How do you replace the oil dipstick tube on a Chrysler town and country?

Answer 1

The tube is easy to remove. Its mounting bracket is held in place by a single bolt, and a large wiring harness is bound with a single plastic strap to that mounting bracket. The job (removal & replacement) should take less than an hour. You'll need a 1/2" combination wrench (12-point box wrench), diagonal cutters or sturdy scissors, and a flat screwdriver. A forked "trim clip removal tool" will come in handy.

Remove the bolt holding the tube to the engine block. First you'll need to pull off the nearby spark plug wire...grip it by the large end, twist and pull gently. DO NOT TUG ON THE WIRE! Then use a 12-point 1/2" box wrench. (you'll need the 12-point wrench because of the limited room for swinging the wrench). You won't be able to get a socket wrench on that bolt, because the alternator cable is in the way. If you decide to remove the alternator cable for easier access to the bolt, be sure to DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLE from the negative terminal of the vehicle's battery first, or you'll short-circuit that terminal to ground and get badly burned!

Then get under the front end of the vehicle and remove the wide plastic splash shield closing in the bottom of the bumper...an inexpensive clip removal tool for popping off the plastic retaining pins is better than a screwdriver and pliers; it'll save you from breaking the pins.

With the shield removed you can see where the dipstick tube enters the bottom of the engine, close to the oil filter. Disconnect that cable connector that's just in front of the dipstick port on the engine block. To disconnect it, you'll need to first slide the red locking clip until its perforated end is flush with the connector body: push on the other, raised end of the locking clip with a flat screwdriver to do this. With the locking clip retracted, you can depress the wide split clip on the side of the plug, and the plug will easily disengage from the connector.

Now you can see where the large bundle of taped-up wires is fastened to the dipstick tube by a plastic strap. Carefully cut the strap using diagonal cutters or shart scissors...be careful not to cut into the bundle of wires.

With the wiring bundle freed from the dipstick tube and the bolt removed, you can gently turn the tube (working under the hood, not from beneath the vehicle). Twist it left and right a little, and it will come loose. Then you simply pull it upward and it'll come free of the engine block. You'll see that there's a small plastic o-ring around the bottom of the tube. Remove the plastic strap that you cut, from its hole in the tube mounting bracket. Replace it with a new strap if you want to.

When you reinstall the tube, make sure the o-ring is in place. Set the tube down into place loosely, then get back under the vehicle to guide the end of it back into that hole it came from. With the tip of the tube started into the hole, now you can get back under the hood and push the tube fully into place, turning the tube so that the mounting strap is aligned with the bolt hole. Reinstall the bolt, fasten your new plastic strap around the wiring bundle, reinstall the spark plug wire, reconnect the wiring plug under the vehicle and replace that splash shield.