# Dipstick Warning - Getting Brittle With Age



## nick2000 (Oct 14, 2018)

Maybe this is old news, but the original orange dipsticks become brittle with heat and age and bits break off! The revised ones are yellow, and approx £12 from Audi. Worth replacing before they break.


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## Iceblue (Jul 20, 2018)

Are the yellow ones made from a different substance or is it just a new stick with different colured plastic? Checked my orange one and seemed OK but we don't have your temperature extremes


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Also keep an eye on the o-ring. If it fails to seal properly, you'll get a leak and a possible fault light on the dash.


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## Iceblue (Jul 20, 2018)

:lol: :lol: :lol:


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## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

Always be careful not to misplace the 710 cap....


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## Iceblue (Jul 20, 2018)

I wonder what the part number is? :lol:


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

This is the OEM dipstick that came with the vehicle. So far, so good! But, it never hurts to check. Keep an eye on that o-ring too and make sure it's present or it can lead to a vacuum leak and cause the Emissions light to come on.


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## happychappy (Feb 9, 2015)

Jeepers Creepers Mr Swiss!

Whatever you do don't push down on that 710 switch!


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## Raffe (Apr 14, 2018)

Replaced mine ('09 car) last year as it had become brittle.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Yeah, I was a bit surprised the first time I opened the hood and saw that dip stick. Ray Charles could find it!


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## Shirkaholic (Nov 28, 2016)

Yep, that reminds me. The plastic is failing of my dipstick (just below the o-ring) mine is 2012 model with 60K miles. Pretty poor quality really as only 6.5 years old.


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## MT-V6 (Jan 11, 2015)

Mine is orange but not as orange as that, more of a yellow shade...

Need to check the part number later. ECS make a nice billet one but their postage to the UK is horrendous!

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


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## Admiralvonschneider (Dec 19, 2019)

where can you buy this from?


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## Graham'sTT (Dec 6, 2014)

Admiralvonschneider said:


> where can you buy this from?


Recent post...
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1944013


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## ttdan3.2v6 (Apr 25, 2019)

Anyone else find the little bugger hard to read? Why would the stick be made of black metal??? :roll:


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## j.smizzy (Nov 9, 2019)

ttdan3.2v6 said:


> Anyone else find the little bugger hard to read? Why would the stick be made of black metal??? :roll:


Absolutely! Can be very hard to see under the light sometimes!

Cleaned mine up with a bit of wire wool and it's a smidge better - still not great.


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## Dec11 (Sep 27, 2016)

Should ALL the orange dipsticks have an O-ring on them?

Mine doesn't, it kinda clasps the sides of the tube housing?


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## FNChaos (Nov 30, 2016)

Dec11 said:


> Should ALL the orange dipsticks have an O-ring on them?


Yes












MT-V6 said:


> Need to check the part number later. ECS make a nice billet one but their postage to the UK is horrendous


Billeted dipsticks look nice, but the benefit of a cheap plastic one is it doesn't get too hot to grab.

FWIW:
TSI dipstick p/n 06F115611L
TFSI dipstick p/n 06F115611F


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## CharlieS (Jan 5, 2018)

MT-V6 said:


> Mine is orange but not as orange as that, more of a yellow shade...
> 
> Need to check the part number later. ECS make a nice billet one but their postage to the UK is horrendous!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


I got mine from Awesome gti!


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## andys_tts (Oct 12, 2016)

Are these straight forward to fit ?


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## Rene Pogel (Aug 27, 2015)

> Are these straight forward to fit ?


Afraid not; it's an engine out job. Best take it to a qualified Audi technician - then you know it will be done right, and for a very reasonable price.

RP


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## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Rene Pogel said:


> > Are these straight forward to fit ?
> 
> 
> Afraid not; it's an engine out job. Best take it to a qualified Audi technician - then you know it will be done right, and for a very reasonable price.
> ...


 :lol: :lol: 
Hoggy.


