Keeping Vehicle Maintenance Logs

[Low50s]

How does everyone here keep logs on vehicles and track of services? It seems like I have a ever rotating fleet of vehicles I work on and I keep telling myself "hey you dummy you need to keep better records" So after recently doing a large amount of work on my diesel truck I am looking for some kind of system to keep track of vehicles right now I take care of about 7-10 cars/trucks plus some farm equipment.

The thought has crossed my mind to get a file cabinet and do " work orders" for every job but I think it may get cluttered up over time.

or do most people like E repair logs? if so what would you recomend

 

[BillK]

I have a file folder for each vehicle. I have every repair and parts receipt for all of them from the day they were new and that includes my 71 Chevelle. I have a sheet of paper in the folder and I record oil changes on it.

 

[Matt M PA]

Ive been using an app in my iPhone called Car Minder. I keep repairs and service info for each car.

I too have a folder for each car to keep receipts, etc.

With this app, you can also email the records. This was very helpful when I sold the 2006 Lincoln. The new owners could see when, and at what mileage everything was done.

 

[L5wolvesf]

Receipts into file folders after they are posted on an Excel spreadsheet. Simple & fast.

 

[nwdustin]

I used an app called fuelly on my phone, but also looking for something physical I can keep in the garage. I have a folder like most people, but even after a couple of years, the folder gets pretty unorganized.

The app is nice though, I use it to track mpgs as well, so as I fill up, it will also alert me that it's time for an oil change based on mileage or that it's time for a tire rotation. Pretty slick.

 

[bctexas]

Between toys and family daily drivers, I maintain 6 cars. Each one has a spiral notebook. The first page has info about the car's purchase and data like lug nut torque, tire pressures, oil and air filter part numbers, etc. A couple pages in I record all oil changes with date and mileage. A few pages after that I keep notes of all repairs with date and mileage. Each car also has a file folder in my file cabinet with all parts and service receipts.

 

[sberry]

I dont bother. Why would i care when i changed oil a decade ago. I write with a marker under the hood or on a filter on occasion and keep a few part numbers if it matters, once in a while add a note to a service manual. Someone gave us a car, had every change ever done. 125k miles, 40 some changes and a brake job.

 

[alexb2000]

I tear the lid off filter boxes and use a sharpie to right the date and mileage it was installed on the back. I keep these in a 1 gallon sandwich bag in the console. If I have a someone do service then I just keep their full printout in the bag (not just the CC receipt). I stopped saving receipts because thermal paper turns blank over time and I stopped keeping logs because you could fabricate those the night before you sell a vehicle. I felt my way was the best way to PROVE that I did the maintenance and what products I used, mostly for resell or warranty purposes.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

Just curious, why do you need to keep logs on your own cars? I can see if you bought a part and needed to save a receipt for warranty (nowadays all online sellers keep the receipts for me so even that purpose is not valid) or saving a repair bill for warranty. For your own work on your own car, why keep records? My cars, and I assume most of your cars, tell you when service is due, etc.

Never have I sold a car where records were an issue. I intend to do my heirs a favor and not have a ton of unnecessary paperwork for them to dispose off.

 

[PFSard]

Receipts into file folders after they are posted on an Excel spreadsheet. Simple & fast.

This. There was another thread in the recent past on this same issue. A lot of good ideas. I can't put my finger on it right now.

 

[cashishift]

Microsoft OneNote. I keep all sorts of information in there. Part numbers, links to parts, maintenance, etc. Works great for me!


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[ducksface]

I dont bother. Why would i care when i changed oil a decade ago. I write with a marker under the hood or on a filter on occasion and keep a few part numbers if it matters, once in a while add a note to a service manual. Someone gave us a car, had every change ever done. 125k miles, 40 some changes and a brake job.

This is about it.
I don't need a new hobby.
I've never figured out what a log book on a personal vehicle solves.

 

[Millwrong]

I use an excel spreadsheet for each vehicle I own. I don’t use it to keep track of oil changes, but any other type of work I do I record mileage, part numbers used, and any other pertinent information. It’s easy to do, and has already come in handy more than once!

