On Tue, 2 Mar 2004, Chas Hurst wrote:

Shouldn't any large particles of "dirt" be trapped by the filter?

Remove an oil pan from an engine that's had three or four of these
dipstick tube oil "changes" sometime, then ask your question again...if
you still have to.

As noted by another poster, marine engines routinely have the oil removed
via the dipstick.

Jolly good. However, this is rec.AUTOS.tech, and the question concerned a
car.

Another poster found that the dipstick method was just as
good as draining.

No, another poster *stated* the dipstick method is just as good. "Found"
implies he did some science to arrive at his conclusion.

You need to review your conclusions.

I conclude that opinions are like assholes: Everyone's got one, and they
all stink.