I feel the same as you.Haven't thought to look for a better one, I would think that would have to come from Honda. I'd like to have mine glass beaded or sandblasted, tried ScotchBrite, helped some, but that orange plastic tip really needs to be much lower gloss. I don't know what "engineer" designed it, but he needs to re-think his career, maybe if he actually OWNED a Civic and had to check his oil, perhaps there'll be a TSB and a new design dipstick. If a supplier came up with something better (& I DO think there's a market!) For $15-25 bucks, I'd be all in. Perhaps I'm a lone voice in the forest here, but can't help but think others are frustrated by what should be a much easier task. Checking clean oil shouldn't involve light reflection and refraction and trying to interpret a shiny substance on a shiny surface, IMHO Once the oil is darkened, it's easier, but is still a poor design. Can't believe I'm railing on about a DIPSTICK! lol
Heat guns are not not nearly powerful enough to melt plastic. Use a blow torch. But I’ll try itI feel the same as you.
So much so, that I purchased a 2nd Dipstick to "play with"
I don't know what the Plastic material is, but it has a VERY HIGH melting point.
I had planned to heat it up, and remove it from the metal shaft, and then replace it with a piece of machine white Torlon.
However, when I came to heat it up to melt it with a heat Gun, it withstood melting, but did start to turn lighter & whiter, and lost it's shine.
I stopped at that point, before it got any mechanical distortion, and tried it in the oil again. A significant improvement, and I now believe I can read even new oil to within 1-2mm quite easily.
This is now sufficient for me.. so I stopped there.
I put the old shiny original one back in the engine. I had tried scuffing it up with sand paper earlier, and that was moderately successful, but not nearly as good as the "Heat Treatment"
I'll keep the Whiter, Heat Treated one in the garage, for when I want an accurate reading when the oil is cooler.
I think mine would be, if I kept it on the plastic long enough.Heat guns are not not nearly powerful enough to melt plastic. Use a blow torch. But I’ll try it
I'm gonna have to go ahead and kinda disagree (in my best Lumbergh voice).Heat guns are not not nearly powerful enough to melt plastic.
Ohh didn’t know they made them industrial grade. I thought he was referring to the in home mini onesI'm gonna have to go ahead and kinda disagree (in my best Lumbergh voice).
We use a Milwaukee heat gun at work, and it has no problem melting plastic.
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Power-Tools/Specialty-Tools/Heating-Tools/8975-6
That's very tempting except for the price.... $90 for a dipstick? Lol! I want one, but I'm having a real hard time with that price. If it was even $60-75 it would be much easier to accept...Anyone on here try this yet? They have Si and Type R fitment. I am sure the dipstick from the Si would be the same for all L15 engines though.
https://www.superstik.com/product/superstik-2/
I hear you on that! Maybe when they have a sale I will get one at a discounted price. If you think about it though would you rather pay $90 to accurately read your engine oil levels or pay to replace a motor with oil starvation issues.That's very tempting except for the price.... $90 for a dipstick? Lol! I want one, but I'm having a real hard time with that price. If it was even $60-75 it would be much easier to accept...
Anyone on here try this yet? They have Si and Type R fitment. I am sure the dipstick from the Si would be the same for all L15 engines though.
https://www.superstik.com/product/superstik-2/
I too thought this one looked interesting but was not interested in paying that much money for it.That's very tempting except for the price.... $90 for a dipstick? Lol! I want one, but I'm having a real hard time with that price. If it was even $60-75 it would be much easier to accept...
That's a crock because you know you can read the oil level well enough to avoid oil starvation with literally any dipstick. Either there's oil or there's not.I hear you on that! Maybe when they have a sale I will get one at a discounted price. If you think about it though would you rather pay $90 to accurately read your engine oil levels or pay to replace a motor with oil starvation issues.
I was being sarcastic but yeah with fresh clean 0w20 on the dipstick after an oil change i cant tell for the life of me if i am at the full mark or not. Just buy 4 quarts and leave a little leftover in the final quart and hope i got enough until the oil gets dirty enough to be able to read on the dipstick.That's a crock because you know you can read the oil level well enough to avoid oil starvation with literally any dipstick. Either there's oil or there's not.