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Old Oct 16, 2004 | 06:36 AM
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Default Dip Stick

ummm.....whats with the plastic dip stick................are we the only cars that have a COMPLETELY PLASTIC dip stick? wtf?
Old Oct 16, 2004 | 12:53 PM
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Plastic...metal....does it really matter? Both tell you when you need oil. LOL
Old Oct 16, 2004 | 02:31 PM
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I agree - yellow plastic dipstick - why yellow, oil is yellow - makes it hard to read.
Would be nice if a chrome (or just metal) dipstick were availible.
Old Oct 16, 2004 | 02:44 PM
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i like yellow i think it makes it easier to read and real ppl just uses there fingers to tell if the oil is still clean or not ;)
Old Feb 1, 2005 | 05:03 PM
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Default plastic dipstick

after a long period of time the plastic dipstic will crack and will go in to the crankcase and will screw up your engine. they should have put a metal on in there un the first place
Old Feb 1, 2005 | 05:23 PM
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Default Re: plastic dipstick

Originally Posted by Jesboyhere
after a long period of time the plastic dipstic will crack and will go in to the crankcase and will screw up your engine. they should have put a metal on in there un the first place
Maybe after 50 or so years
Old Feb 1, 2005 | 05:30 PM
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Um, yeah, there's been a few advancements in plastic over the last 50 years. It's yellow so it's easy to find the handle, color coded to tell it apart from the tranny fluid, if equipped with auto.

When's the last time you had a dipstick problem? heard of someone with a dipstick problem? Only one I've ever seen was old metal ones that were rusty or metal/plastic ones that the handle breaks loose...
Are you looking at other cars to see what they are using? Do you really think Toyota would put something in there that they think will cause a problem?
Old Feb 1, 2005 | 10:19 PM
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Default Re: plastic dipstick

Originally Posted by Jesboyhere
after a long period of time the plastic dipstic will crack and will go in to the crankcase and will screw up your engine. they should have put a metal on in there un the first place
plastic is a great cheap alternative
Old Feb 2, 2005 | 02:16 AM
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plastic = lightweight, duh
Old Feb 2, 2005 | 02:32 AM
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So, how much weight savings are you gonna get between a metal and a plastic dipstick? Pocket change would offset that...

Do you guys realize how many different varieties of plastic there are? By manipulating it, they can give it all sorts of properties.

Take UHMWPE, for example. That will be harder and last longer than some metals. I doubt they used the same formula that they use for coke bottles or beach toys...
Old Feb 2, 2005 | 02:35 AM
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Since when has engine oil been yellow. It's a clear light brown then as time goes on it turns to a dark brown maybe black.
Old Feb 2, 2005 | 02:36 AM
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i was joking about the lightweight issue...
Old Feb 2, 2005 | 02:45 AM
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Don't let your oil turnn black. Change it early and often.
Old Feb 2, 2005 | 02:50 AM
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i'm just saying that it is not yellow any time while in the engine.
Old Feb 2, 2005 | 03:41 AM
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plastic=lightweight + low cost=low sticker price. Isn't this the reason we purchased the car?
Old Feb 2, 2005 | 12:32 PM
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I always thought motor Oil was a nice golden color.
Old Feb 2, 2005 | 01:40 PM
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golden brown color like honey, unless you use hydro oil in an oil change which is clear :oops: i did that to a few things at work
Old Feb 2, 2005 | 10:11 PM
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Originally Posted by TheScionicMan
So, how much weight savings are you gonna get between a metal and a plastic dipstick? Pocket change would offset that...

Do you guys realize how many different varieties of plastic there are? By manipulating it, they can give it all sorts of properties.

Take UHMWPE, for example. That will be harder and last longer than some metals. I doubt they used the same formula that they use for coke bottles or beach toys...
yes toyota just threw in a plastic dipstick and didn't think about the future........

Old Feb 3, 2005 | 03:14 AM
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lol....i wasn't expecting to get this big of a response....anybody know where i can get a REAL DIP stick.....my buddies at jiffy lube laugh at me
Old Feb 3, 2005 | 07:03 AM
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you can go to somewhere and have them engrave the letters *T R D * in bottom of the dipstick where it measures the oil over and over again so it's easier to see where the oil goes up to because of the indents and everybody at jiffy lube will be like "OMG DUDE YOUR CAR CAME STOCK WITH A TRD DIPSTICK!!! OMG OMG OMG!!1111111"



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