I wanted to share an idea in the forum and may be get some feedback. Some of you may already be doing this, so that would also be interesting to know.

I just bought a used 2005 Accord LX from a private party. It only had 55K miles, so no major repairs yet, but the owner did manitain records of oil changes in the book that came with the car.

I've never really kept records of my previous car maintenances, and even when I did, the receipts of oil changes often just got lost.

So after seeing how maticulous he kept "logs" of his car maintenance history in manual/logbook that came with the car ... and after working in IT were we keep logbooks on our servers/computers, I thought I'd adopt the same practice for my cars.

I'd basically get a composition book from the office supply store and keep it in the glove box. It would have columns of "Work Date", "Mileage", "Work Description", "Initial/Date". I would log probably just about everything in there that was even remotely significant from oil changes, to brake repairs, to timing belts replacements, etc. I'd include details in the work description such as part numbers, oil weight filter type, etc. I'd certainly still keep receipts for major jobs like timing belt, A/C, tire warranties, etc, in my filing cabinet, but the log book would serve as history for any other minor things and my filing cabinet wouldn't get cluttered by minor things like oil changes.

I have two fairly new cars (2005 and 2006) and I think would be great to have this kind of service history "journal" to have, since I tend to keep my cars for many, many years.

I dunno ... what do you guys think? Anyone already doing something similar? Any other specific details that you think would be worth noting/recording in the log, like may be Shop name and Invoice number when I do take my car to a shop, etc?

Your feedback is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

It definitely helps resale value when (if) you sell the car. You will also keep better care of the car since you know when stuff should be done. It all comes down to how meticulous you want to be.

I just keep track of my fuel mileage with a sheet I printed from a chart I created in Excel. I'll add maintenance details to the notes section when I fill up but I don't keep explicit details like you are planning.

 

Both of your points is exactly what motivates me to do it - resell value, but I think just as important, if not more ... it does serve as a good tool for myself to ensure I'm keeping maintenances to their proper schedules.

That's a good idea and I think I'll make that a logbook item - to log whenever I fill up and enter my calculated MPG that day.

 

my car is a beater with no resale value, and i keep a meticulous log. I learned it from my fiance's dad who is an airline mechanic, so logging is required in his line of work. I find it really helpful, because how many people actually remember the mileage they last changed their timing belt, and things like that. i put every mod i do into the book, and also have a record of every tank of gas since i got the car in the book. It also helps if you buy lifetime warranty parts like axles and ball joints, because then if they go bad, you can look in your log book and read that, so you dont waste money on new parts.

It is also helpful to record part numbers for headlights and tailights and windsheild wipers and dumb stuff that you go to the store for and they give you the wrong freakin part every time.. turning a simple $10 light bulb change into 3 hour project cause you have to go to the store twice to get the right part.

Overall, I highly recommend it if you can be disciplined enough to do it.

 

Awesome reply!

I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. Like your-almst-dad-in-law, I've been doing the same thing (logbooking) for computers I manage at work.

But you're dang right on your points and I'll definitely plan on entering those kinds of details in it.

I also plan to use the back pages for "tabling" things, like torque specs and other specifications that's hard to remember or keep track of (just like you said, some parts numbers are handy to have). And I think I'm definitely going to love having the logbook always in the car and never have to scramble for things forgetten in a file cabinet.