Dear Tom and Ray:

I'm an old Yale Divinity School graduate with a question for you. Why don't any
auto makers make an oil dipstick of any color except steel? That's the exact
color of clean motor oil! A different-colored dipstick would make it a lot
easier to read the oil level, wouldn't it? -- Garrett

RAY: I'm not so sure, Garrett. While a white dipstick might make it a little
easier to read, I think the bigger problem is that the oil has no color when
it's new. Although it looks amber in the can, when you have only three molecules
of it on the dipstick, it's practically transparent.

TOM: Right. Once it gets good and black and gooey, you have no problem
distinguishing the oil from the dipstick. That's why I haven't changed my oil
since 1976!

RAY: My brother has all the solutions, doesn't he? We need to hear from some
Divinity/Mechanical Engineering double majors in our audience. Has anybody
addressed this problem? Let us know by writing to us care of this paper, or e-
mailing us through the Car Talk section of www.cars.com.

* * *

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