My Steptronic gearbox dipstick handle has started to pull apart and pieces are falling off. To date nothing has been left in the gearbox
A breakers yard replacement quickly went the same way.
I have been unable to track down a new factory replacement. It seems that although Mini used the same gearbox to 2006 it never had a dipstick or tube the assumption originally being that the fluid would last for ‘life’. I have heard that this assumption cost BMW some grief in the US of A when gearboxes broke down. Some Ford Focus items may have used the gearbox but none of those models seem to have come to Australia despite the model name being used here on a Mazda derivative.
In an attempt to find a suitable replacement I attended one of the large multi make ‘Bomb’ breakers in Adelaide armed with one of my moulting dipsticks to use as a template.
I wish to report that a suitable donor for those with the same problem is a 2000 Twin Spark Alfa-Romeo. It is a snug fit to the tube with an O ring seal and vapour bypass. Requires only about a 5mm grind off the end and engraving new high and low level marks.
Also comes with a four leaf clover embossed on both sides of the handle and an obvious racing heritage.