 

[ZipSnafu]

Between toys and family daily drivers, I maintain 6 cars. Each one has a spiral notebook. The first page has info about the car's purchase and data like lug nut torque, tire pressures, oil and air filter part numbers, etc. A couple pages in I record all oil changes with date and mileage. A few pages after that I keep notes of all repairs with date and mileage. Each car also has a file folder in my file cabinet with all parts and service receipts.

Talking about organized. Are you for hire... lol I like this system a lot. I would never do it myself but I do have a wife...Hmmm

 

[Ron_J]

I use an excel spreadsheet for each vehicle I own. I don’t use it to keep track of oil changes, but any other type of work I do I record mileage, part numbers used, and any other pertinent information. It’s easy to do, and has already come in handy more than once!

This is me also. Things like brakes, rotors, tires, anything other than oil and lube basically.

It has made it nice to show when selling a vehicle as well.

 

[matt_i]

I have a 3x5 mini notebook which I track fuel economy. I just write notes in the book about oil changes and repairs.

"Documents" like the packet I got with an OEM transmission I replaced go into a file folder. It has a 100k part-warranty and I don't want to come up short should i ever need that.

The biggest value so far has been "when do I change oil next". I have a commuter vehicle on a 5k schedule (very easy to remember) and one that gets more city work on a 4k schedule that is harder. Then there are those that might only get 1000 miles in a whole year.

 

[fasteddie]

I have always had trouble remembering dates or time spans of past events unless I can link it to some major life event milestone. A repair or tires, battery that seems like just two or three years ago to me often turns out to be 5-7-10 years ago when I look at the service log - "seems like just yesterday I did that brake job". I'm always amazed when somebody can rattle off a month and year of a minor event in the past from memory. Anyway, yeah I keep a couple of sheets of accounting ledger paper with date, mileage and brief description of every repair and lube since I bought the truck 30 years ago.

 

[Boilerhouse]

I worked at a career where I was legally required to log just about everything that happened during a shift, so I guess this comes from force of habit.
I have an old fashioned file system. Each vehicle and major piece of equipment such as tractors, boat, etc. has its own file. Manuals, receipts, any info that came with purchased parts, etc go into the respective file. I also log all work done, any general observations, flag any potential concerns and that info is kept in the file. The last few years I have been taking more photos when I work on things, so I also have a digital system. It may sound like a lot of work, but honestly, on something like a 4 hour repair project, it takes less than 2 minutes to jot down a few notes. These records are for my use only and I have found them to be very useful to me many times.

 

[vavet]

I've found people are much more accepting of vehicle maintenance logs than I would be when buying a used vehicle. I keep a small spiral notebook in the glovebox of each of our cars. This works well, but there are currently only 2 cars in the fleet. This might be cumbersome if I had more. I've sold a few vehicles privately and I always show them the notebook and explain that I've done the work myself. They can either believe me or not. I could've fabricated the log the night before. I also know it is rare to get a maintenance log or records when you buy a used car from a dealer. Most have gone through an auction, a few dealers, etc. You might occasionally find a local trade-in at a dealer where that particular dealer serviced it for the original owner.
I record any maintenance activity. I think it's interesting to see how driving habits change over time, too.
For my own vehicle, I also record the mileage on the first of each month and at every 1k mile milestone. There are times when it takes me nearly two months to drive 1k miles (when I travel for work) and there are entries only a few days apart (long road trip for personal reasons). I don't try to do that for my wife's car because I rarely drive it and it would be a headache to try to keep up with it. It's a purely academic pursuit.

 

[red94chev]

I keep a piece of paper in the glove box with a log of oil changes and parts replaced in my 3 cars. I don't always keep receipts but I usually have them in my email. If I had a fleet, an excel sheet would probably be more efficient.

 

[Paycheck]

I use the Auto Care app.

 

[Low50s]

Lots of great ideas here thanks everyone reason for logs may be dumb but then I can reference something like when was last spark plugs or last time I changed transmission fluid I used to work at a shop and I would just do all my records on there system but now I’ve been gone long enough and have swapped vehicles I need something for myself I like the idea of keeping filter Box tops for oil service

 

[David99]

Receipts into file folders after they are posted on an Excel spreadsheet. Simple & fast.

