Keeping Vehicle Maintenance Logs

[sberry]

Don't matter how many welders a guy got or what a deal it was if you never plug it in. Great to have the skill but I know some of the best are simply hobby types or learn some from work. The hobby as it would make sense is to keep a couple family cars running.
That has some payout, shoving 10# of expensive **** in a 5# box,,, well. Be worth it to make a payment on a simple sedan than have all the **** to take care of it.
When I lived out in the other world, in some city, didn't have all that ****. A car that was fundamentally in good shape and enough tools in the trunk and for my trade and fix something if I thought I had to, even paid to have a ujoint and something else I cant remember fixed by a local shop I knew. Made a little hobby of collecting a tire or 2 that fit it.
95% of what stops a modern car is brakes, stuck or worn.

 

[sberry]

Spiral notebook in the glove box or file cabinet for all maintenance and repairs. With six active trucks, a Jeep, four active collector cars, four project cars, a side x side, tractor, boat, lawn tractor, three mowers, log splitter, rototiller, and several chain saws, there is no way I can remember when the last oil change or brake job or under chassis inspection was.

I got a lot of ****. I do now write a little on the engine of some of it. Mostly by date. What records do more than tell what needs to be done its really to prevent some duplicate work. A single coolant change or even ****** change, some never if they are working right etc. A car can make it with 1 spark pug change, even oem wires, car is rusted junk before it quits running. Aint worth fixing a major piece, scrap and buy another running car.

 

[LifeLongWNYer]

I keep the receipts in a file folder, generally in chronological order, but at the least, they are there. I also have an Excel spreadsheet with the basic information on what was done and when, and I include the mileage, so I can tell how much each vehicle costs to operate.

Lastly, I keep a school composition book in the vehicles, where I record the details of what was done.

Reading this back, before posting it, the thought crossed my mind that it sounds like a lot of paperwork, but in actuality, keeping them all is good for me, because depending on what type of historical info I am looking for, I know which record to consult. Believe it, or not, making the entries doesn't take as long as it did to type this post.



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[pelletman]

Spreadsheet in Google Drive for every vehicle I do anything on. Sometimes I even remember to make entries

 

[Fisherguy]

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.

Me too, receipts go on 1 side of the folder, paper with notes of wht was done, date and mileage on the other.

Someone above asked why? Just so I know what was done when, plus makes a helluva impression when you sell the vehicle.

... also have record of every drop of fuel I've put into my 06 Dodge diesel truck since I bought it new.

 

[OKDart]

I've accumulated so many things with engines, my main problem was remembering oil capacity and general specs. I took a 3 ring binder with tabs/separator sheets and wrote down all the specs from the owners/service manual for most everything I have that needs regular maintenance. I also have a sheet in each tab for servicing and maintenance done.
I suppose I could do the same in Excel, but I hate working on computer programs, because that's what it is to me... work.
Pictured is my lawn mower, P/n's for all the different filters and fluid capacity, etc

 

[Buckaroo5]

Spiral notebook in the glove box or file cabinet for all maintenance and repairs. With six active trucks, a Jeep, four active collector cars, four project cars, a side x side, tractor, boat, lawn tractor, three mowers, log splitter, rototiller, and several chain saws, there is no way I can remember when the last oil change or brake job or under chassis inspection was.

Same for me...spiral notebook in the glove box that has an entry (date & mileage) for every time I do anything on a car in the family fleet - no way I could remember with so many vehicles. I keep track of repairs, maintenance, all my visual checks, inspection data (i.e. brake pad thickness, battery CCA test results, resistance checks on injectors, qty for fluid top-offs, etc). I have a paper file in the house where I keep all the receipts. I staple all the receipts together for a job, add up all the costs, document the estimated cost to have had it done from repairpal and calculate the money saved as I sit and drink a beer. Best part of the job....

Buckaroo