Will it damage a car to drive it without the oil dipstick in?

Question

i have a 1994 phymouth voyager (caravan) and I lost my motor oil dipstick. Can I keep it out or will anything happen?

Answer 1

Not reccommended for a couple of reasons. One, you do not want any contamination in your oil, as it can cause undue wear on your engine. If any dust gets in there (it will), it can introduce itself to your engines's moving parts causing microscopic scratches that will age your engine prematurely. Your filter should catch most of this, but you do not want to chance it.

The second reason is Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV). Internal combustion engines rely on this to operate normally. Not having your dipstick inserted will allow air to come in, interrupting this flow. You will likely see a "check engine" light come on as the engine's computer tries to compensate for the loss in PCV, affecting your mileage as well.  

Answer 2

You can leave it out, just plug the tube so that nothing can get/fall down it (dirt/bugs) until you get a new dipstick.

Answer 3

nothing will happen but for goddess sake go and buy one to replace it.  

Answer 4

On a vehicle of that vintage, the engine will have significant wear.  There will be a high certainty of blow-by.  Pressure in the crankcase will force oil out the dipstick tube & cover your engine.  I would suggest to at least find something to plug the hole.

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Answer 5

if it,s just the stick it won,t hurt nothing, as long as the tube is still there. go to the junk yard and pick up another stick from the same engine you have. until you get 1, you won,t be able to check the oil.