Tried that 'check the oil cap for sludge' trick and got a surprise

Looked under the cap of a 2012 Civic last Tuesday and found clean oil but a cracked dipstick tube, which the seller tried to hide with zip ties. Anyone else ever find a creative cover-up that had nothing to do with the usual red flags?

2 comments

2 Comments

cooper.max19d ago

Oh come on, a cracked dipstick tube with zip ties isn't really a dealbreaker unless you're planning on driving through a river. How often do you actually pull the dipstick out anyway, like once every two oil changes? It's a plastic tube, not the engine block - you could probably replace it for twenty bucks and move on.

robert_craig19d ago

Once every two oil changes"? Man, I check my oil every time I fill up. That cracked tube is getting jostled around under the hood with every bump in the road. Zip ties won't hold forever, especially with engine heat baking them brittle. I'd be nervous driving that thing anywhere.