How to Remove Broken Oil Dipstick? Step by Step Guide

If the oil dipstick of your vehicle engine is broken, you should get it removed as soon as possible. When you leave it inside the engine, it lowers the chances of using the replacement item to check the engine oil accurately. You should learn the steps about how to remove broken oil dipstick to do this task at home. Professional help is also available at workshops if you are unsure about doing it all by yourself.

In this article, we will learn why this problem happens, the steps to get rid of broken dipsticks are, and answer some of the very commonly asked questions related to this. Let’s get started:

Why do engine oil dipsticks get stuck?

What causes dipsticks to get stuck might include multiple reasons behind it. Also, how they are stuck in the engine, and why the engine oil dip stick becomes difficult to remove afterwards. The most common and important ones are as follows:

● Sludge accumulation.

● Corrosion build-up.

● Broken O-rings.

● Fallen debris in the stick tube.

How to remove broken oil dipstick?

If you wonder how to remove the broken oil dipstick, do not worry. We are here with an explanation of all the steps involved in this process. Following is the stepwise guide:

Step 1

In some cases, you will find out that the vehicle does not have any tighter space. In this case, the first step does not involve any tube assembly removal. You can remove only those components that make it hard to access. You can simply use the heat that can assist it out to do this.

You must examine the top half of the oil stick. This will help you learn which part and where is it broken. If you find out that the broken part is not in the engine, and is less than 4 inches, know that it is in the drain pan.

The first step to do when the vehicle’s oil dipstick broke down will require you to do these two examinations based on the next steps.

Step 2

You should locate the opening at the edge of the metal tube. It is present at the top end between the plastic cover and the metal tube of the dipstick inside. Using a good quality penetrating oil will reach inside through the edges. This step is essential to lubricate the O-rings. It will also help in their easy removal.

At this stage, you should also reach out to the oil dipstick holder by using a telescope magnetic pickup tool. You should move it all around the inside of the tube unless you feel some tug. This indicate that the magnetic telescope tool connects with the broken dipstick. You might need to do it for some time until the magnet firmly attaches to the damaged part. This is how to get a broken dipstick out.

Step 3

As you are working in a tube space, you should be very careful to avoid any damage to surrounding components. It is a simple duct that you can transform in terms of size, shape, and length. Also, you can put a cut at one side so that the diameter may increase or decrease. After this, take your gun and heat only the top metal part of the tube. You can also use a propane torch to be precise during broken dipstick removal.

You can also drain the Valvoline engine oil into the drain pan by removing the bolt under it. The pan will collect the broken part of the oil stick. You can then take out the drain pan from under the car, and remove the broken part from it.

Step 4

After some time, you can put the dipstick back. If you cannot resolve this problem, heat it continuously and apply more oil as well. You can clean the stick by using a clean rag, but never do this before removing it out of the engine.

We have seen from our previous experiments that removing the broken oil dipstick a couple of times from the engine results in lose fitment. Also, if O-rings show some damages, then you should remove them as well. Fixing them along with a broken oil dipstick will help a lot.

Step 5

At the last stage, you should apply oil to the sealing surface of the oil dipstick tube. Some experts say that engine oil is good enough for this purpose if you cannot afford a fancy oil treatment. The objective is to keep its lubrication at a reasonable level, and the engine oil can do it very effectively. If you notice oil smells gasoline during checking, meet with your mechanic to fix the issue.

Other than this, you should make sure that you check the oil level in the engine after the oil dipstick broke off and you just fixed it. It is even more essential for people who drive their vehicles more often than usual. These precautions and continuous use, will allow the oil never to stick or seize any time soon. You can also use oil tube extractor for oil tube removal.

FAQ

1. Can you drive with a broken oil dipstick?

If you know that this is the basin of your oil case, then never do this. This might result in debris falling in, milky oil and oil draining out fast. Thus, it can damage the engine, so never do it before doing the broken dipstick removal.

2. Does a broken dipstick tube do damage to an engine?

Principally, a broken oil dipstick does not affect the engine. But the problem can affect the associated parts which can lead to problems in the engine. For instance, you will not get an indication of low oil in the engine and you will keep on using the vehicle. Ultimately, the engine will be damaged when it will work without a threshold level of oil.

3. Can you drive a car without a dipstick?

If the oil is not coming out of the engine exhaust, and the overall components of the engine are working well, you can run it without the dipstick. However, you can do it only for a little while until it starts over-revving the vehicle’s engine.

4. How do you change an oil dipstick tube?

The simple way of oil dipstick tube removal is to unbolt the stick and pull it out. You can also get under the car and just push up on it to remove the tube. It will not directly come out with this procedure. You have to take out the oil drain where the broken part will be present.

5. What causes the dipstick to get stuck?

The oil dipstick stuck might be due to corrosion build-up, debris accumulation, or fallen O-rings present in the tube.

Conclusion

From the above discussion, every step about how to remove broken oil dipstick must be clear. It is essential to figure out this problem correctly, and then quickly react to its fixation. You should keep the removal tool in the vehicle all the time so that you may do this task without any delay. The more time you take in its removal or fixation, the more it becomes dangerous for the engine and its other components.