I'm not sure if an oil dipstick can go bad, but has anyone replaced their's? I've noticed on 3 occasions that my dipstick has popped up out on it's hole after driving. The black cap part on the dipstick is very hard, almost like hard plastic. It this the way it was new? I'm just wondering if I should replace it with a new one.

 

Maybe your PCV valve is bad? It sounds like the oil system is getting pressurized under boost and popping the oil dipstick out. I remember seeing a thread on this symptom a while back.

 

Well, my engine is toast anyway. When I really get on it, I can smell burnt oil bearings so it's possible my oil seals are bad and pressurizing the oil. I'm not concerned about that but my dipstick is really loose in the hole, that's what I'm questioning.

 

I have seen that before. It can be a real mess at the track. I suspect the top seal part of the dipstick wears and makes for a loose fit. I would expect that a new dipstick would fix the problem.

It may or may not be related to the condition of your engine. I think they can just get loose and come out even if the engine and PCV systems, etc. are healthy.

-Max