DRZ 400 S, dropped dipstick
 

hey all,

went to check the oil level on th eold beast the other day, and just as i removed the dipstick, the stick fell off, back into the oil tank! doh!!

sooo...how might i go about getting it back out again? i tried fishing for it with a magnet, no hope. will it drop out if i remove the drain plug (as if i'd be that lucky!!) or, would it do any damage if i just left it there and bought another one?

cheers

Getcha a stronger magnet on a semi-flexible stalk.

Was is stainless steel, plastic or aluminum...magnet might not work. Can you see it? Try something sticky like a piece of gum on a stick or string, but leaving it inside your engine casing would be BAD!

Luckily for you the DRZ uses the front frame tube as it's 'oil tank', rather than the engine sump, so there's no way the dipstick is going to get into the engine itself. Your only real option is to drain the oil and try and fish it out of the bottom of the tank. It's a straight drop from the filler hole down to the drainbolt, so you might get lucky.

cheers all. i tried with a flexi magnet today, still no joy. i'll try draining the oil when i do next oil change and fishing it out from underneath.

cheers again