One of the most popular mechanics on YouTube has warned motorists thinking about buying any vehicle to check to make sure it is not missing an important component. While new cars are becoming more and more advanced, featuring all manner of driver-assistance features and luxuries, mechanic Scotty Kilmer warned that a growing number of models are missing a feature that can be used to make maintenance easier.
In a recent video, Scotty recommended that drivers avoid buying a vehicle that does not feature a dipstick to check the oil level. He explained: “Today I’m going to show you why not to buy a car that doesn’t have an oil dipstick. Now, most vehicles have an oil dipstick so you can measure the oil, but there’s a bad trend amongst expensive European cars and a lot of them are removing the oil dipstick.”
Scotty recommended that drivers avoid buying a vehicle that does not feature a dipstick to check the oil level
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“If you don’t have a dipstick, you can’t tell the true level [of the oil], you can’t tell how dirty it is. Hey, that’s why they [manufacturers] put them in. It’s very important to have full, clean oil.” The majority of vehicles that feature a petrol or diesel engine come with a dipstick that can be removed by owners in order to check how much oil is in the sump and whether it needs to be replaced. However, a growing number of models no longer feature an oil dipstick under the bonnet in order to save money when producing the vehicle and to encourage owners to take the vehicle to a specialist for maintenance and repairs.
Instead, these vehicles feature sensors that will regularly monitor the level of oil inside the vehicle. However, Scotty warned that, if they fail, owners could be left with badly lubricated engine components that wear at a faster rate, causing expensive repair bills. Later in the video, Scotty urged that if buyers avoid cars without a dipstick, manufacturers could be inclined to fit them back into future models. He added: “It was bad enough when they took the automatic transmission dipstick out so you can’t check that fluid, but your engine oil is even more important.”
“So, help me end planned obsolesence. If you see a car that doesn’t have a dipstick, don’t buy it and maybe the manufacturers will wise up and put them back in.”