Hello Gang. I purchased an 07 Cooper S last weekend. It has 79000 miles on it. It has started the dreaded death rattle on cold start up. It goes away once it's warmed up. I ordered a replacement timing chain kit along with the timing tool.

Anyway, I decided tonight that I should check the oil just to make sure it's where it should be. The dealership I bought it from appears to have had it changed but I don't put a lot of faith in dealerships. I pulled out the dipstick and it is different than pictures and videos of ones that I have seen online. It has the yellow end but it is a spring about 3/16" in diameter and with a metal pointed tip and metal segments for the oil levels. I wiped it off and stuck it back in. It stopped with about 5" left to go. It wouldn't go any further. I pushed a little harder and about an inch went in and stopped again. Problem is, now it won't come back out. I've twisted it, pulled it, tried going easy with it and pulling on it hard. Nothing. I took the tube loose but the dipstick still wouldn't come out. I finally managed to get it pushed in all the way and re-attached the tube so it's sealed up again now but it still won't come out.

Could it be that someone has put the wrong style dipstick in? It almost seems that the end is too big of a diameter and is stuck in the block. What baffles me is that it came out the first time with no problems. Anybody have any ideas?

 

Well, I got it out. I ordered a new one first. All I can figure is that the metal tip caught on a lip or something inside. I pulled it out, stretched it to about 3 times its length. The tip was tweaked compared to the spring.

Anyway, it's out. Not sure what the problem was but the new one works a lot better.