So my wife calls last week all frantic, stating the oil change guy told her that her transmission oil dipstick is missing, and she desperately needs one! So after searching the local junkyard, I break down and order one from Auto Zone.

So when it comes in, that stupid thing is about 17ft long and looks like it's meant for the Space Shuttle! The pimply-faced kid assures me that this is the correct dipstick. I'm no mechanic so I have to take his word for it. I can do minor stuff, but when I finally got rid of my old '99 Chevy, that was the last vehicle I could speak intelligently about mechanical crap.

So I go home and make the attempt to insert the Mother of all Probes, and literally get just the tip in. Frustrated, I take to the internet for answers.

Well, turns out that the 2008 Town and Country does not HAVE a dipstick! It has a cap because Mopar doesn't want you messing with the transmission oil, unless to bring it to someone that knows what their doing. You can bet the wife won't be going back to that dude for an oil change again.

I hate that van sometimes...

 

They started doing that silly crap during the Daimler phase and it stuck for the most part. I'm sure they saved a few million bucks on dipsticks, but inevitably what it did was steer thousands of people through dealer service lanes to get their trans fluid checked. That and "My tire light is on, what do I do ??" which is annoying to say the least.

Oil change places are there to do one thing....change oil. Don't let them even so much as breathe on anything else.

 

Just tell my wife it's the tire fluid and she needs to have it changed...

 

Hey don't joke about that. There still may be some places trying to upsell changing the air in your tires to nitrogen.. $39.95 !!