Excel spreadsheet for each car, "cars" folder in My Documents with a sub folder for each car, receipts are scanned and placed in appropriate folder.

I scan all receipts for anything now that I want to keep track of or may be needed later for warranty purposes since they will most likely be blank when needed (just wish I'd been that smart with this & other similar things when I was younger).

 

[Coloshaver]

I do virtually all the maintenance on my 6 vehicles. I keep them a long time so history is important to me. I use simple .txt files on a shared drive for each one with a running log of everything I do. Purchase date, VIN, torques, oil fill amount, etc at the top. Date, mileage and notes of each thing done.

I also keep "Next oil change due" on a whiteboard.

 

[Low50s]

I do virtually all the maintenance on my 6 vehicles. I keep them a long time so history is important to me. I use simple .txt files on a shared drive for each one with a running log of everything I do. Purchase date, VIN, torques, oil fill amount, etc at the top. Date, mileage and notes of each thing done.

I also keep "Next oil change due" on a whiteboard.

Wow the whiteboard would be good it seems like my kid would end up writing over most of it at some point. I did buy a roll of oil change stickers when I bought my bulk oil and that has helped a bit

 

[gunguy]

Between toys and family daily drivers, I maintain 6 cars. Each one has a spiral notebook. The first page has info about the car's purchase and data like lug nut torque, tire pressures, oil and air filter part numbers, etc. A couple pages in I record all oil changes with date and mileage. A few pages after that I keep notes of all repairs with date and mileage. Each car also has a file folder in my file cabinet with all parts and service receipts.

This is what I do, almost exactly. I don't break it down in sections though, I just keep a running log. Should I have any major work done, in addition to keeping the receipt, I log a brief summary of the work done, where it was done, the invoice number and date.

Does it matter the date I changed the oil five years ago? Probably not but tracking repairs and routine maintenance may give a potential buyer a little peace of mind and thus making the sale a little easier.

My .02 anyway.

Jim

 

[polexican23]

I dont bother. Why would i care when i changed oil a decade ago. I write with a marker under the hood or on a filter on occasion and keep a few part numbers if it matters, once in a while add a note to a service manual. Someone gave us a car, had every change ever done. 125k miles, 40 some changes and a brake job.

I am with you on this. if it was a highly collectible car I may changes things up, but a 2002 Ford explorer with 315K miles on the clock, doesnt need this type of record. The junk yard will take it with our without any kind of oil change records one day.

 

[PWC Repair]

Between toys and family daily drivers, I maintain 6 cars. Each one has a spiral notebook. The first page has info about the car's purchase and data like lug nut torque, tire pressures, oil and air filter part numbers, etc. A couple pages in I record all oil changes with date and mileage. A few pages after that I keep notes of all repairs with date and mileage. Each car also has a file folder in my file cabinet with all parts and service receipts.

EXACTLY the way I do it! Been working great for years.

 

[Jeepster04]

I keep a piece of paper in the glove box with a log of oil changes and parts replaced in my 3 cars. I don't always keep receipts but I usually have them in my email. If I had a fleet, an excel sheet would probably be more efficient.

This is what I do. Couldn't work any better for my needs. If you have a garage computer then keeping excel files may work.

 

[lilredex]

I am very old school and use the KISS method. It started back in 1983, when I wanted to start keeping track of things, and bought a 6 X 9", "six subject divided note book"..........a section for each vehicle. A page for LOF, tires, brakes, and a misc. page for alternators, spark plugs, wires, shocks,water pumps, ball joints, and any other noteworthy item.

The pages are divided into columns, like date, mileage and item description and one more for $$ or whatever. Why do I do it?? It is a guide, when to change the oil, when to look at the brakes before they go metal to metal (it is a pattern), and you can see how long things like tires last.

I also keep any special receipts in that book like warranty slips.

Works really well for me.

 

[sberry]

I like to mark when plugs were changed and any critical fluid like anti freeze etc. Maybe a serp belt. Brake stuff I don't bother, I don't care when I did it last, if it needs it it needs it.