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## andys_tts (Oct 12, 2016)

Rene Pogel said:


> > Are these straight forward to fit ?
> 
> 
> Afraid not; it's an engine out job. Best take it to a qualified Audi technician - then you know it will be done right, and for a very reasonable price.
> ...


lol very funny. I'm assuming it's just the stick then and not the tube to the sump. :roll:


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## chrisj82 (Jun 15, 2012)

I changed mine for the new yellow one also when I had the strainer changed there was bits of old orange dipstick stuck in it


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## Dec11 (Sep 27, 2016)

Loooonnnnggggg shot here, but would a missing o-ring (just checked and I'm missing from it's groove downwards) be enough to cause idle misfire and thrown a cyl 4 misfire code?

Car runs like a bag of crap when I pull the dip out and goes back to subtle misfire when I reinsert


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## Barr_end (Oct 19, 2016)

Dec11 said:


> Loooonnnnggggg shot here, but would a missing o-ring (just checked and I'm missing from it's groove downwards) be enough to cause idle misfire and thrown a cyl 4 misfire code?
> 
> Car runs like a bag of crap when I pull the dip out and goes back to subtle misfire when I reinsert


It's possible enough to cause a vacuum leak though the PCV system, which draws out oil gases and helps regulate oil pressure creating a vacuum in the crank case/oil galleries.
A missing O ring, that's not creating a seal, COULD be drawing un-metered air into the inlet manifold on idle and the port for the PCV is closes to Cylinder 3 & 4...

All of the basics need checking when talking about misfires, especially if they are only on idle


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Quick way to check is to remove the dip stick and put your finger over the end of the tube and have someone start the car. Take your finger off and see if the engine idle changes. Then put it back on and see what happens. The dipstick not being there won't have any effect. But sealing the end of the tube will.


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## Barr_end (Oct 19, 2016)

SwissJetPilot said:


> Quick way to check is to remove the dip stick and put your finger over the end of the tube and have someone start the car. Take your finger off and see if the engine idle changes. Then put it back on and see what happens. The dipstick not being there won't have any effect. But sealing the end of the tube will.


This is a good idea Swiss, might not create quite as good seal with you thumb though :lol: 
For the £10-12 they cost from the dealer too, should be replaced anyways
Especially as from the answer above there is probability of nicely sized bits of that orange dipstick probably floating about in the oil/oil galleries or potentially part blocking the oil pick up.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

True! Always use the right tool - thumb vs finger.


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## Dec11 (Sep 27, 2016)

Barr_end said:


> Dec11 said:
> 
> 
> > Loooonnnnggggg shot here, but would a missing o-ring (just checked and I'm missing from it's groove downwards) be enough to cause idle misfire and thrown a cyl 4 misfire code?
> ...


Yeah it's only on idle, the car goes like the clappers through every gear. I'll get a dipstick today and pray!

No joy with that test, dipstick ordered.


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## Dec11 (Sep 27, 2016)

Barr_end said:


> SwissJetPilot said:
> 
> 
> > Quick way to check is to remove the dip stick and put your finger over the end of the tube and have someone start the car. Take your finger off and see if the engine idle changes. Then put it back on and see what happens. The dipstick not being there won't have any effect. But sealing the end of the tube will.
> ...


That I have no control over, it happened previous to me, I'm not that scruffy with my vehicles! I only noticed after seeing a pic on here the other day.


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## Barr_end (Oct 19, 2016)

Dec11 said:


> Barr_end said:
> 
> 
> > SwissJetPilot said:
> ...


In what instance does that make you sound scruffy with vehicles?
It's clearly stating facts about what COULD happen when these un-revised OEM manufacturing faults fail, no owner or personal persons accountability.
Which unfortunately for you, you've only just discovered from stumbling along this thread. 
For all anyone knows, your broken dipstick particles COULD of already been ditched and floated out within the oil, last time it had an oil service. It's anyones guess to what HAS happened

You can actually now do preventative maintenance, after this issue has happened to solve the potential issue of loose plastic/oil ring floating about, which has been highlighted and spotted it, and it's pretty simple.

But with the attitude you've been thrown at different members in multiple threads, who are actually only bothering to comment an input/opinion to help your situation, which you asked for, hence posting the thread in the first place. From this you're turning away people who would actually be prepared to advise and share their knowledge.


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