# Some vehicle engines have no oil dipstick - heard on the radio **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [September 28, 2024, 5:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431 "2024-09-28T05:02:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/41 "2024-09-30T20:21:43Z")
Do we trust the oil level monitor as much as we trust the fuel gauge? What are we getting at with all this fuel tank talk? ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 12:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/42 "2024-10-01T00:13:18Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > Do we trust the oil level monitor as much as we trust the fuel gauge? What are we getting at with all this fuel tank talk? I believe I may have started that. I was wondering why there’s so much distrust of an oil level sensor when we trust our fuel level sensors and temperature sensors without question. Wait until people find out we can diagnose and repair their cars using a laptop and bluetooth… ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 1:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/43 "2024-10-01T01:13:14Z")
My 59 VW didn’t have a gas gauge either but had a spare tank. Seemed like every Friday at about the same place on the way to work it would stumble and I’d reach down and switch tanks. Then fill up on the way home that night. Now after I had the tank replaced in my riv, the gauge no longer worked. It was a $300 part so for years I lived without. Just punched the trip meter and usually filled up every night. Who needs a stick with a computer? ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 9:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/44 "2024-10-01T09:09:58Z")
> [@asemaster](#): > > Wait until people find out we can diagnose and repair their cars using a laptop and bluetooth… No Way! (In my most sarcastic voice) 🤣 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/45 "2024-10-01T12:54:41Z")
Here is what I consider weird, my car does **not** allow me to view oil life on the in dash menu, but I get a monthly report link that provides oil life remaining. Truck is a ‘13, can view OLM on the dash. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/46 "2024-10-01T15:53:33Z")
My 2012 Odyssey can identify a low pressure tire(s) but does not display any info on them. My 2008 TB displays each individual tire pressure reading. The Ody has a significantly more modern GUI but offers less information… ---
**Author:** ![Manolito](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/manolito/32/3070_2.png) [@Manolito](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Manolito)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/47 "2024-10-04T15:15:47Z")
Dipstick or no dipstick - We had two 2004 BMWs that had both dipsticks and oil level/temperatures sensors. The sensors were notoriously unreliable, generating false low oil warnings within a year or two. Some were new defective right out of the box, and the sensors made by a half-dozen aftermarket parts manufacturers were no better than the BMW branded sensors. One of BMW’s less endearing traits is that when they screw up, they don’t admit that they screwed up, they double down. Our 2014 and 2018 BMWs have electronic sensors and NO dipsticks. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2024, 8:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/48 "2024-10-04T20:13:15Z")
> [@Manolito](#): > > The sensors were notoriously unreliable That’s definitely concerning. The dipstick method is considerably less convenient, but if it is more relieable than the sensor method, it would be hard to claim the sensor method is preferred. Maybe sensor and dipstick configuration is the best, until a reliable sensor is available. BMW’s desire to make use of high tech seems a good thing, as long as it does the needed job… ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2024, 8:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/49 "2024-10-04T20:27:59Z")
> [@Manolito](#): > > Our 2014 and 2018 BMWs have electronic sensors and NO dipsticks. With no dipstick, the oil level monitor is a necessity. How many times have you repaired the oil level monitors on these two vehicles? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2024, 8:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/50 "2024-10-04T20:37:13Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > How many times have you repaired the oil level monitors on these two vehicles? How would you know it needs to be repaired? Engine clatter? ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2024, 8:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/51 "2024-10-04T20:59:45Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > How would you know it needs to be repaired? When it won’t show the oil level. These are not like the old cars that only close a switch when the oil level is below a certain level, the monitor shows if the oil level is one quart low, two quarts low or too high. There are RV water tank level monitors that provide a similar function. ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2024, 11:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/52 "2024-10-04T23:01:20Z")
> [@Manolito](#): > > The sensors were notoriously unreliable, generating false low oil warnings within a year or two. And you still buy BMW’s. Must not concern you too much. > [@Manolito](#): > > Our 2014 and 2018 BMWs have electronic sensors and NO dipsticks. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 12:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/53 "2024-10-05T12:55:47Z")
I check my oil regularly and it’s never low enough to add any, but some people in this forum have. So if you have one of these dipstickless vehicles, do you change your oil just before a long trip, or bring oil with you? Would be nice to check oil level before trip and add some if needed instead of waiting for the light to come on in the middle of the trip. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 1:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/54 "2024-10-05T13:05:14Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > Would be nice to check oil level before trip and add some if needed instead of waiting for the light to come on in the middle of the trip Most newer vehicles provide a relative measurement, not just a threshold detection. So you can access the oil level reading at any time and see how much oil is in it. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 1:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/55 "2024-10-05T13:06:38Z")
> [@Manolito](#): > > One of BMW’s less endearing traits is that when they screw up, they don’t admit that they screwed up, they double down Funny! Thanks for the chuckle! ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 4:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431/56 "2024-10-14T16:11:11Z")
> [@Purebred](#): > > _Do you then check your oil level sensor?_ Such would requireffort and thought. I do not wanto hurt myself. (Concerned that turning the ignition ON may start the engine.) Though I be agnostic, I check the oil religiously. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/some-vehicle-engines-have-no-oil-dipstick-heard-on-the-radio/196431.md?page=2)