bank of every plug used on the slope at the time, skid mounted and enclosed for towing across vast distances on ice. Cool stuff.

 

[88gt]

well, less dipsticks to check stuff just gives the great excuse to get a full line of guages for the car/truck to keep a eye on stuff.

 

[Hopman]

people are just starting to look at vehicles as a means of getting around and take them for granted which is stupid because if they just take care of a vehicle it will last a long time. this is exactly why im afaid to leave my truck with my wife when i go to korea cause if something is making a sound or scraping or grinding she will just turn up the radio till she can't hear it. or take it to the crappiest oil station and have them change the oil with nicky no-name brand, strip out the drain threads and cause it to die. people just don't care anymore and don't want to trouble shoot their own problems. they want computers to do it for them.

Well said. Example #1: Toyotas. Espeaclly Camery's & Corolla's. I like being "in tune" with my vehicle, not isolated from it.

That's the whole point of the OBD II system. Plug in the computer, get the codes, and follow the step-by-step procedure on how to fix the problem. Simple as that.

As for the dipsticks. I hope they don't, I quite enjoy knowing how much oil is in my truck.

Agreed. The only problem is that when a vehicle gets to a certain age, the sensor can cost more than what the vehicle's worth! Besides, every sensor is just one more stupid thing to go wrong.

...And this is why I don't buy new cars. The car gets seriously pissed when you start taking away sensors, and I like to take away sensors (at least in my trucks, I try to have the least amount of electrical stuff possible... the rice rocket will pry end up with something from hondata so I can tune and reprogram as needed)

When will engineers go back to the "KISS" design philosphy?

 

[LearjetMinako]

Most vehicles today are coming out with Driver's Information Center or DIC for short. Essential it tells the drivers of any warning signs to the vehicle. Most of us are familiar with the TPMS light (Tire Pressure Monitoring System). And Honda, GM, and few others also have a light to when you should get your oil changed. Pretty soon, everything will be included in the DIC system.

As for that BMW with no oil dipstick, it takes 8qts of oil. Done one before as a mechanic. Royal pain in my ass and a big waste of my time waiting for the PCM to read the oil level. Which by the way, has to sit for 15min without the engine running in order to get the oil level.

 

[Chance]

When will engineers go back to the "KISS" design philosphy?

Never. I'm pretty sure we'll end up with the cars driving for us, and it will be so packed with sensors it'll take a rocket surgeon to figure it out when it breaks.

Which by the way, has to sit for 15min without the engine running in order to get the oil level.

Now that's pathetic right there.

 

[Hopman]

Never. I'm pretty sure we'll end up with the cars driving for us, and it will be so packed with sensors it'll take a rocket surgeon to figure it out when it breaks.

Sadly, I think that's starting to be true now. Gone are the days when you can draw an vehicle electrical diagram on a piece of 8.5x11" paper and have an owner's manual that's smaller than War & Peace AND has usful info like where the fuses are or how to change a headlight.

 

[adsm08]

Sadly, I think that's starting to be true now. Gone are the days when you can draw an vehicle electrical diagram on a piece of 8.5x11" paper and have an owner's manual that's smaller than War & Peace AND has usful info like where the fuses are or how to change a headlight.

Yup. I was out in the junk yard picking parts a couple weeks ago and stumbled across a "Do-It-Yourself" manual for my truck. I was amazed. I didn't know they'd ever made those. Better yet it was only the size of the electrical book. Had everything too, breaks, tire rotation, oil change, even explained function of and replacement of the turbo for the diesel model .

You'll never see one of those published again.

 

[adsm08]

Actually a lot of new vehicles have oil wear indicators that are usually extremely accurate on the in-house oil.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean that the oil was changed. I've gotten used cars for check-in that had 100> miles on the oil minder and it was black. I've also seen (not done it myself, but seen) cars come in with 5000+ miles on the OC indicator with obviously brand new oil so the guy just wipes off the filter (or puts a Motorcraft on it) and resets the minder, doesn't change the oil.

My dad's explorer had new oil but the change oil light was on because the goob at the dealer forgot to reset it. I had to do it for him.

 

[Hopman]

Very true. You need so many special tools (AND be triple-jointed!) to work on many of the newer vehicles.

I was at my mechanic's shop a few weeks ago. One of his techs had nearly the whole front end of a VW Passat (looked like an '04) apart just to get to the timing belt. & two spark plugs. I know some yiming belts are a PITA to deal with, but this was nuts!!!!

If you want to talk about simple on the other hand, my dad used to own a '68 Saab 99. The engine (850 cc two stroke) & transmission (4 speed) COMBINED weighed about 250 lbs wet. He used to keep a spare powertraine built in the garage, and could swap it out in under 2 1/2 hours. You can't even do BRAKES on a newer car in that time!!!!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yup. I was out in the junk yard picking parts a couple weeks ago and stumbled across a "Do-It-Yourself" manual for my truck. I was amazed. I didn't know they'd ever made those. Better yet it was only the size of the electrical book. Had everything too, breaks, tire rotation, oil change, even explained function of and replacement of the turbo for the diesel model .

You'll never see one of those published again.

There will never be a shortage of do-it-yourself books. I just got something like that for my cousin last christmas.

That said, there are many, many people out there that have no business working on anything with more than 3 moving parts. There is no funner project than the projects people bring in with all of the parts in buckets and boxes.

One guy tried to fix his lawn mower and then it wouldn't turn over, tore it apart and he forgot a wrench in the crankcase.

 

[Hopman]

There will never be a shortage of do-it-yourself books. I just got something like that for my cousin last christmas.

That said, there are many, many people out there that have no business working on anything with more than 3 moving parts. There is no funner project than the projects people bring in with all of the parts in buckets and boxes.

One guy tried to fix his lawn mower and then it wouldn't turn over, tore it apart and he forgot a wrench in the crankcase.

That's crazy!!!! I know enough to know when to have some help or bring it to a pro when I've got no clue. Brakes, oil, belts & other stuff like that is no problem for me. Rebuilding a trans or changing a timing belt I let a pro handel.

 

[adsm08]

There will never be a shortage of do-it-yourself books. I just got something like that for my cousin last christmas.

Oh, I know there will never be a shortage of AFTERMARKET books like haynes and chilton. This wasn't that. This was OEM, Ford written and published. It's over at the new house right now. I'll snap a pic of it tonight when we take a load over, if I can remember the camera.

 

[MountainMike]

Yeah, but that doesn't mean that the oil was changed. I've gotten used cars for check-in that had 100> miles on the oil minder and it was black. I've also seen (not done it myself, but seen) cars come in with 5000+ miles on the OC indicator with obviously brand new oil so the guy just wipes off the filter (or puts a Motorcraft on it) and resets the minder, doesn't change the oil.

My dad's explorer had new oil but the change oil light was on because the goob at the dealer forgot to reset it. I had to do it for him.

I'm not sure but I am pretty sure the Ford oil minders are distanced based. I believe the wear indicator goes by distance traveled calculated with driving style. Nowhere near as accurate as the actually wear indicator on performance cars.

Check out this article too:
http://www.jpmagazine.com/techartic...ck_electronic_engine_oil_dip_stick/index.html