I went to check the oil level today in my 85 Carrera and was surprised to find the dip stick was missing. I called the shop that last changed my oil to inquire about this and they searched the bay where my car was worked on but no dip stick was found. Could it be that the technician dropped it into the reservoir and is afraid to 'fess up? If the dip stick is in the tank, is it doing any harm and is there a way to fish it out? What's the record for number of dip sticks in a single reservoir?

By the way... someone clued me into this forum very recently so I'm new and already addicted. Great stuff!

 

Don't worry. It won't go anywhere that can hurt anything unless you turn the car upside down.

 

Welcome to the Board.

Like Eric said, dip sticks in the oil tank are not really a big deal. I have fished them out with a homemade stiff wire hook or long reaching flexible grabbers...coat hanger might work. The worse than can happen is the dip stick gets hung up on the oil tank's oil level sending unit. Forget about using a magnet; I believe the dip sticks are aluminum.