ATF Dipstick shenanigans

PB4Y1 · **Joined:** Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:24 am **Posts:** 13

When I do my underhood checks on my 06' CRD (143k miles) I have noticed that more often than not, the ATF dipstick is open, above the top of the guide tube. Sometimes it is barely popped out, on other ocassions it is protruding 3"-4" out. I have never seen any evidence of ATF having been belched out in the vicinity of the tube. Has anyone else experienced these events with your CRD? When the dipstick if fully closed, it appears as though the yellow knob at the top is hard against the removeable engine cover. Is this possibly a vibration-related issue? A more troubling thought is that sufficient pressure is building to "shoot" the dipstick out of the tube. If the consensus is that it is more of a vibration-related issue, I may try to replace the o-ring at the top of the dipstick, fab up a clamp/bracket or use some zip ties. Anybody have any counsel on this?

Thanks in advance for your help!

BVCRD · **Posted:** Wed May 12, 2010 11:49 am

It happens. I tuck mine in under the engine cover a bit and it stays in place.

jeepdan · **Posted:** Wed May 12, 2010 11:53 am

If I don't jamb mine under the engine cover it will pop back up right away as if the dipstick is to long and pushing on the bottom of the pan.

onthehunt · **Posted:** Wed May 12, 2010 12:16 pm

I zip tied mine down. It is normal.

racertracer · **Posted:** Wed May 12, 2010 1:28 pm

Bend the stick (slight crease) 2 1/2" inches away from the top of the finger hole and tuck her back in the tube. Should be a tight fit.

Problem solved.

long_tall_texan · **Posted:** Wed May 12, 2010 11:44 pm

I can make one of these for you. viewtopic.php?p=533893#p533893 If interested, PM me.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Thu May 13, 2010 7:55 am

I think there is something wrong. I don't recall having this problem on any vehicles including the 2 CRD KJs I've had or my wife's gas KJ.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Thu May 13, 2010 8:00 am

LibertyCRD wrote:

I think there is something wrong. I don't recall having this problem on any vehicles including the 2 CRD KJs I've had or my wife's gas KJ.

There's nothing wrong! They all work themselves out. To prove my point there were two threads started about this at almost the same time :ROTFL:

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Thu May 13, 2010 10:42 am

Joe Romas wrote:

LibertyCRD wrote:

I think there is something wrong. I don't recall having this problem on any vehicles including the 2 CRD KJs I've had or my wife's gas KJ.

There's nothing wrong! They all work themselves out. To prove my point there were two threads started about this at almost the same time :ROTFL:

I don't think you can say they "all" work themselves out, considering that between my wife and I, we have had 6 Jeeps, 3 of which were KJs, and I have never seen a dipstick just pop out like that. There is clearly something wrong causing his stick to not stay seated. If it were normal, the manufacturer would have designed a mechanism to hold the stick in.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Thu May 13, 2010 10:50 am

LibertyCRD wrote:

Joe Romas wrote:

LibertyCRD wrote:

I think there is something wrong. I don't recall having this problem on any vehicles including the 2 CRD KJs I've had or my wife's gas KJ.

There's nothing wrong! They all work themselves out. To prove my point there were two threads started about this at almost the same time :ROTFL:

I don't think you can say they "all" work themselves out, considering that between my wife and I, we have had 6 Jeeps, 3 of which were KJs, and I have never seen a dipstick just pop out like that. There is clearly something wrong causing his stick to not stay seated. If it were normal, the manufacturer would have designed a mechanism to hold the stick in.

OK maybe I should have said that "All CRD's with the 545 transmissions push the transmission dip sticks out". :BINGO:

Maybe what's wrong is they are all too long :dizzy:

How many of your 6 jeeps had the this engine and transmission? I've owned 4 XJ's and none of them poped out either. But they had AW4 transmissions :SOMBRERO:

stoutdog · **Posted:** Thu May 13, 2010 11:04 am

Joe Romas wrote:

OK maybe I should have said that "All CRD's with the 545 transmissions push the transmission dip sticks out". :BINGO:

Maybe what's wrong is they are all too long :dizzy:

How many of your 6 jeeps had the this engine and transmission? I've owned 4 XJ's and none of them poped out either. But they had AW4 transmissions :SOMBRERO:

x10. It's not a Jeep thing, it's a KJ CRD thing... My father and I both own one each and our ATF dipsticks pop out all the time. Keeping it in is obviously ideal, however you do so, but the problem is nothing more than the dipstick being too long. There is nothing wrong with your tranny, etc.

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Thu May 13, 2010 1:24 pm

I've owned 2 KJ CRDs now and neither of them ever did this. So I guess I'm lucky. :SOMBRERO:

Then again...maybe I am lucky. I don't have F37 either. :-)r

long_tall_texan · **Posted:** Thu May 13, 2010 1:30 pm

It is not just a CRD thing either. The 06 and 07 3.7's do it too. Not sure if earlier gassers do or not.

onthehunt · **Posted:** Thu May 13, 2010 1:56 pm

People have been posting this same problem for years.....It is normal. Some do and some don't.

grywlfbg · **Posted:** Fri May 14, 2010 1:24 am

Try flipping it 180 degrees. I find that mine has a preferred direction and pops out in one position but not in the other.

truckbouy2 · **Posted:** Fri May 14, 2010 9:50 am

"If it were normal, the manufacturer would have designed a mechanism to hold the stick in." :goink:

This is Chrysler you are referring too ????

kapalczynski · **Posted:** Sun May 16, 2010 4:02 am

Same issue w/mine...almost forgot about it. I bent the top of the tube slightly in with plyers in 2 spots..issue solved a week after I bought it...non issue now.

- Mark

ATF Dipstick shenanigans

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