Keeping track of maintenance and repairs

[dstig1]

Oh gawd, don't get me started on the Honda.... Guy I bought it from (cheap) said Oh I don't worry about nuthing until 200k miles. He wasn't kidding... He hadn't adjusted valves or ever changed the tranny fluid, for example. I thought maybe "these Hondas just aren't great automatics..." Until I changed the tranny fluid and then it was suddenly like a new car. I had a coworker who was told by the dealer "you don't have to do any maintenance when he bought his new Honda" so I see where it comes from... They literally try to sell them that way. How criminal!

 

[creekbend]

My Wife keeps all receipts in the spare bedroom that we use as an office. I keep two ledgers of all maintenance including when I fill the tank on my tractor, because I don't trust gas gauges on tractors. One ledger stays with my Operator's manual and the other in a waterproof pouch on the back of the tractor seat.

 

[clemsonfor]

hate to say it but my head. I save receipts in a folder for etiher the vehicle or one for auto [purchases. I keep the oil change date and miles done on a cover I tore off the oil filter box and put it in the vehicle. I look from time to time when in it and I change it when necessary. I have 4 vehicles on the road and I have a farm truck that does not see pavement, a tractor, 4 wheeler a few mowers etc. I guess im still young but I have not really had a problem with my method. Everything but 3 of them just get annual changes of oil. And as far as parts go I really don't care when I did them unless they go bad then I pull receipts to see if I have warrenty. I try and change fuel filters when necessary and then do tranny fills every so often and try and flush radiators every few years as necessary.

 

[clemsonfor]

On my tractor filter I write the date and hours with a sharpie as its a white filter. But it really just gets changed at some point each year as I don't really put 50 hours on it a year.

 

[clemsonfor]

Oh gawd, don't get me started on the Honda.... Guy I bought it from (cheap) said Oh I don't worry about nuthing until 200k miles. He wasn't kidding... He hadn't adjusted valves or ever changed the tranny fluid, for example. I thought maybe "these Hondas just aren't great automatics..." Until I changed the tranny fluid and then it was suddenly like a new car. I had a coworker who was told by the dealer "you don't have to do any maintenance when he bought his new Honda" so I see where it comes from... They literally try to sell them that way. How criminal!

Not adjusting the valves is nothing new, most people never do this, including me and I do all my maintence pretty religiously. Our new car the 2001 TOY highlander says you don't have to change the trans fluid unless its severe duty. But it says that in the manual and on the dipstick handle itself!!

 

[schmism]

i a small rinnged memo pad i keep in the glove box of each car. I record millage-date-discription - price.

trailer related stuff i note in the back of the tow veichical one.

I also use those oil change window stickers to remind me when its time.