I was using a plastic tube to draw the oil from the dipstick port. The plastic tube got stuck and I couldn't

Question

remove it. Unfortunately I had to cut it off. I pushed the pastic in as far as I could but it didnt go all the way down. Now my dipstick cant be reinstalled and also if I do ever push the plastic down, will that affect the motor? I heard that there is a screen that will prevent any objects (plastic tube) from getting into engine.

The tube i would guess is no more than 6 inches. Right now I'm tempted to leave it still stuck in the dipstick port that way it doesnt fall inside the engine. Maybe cut off the dipstick and just use the rubber handled part to close the hole?

This tube is connected some pump that extracts and dispenses from the oil collection can. Supposedly mercedes benz dealers do this exclusively. I bought this from ebay and used it on my other cars but the 1998 camry dipstick port has a lot of twists and turns...

It is too difficult to pull it out now. I need to push it in somehow.

Answer 1

Good job. Hope trying to save a few bucks and doing it the lazy mans way has taught you a lesson. I'd be surprised if it did though. You can either push it all the way down into the pan or remove the dipstick tube from the block and get it out of there. I would have someone who knows what they are doing do it for you or chances are good you'll be back here asking another question.

Answer 2

Good job. I've done dumb things of this sort for years.

On reading the other answer--which is to remove the dipstick tube from the block--I have to admit that this is a far better alternative than the one which I've proposed below.

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The plastic tube will be in there with the connecting rods--there's no screen or anything because nobody thought you'd be doing something like this. But the tube is unlikely to do any damage, either.

You've gotta be able to get the dipstick in, so what you'll have to do, short of taking the oil pan off to retreive your tube, is to do a better job of getting it down inside the engine and out of the way. Unless it's a very stiff tube, there's little chance it'll damage anything: the only delicate parts in there are the oil-pump pickup tube and its screen.

Go have a look at a service manual for your engine to see where these parts are, and if they're well away from where the dipstick drops into the engine, give the plastic tube a shove down into the engine with, say, a piece of steel rod. Please do not let the steel rod get stuck the way the plastic tube did.

Answer 3

I won't give you grief about the excellent goof and the smile that you put on my face...seems there is always a new way to do a simple thing...
You didn't say what type engine/what year Mercedes, but ....there is generally 1 or 2 bolts that will go on a strap around the dip stick FILLER tube( not DRAIN) this tube is then directed into the base of the block and goes into it @ 3/8 of an inch,@ 9mm it is held in by a rubber O ring that fits into a valley in the base...take the tube out try to remove the tubing ,or replace the FILLER and be done....the tubing will not affect anything but if you can't read the oil level by inserting the dip stick do NOT just cover the tube and remove the level indicator stick

Answer 4

Yes there is a screen on the oil pick-up but a long piece of tube is going to probably hit counterweights or other parts of the rotating assembly.

So it time to pull the dipstick tube out of the block and see if you can get the tube out or if all else fails pull the oil pan. It would be easier to suggest which route to go if I knew the application

Answer 5

I guess you will use the drain plug next time. You should be OK if you push it down into the pan as there is a screen on most oil pickups. It may even come out in your next oil change if it is small enough.

Answer 6

Use a long handle pick tool to pull it out.