Best way to document DIY oil changes?

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Hi BITOG,

For the Mazda in my signature line, I always had the dealership change the oil with my oil if it were already there for something else (normal service, recall, etc.) and I changed the oil myself in between visits without much thought on documenting it other than noting the date, mileage, and type of oil on a windshield sticker. I did mostly 5K-7K OCI full syn changes when it was under warranty, but now stretch that out to 10K or 1 year with Castrol Edge EP and a Fram Ultra filter since it is almost 9 years old with 75K miles on it.

I plan on doing the same thing for the Hyundai and and Volvo (both recently acquired), but both are covered under a factory warranty, the Volvo a CPO warranty that goes out to 7 years or 70K miles, and the Sonata under a Hyundai extended 10yrs/120K powertrain warranty. Keeping that in mind, I'd like to do a better job of documenting the oil changes I do myself just in case an issue arises where OCIs or related matters are an issue. What's the best way to do this?

Thank you
 
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Probably sounds kind of simplistic, but I just have a memo on my phone that I record the date, mileage, oil type and filter type.
 
I used to use an excel spreadsheet and keep it in my Google drive which is accessible by phone as well. I've gotten a bit lazy and I don't bother now. I just keep the receipts and mark down the mileage on the top of them when I replace said item like Oil / Filter etc.
 
Originally Posted by SirTanon
I track all the maintenance and repair work I do on my Fusion on the MyCarFax app. Keeps a readily-accessible record of everything.


Is that a paid or free app?
 
Hyundai wants receipts. That is most important from what I have read. I have my own records of date, mileage, receipts, etc following owner's manual intervals. Also post on MyHyundai. It will also show if you have a recall and recommended maintenance intervals.
 
Originally Posted by diyjake
Originally Posted by SirTanon
I track all the maintenance and repair work I do on my Fusion on the MyCarFax app. Keeps a readily-accessible record of everything.


Is that a paid or free app?


Free, at least it was on my Android phone. According to the Google Play store, it's free.
 
Originally Posted by mark pruett
Probably sounds kind of simplistic, but I just have a memo on my phone that I record the date, mileage, oil type and filter type.






Exactly. On a Apple iPhone for example, their Notes app that comes with iOS can do this task quite well. You can take pictures of the receipts and keep it organized.
 
Tape your cell phone to a shoebox or something like that, and video record you putting a clearly visible jug or bottle in there, video the jug/bottle label, with the empty oil filter box visible, and take a picture of your purchase receipt. Store it on your laptop and/or upload it to cloud storage, no need to keep the video on your phone.
All that can't be questioned.
 
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I bought a small notebook at Walmart to keep in our Impala's glove box. Have a receipt for the oil filters I just bought, but not for the oil bought on sale a few months ago. I'll try to remember to take some photos (with date stamps) during the oil changes.
 
Most manufacturers have a website for tracking the service history of your vehicle. I use the Toyota Owners and Chevy Owners websites for adding services and repairs I do to my Tacoma and Corvette. Most repair shops, even the large chains (Firestone, Midas, etc) won't add entries for the services they perform, so you have to do it for them. These websites typically allow entry of basic information (brakes, oil & filter, scheduled maintenance/inspection, etc.) along with an "other" category for all other service or repairs.
In addition, I maintain a service history (Word document) on my home computer with all relevant service details that don't have a place at the owners' websites, including service tips, frequently used torque values, etc.
 
Originally Posted by SirTanon
I track all the maintenance and repair work I do on my Fusion on the MyCarFax app. Keeps a readily-accessible record of everything.


+1

Also available at www.mycarfax.com. Also gives you some level of vehicle history.............for free.
 
Write it down. Any tech with half a brain can tell if the engine was properly maintained.
 
If you buy your own oil and filters save the receipts. I shop at either Rock Auto or my local NAPA (spread the business around) they send give, professional receipts that list the year make and model of the car, and underneath the brand and part number of the filters.
 
Originally Posted by StevieC
I used to use an excel spreadsheet and keep it in my Google drive which is accessible by phone as well. I've gotten a bit lazy and I don't bother now. I just keep the receipts and mark down the mileage on the top of them when I replace said item like Oil / Filter etc.


+1
 
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