 

[bochnak]

I use google drive. Set up folder for each vehicle. In the folder I keep a google spreadsheet for maintenance. I also throw pics, pdf's etc in the folder for future reference.

I can access from phone of garage PC.

 

[unslow1]

I keep a spiral notebook in most of the cars. When you have more than one or two it's difficult to remember which one had what done when. It can be pretty important to know that a vehicle has never had the transmission fluid changed. It does come in handy when a car needs front brakes when you can look up when they were last done. Let's say for instance the first set of brake went 50K. Then the next only goes 18K. Then you know something is wrong. We have to keep running logs for trucks mileage at work. I asked one guy why. He said first to make sure the taxes are done properly but second if a truck suddenly goes from getting a consistent 16mpg to 8mpg they know something is wrong with it. Then you can hopefully avoid major damage and down time.

 

[ForceFed70]

I'm also a KISS guy.

I record everything in the last few pages of the vehicle's owners manual. Every manual I've come across has the last page or 2 blank just for this type of thing. Some even have those pages labeled as "notes".

Basic things like date, mileage, parts/consumables used, etc.

Owners manual seems to work good. Always handy and in the vehicle, records easily transfer to a new owner, etc.

 

[stioc]

App called myCarFax - it even pulls DMV records as well as records from other car repair shops (great for when you buy a used car). Sends reminders on upcoming registrations etc too.

 

[Adam R]

I have a very simple spreadsheet with 3 columns on it that includes date, mileage, and maintenance performed. The sheets are cut down and are glued to the back pages of the owners manual which I keep in the glove box of each vehicle in my fleet.

In the case of my wife's vehicle, I can see every maintenance performed over the past 14 years (such as all 54 oil changes) and these sheets always stay with the vehicle. It also allows me to easily keep track of diff, transfer case, brake fluid, T-Belt, tire rotations, power steering fluid, bearing and brake changes, etc. along with said oil changes.

A few years ago I was selling my wife's previous vehicle that had 200,000+ miles on it. The buyer was worried about the reliability of the vehicle and I pulled out that vehicles owner manual and showed him how religious I was with maintenance and oil changes. He was sold and immediately purchased the vehicle.

 

[bochnak]

One more thing to add:

I kept all purchase price and cost of maintenance for my 92' accord which I drove for 12 years. Turns out that car cost me about $80/mo to own, not including my labor for upkeep.

 

[yeldogt]

I keep all my recites - so I can always go back

.......All my cars have standard oil change intervals -- they are all 7500 or 10k ... the MB's tell you but it's typically 12k. If I get them done every 10k and the car has 27k on it ... easy.

For everything else -- use a label maker for a label inside the hood. It's easy .. I open the hood and I know when anything was done.

For most of the cars (company and personal) that get driven all the time -- I pick day in the spring and change all the air and cabin filters -- I get good filters on line .. the cost is not worth playing with a few K on the miles. The cabin filters need to be changed every year anyway. I still sticker the miles and date

 

[ChaseDE]

I am bad with receipts but do have an excel file with tabs for the vehicles. Every service, place, part, price, date, etc is logged in there.

 

[zmotorsports]

I guess I'm still old school. I have a file cabinet in the shop with a separate folder for each of my vehicles. I also have a small sized notebook that I keep in each vehicle where I note the date and mileage of any service and/or repair. The receipts themselves go in the folder in the filing cabinet with date and mileage written on it.

It's not as big a deal on some vehicles such as my wife's cars as they pretty much remain stock throughout their lives but I still keep the receipts and documentation. On my truck, Jeep and bikes it is a totally different story where they are far from stock and I have all kinds of various custom parts used so I want to be able to flip right to a part number rather than having to search each time to come up with the part #'s.

When I was younger I watched my dad sell vehicles and the people were impressed with the records he provided to them but I have found it is worthless these days. I have provided all of this data/information to people when I have sold a vehicle and most couldn't care less. The exception being RV's. When I have sold RV's, the prospective buyers have been very interested in any and all notes taken.

I wish I could get more high tech but I have to do too much of that at work and it seems easier and more personal to write a note pertaining to a repair and/or modification.