Best way to document DIY oil changes?

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I'm old fashion. I do this in a word document and keep it on a thumb drive. No cell phones or cloud storage in this house. Not secure or reliable. I take the specs from the book and then change it to my liking.


2005 Ford Ranger (3.0L)
Bought May 2005 40 Miles

Scheduled Maintenance

5,000 Miles or 6 Months (1 Year)
Change Oil/Filter (due March 2019 or 89,000) (See Testing)
Rotate Tires (due 88,000)
(Lube Lower Ball Joints) (due 88,000)

15,000 Miles
Lube Ball Joints (see 5,000)

30,000 Miles
Change Air Filter (due 105,000)
Change Fuel Filter (due 115,000)
(Change Brake Fluid) (or 3 Years) (due October 2017 or 90,000) (See Testing)
(Change Coolant) (or 3 Years) (due June 2017 or 90,000) (See Testing)

60,000 Miles
Clean/Grease Wheel Bearings
(Change Rear Axle Oil) (due 100,000)
(Change Trans Fluid/Filter) (due 120,000)
(Change Power Steering Fluid) (due 120,000)

100,000 Miles
Change Spark Plugs (due 170,000)
Change PCV (due 164,000)
Change Coolant (50,000 miles thereafter) (See 30,000)
Change Accessory Drive Belt (due 100,000)
(Change O2 Sensors) (due 100,000)

150,000 Miles
Change Front Wheel Bearings/Seals

EPA Fuel Economy
Old New
18/22 16/21


Engine 5 Quarts 5w20 SM (Mobil1 5w30 HM)
Coolant 2.5 Gallons
Trans 5 Quarts Mercon V (Mobil1 ATF)
Rear Axle 2.5 Quarts 80w90 (Mobil1 75w-90)
Power Steering ½ Quart Mercon (Mercon V)
Brake Fluid ½ Quart DOT 3
Fuel Tank 19.5 Gallons
Spark Plugs Gap .042-.046 (Indexing - Gap Faces Intake Valve)
Denso Iridium IT16TT (4713)


Wish List

Programmer
Cruise Control
Rear Spring Air Bags

Testing

Lubricheck
Changed March 2, 2018 (83,750)
September 2, 2018 (85,063) - 3
June 9, 2018 (84,581) - 1
April 30, 2018 (84,187) - 2

Brake Fluid
Changed October 1, 2014 (60,266)
July 14, 2018 (84,869)
Water Copper 30

Coolant
Changed June 21, 2014 (58,290)
July 14, 2018 (84,869)
Protection 40%
pH 7

ToDo


History

June 18, 2018 (84,670)
Clean MAF Sensor

May 16, 2018 (84,500)
R/R Rear Brake Shoes (Wagner ThermoQuiet PAB705R)
R/R Fuel Filter

March 7, 2018 (83,846)
Ford Airbag Recall (O.C. Welch Ford-Lincoln)
R/R LH Airbag Inflater
R/R RH Airbag Inflater

March 2, 2018 (83,750)
R/R Motor Oil (Mobil1 5w-30 HM)
R/R Oil Filter
 
I'm really old-school.
I keep a log in each vehicle and track each tank of fuel as well as each oil change with date and oil used.
Simple and it works for me.
 
Paper receipts for the oil and filter. Date and mileage included, along with an oil change witness..... my grandson.
This method has worked decades before smartphones and backup drives even existed.
 
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I used to keep a small log book in each vehicle for OC records. But that was before computers. Now the little notebooks are used to track MPG. OCD?
 
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.

Originally Posted by mclasser
I document my maintenance online on the Honda and Hyundai owner's portals.



Do these allow you to put in previous maintenance/OCIs prior to have the app or online portals?
 
Originally Posted by Char Baby
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.

Originally Posted by mclasser
I document my maintenance online on the Honda and Hyundai owner's portals.



Do these allow you to put in previous maintenance/OCIs prior to have the app or online portals?


My Carfax lets you enter any maintenance record from any date. For example, I just started using MyCarFax in 2016 even though I bought my Ody in 2012. I was able to manually enter all records since 2012 (user chooses the date and services performed). After it is set up, many larger service shops (dealers, Firestone, etc) are linked with carfax and their records will upload automatically. I don't think the auto entry goes back in time, but the future records will be entered.

I can't speak to the Honda or Hyundai sites, but he Carfax app does pretty much everything I want. It is really the car version of the Clorox pool app, for those of you who have used it to maintain a pool.
 
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I keep a stash of oil and filters I buy on sale and keep them on shelves in the basement. On the bottles I tape the receipt to them and for the filters I slide the receipt in the box. In cases when I buy multiples at the same time, I make copies and tape those to the bottles and slide in the boxes.

When anything gets done to the car I have a little notebook that I keep in each car and I write down date, mileage and task and parts used. I then take the receipts, write down the date and slide them in an envelope I keep in the glove boxes. Everything done to the car gets a note and a receipt if one is provided including warranty work. I do that to prepare for a fight with a dealer, or to add value to the car when I sell it since I have a full service history. It's also useful when I can't quite remember when something was done...
 
Originally Posted by RyanY
Originally Posted by Char Baby
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.

Originally Posted by mclasser
I document my maintenance online on the Honda and Hyundai owner's portals.



Do these allow you to put in previous maintenance/OCIs prior to have the app or online portals?


My Carfax lets you enter any maintenance record from any date. For example, I just started using MyCarFax in 2016 even though I bought my Ody in 2012. I was able to manually enter all records since 2012 (user chooses the date and services performed). After it is set up, many larger service shops (dealers, Firestone, etc) are linked with carfax and their records will upload automatically. I don't think the auto entry goes back in time, but the future records will be entered.

I can't speak to the Honda or Hyundai sites, but he Carfax app does pretty much everything I want. It is really the car version of the Clorox pool app, for those of you who have used it to maintain a pool.


Thank you. Is there a co$t to doing this?
 
I use separate composition notebooks for each car. I add some of the tabs for different maintenance areas. It's nice to have some notes when you sell the car down the road.
 
Google sheets; free and easy. I keep notes there as well as UOA results, but, in all seriousness, how many times has anyone ever had a warranty denied when they even "halfway" maintained a vehicle? I have owned too many cars to count at this point and that has never even been questioned during warranty claims.
 
Originally Posted by carviewsonic
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.

Old school, that's what i do. Then Iyou can just throw the reciepts in a shoe box in the closet or somewhere
 
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Google Sheet for tracking (easy to pull up on phone) and I photocopy and save all receipts in a binder that stays in the car. I use the clear sheet protectors for storing the records in the binder; each service record gets its own sheet protector.

It's a good idea to photocopy thermal paper receipts as they fade with time and especially heat.
 
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Originally Posted by TheLawnRanger
The Car Fax app is the way to go. I'm interested because the oil changes listed on the app could get me more money when the vehicle is sold. I know I would pay more for a car or truck that has had oil changes on a regular basis.


Just an FYI. Any DIY maintenance information that is entered into the myCarFax app is not stored on the CarFax report:

https://support.carfax.com/article/can-i-add-a-diy-service-into-mycarfax/

Can I add a DIY service into myCARFAX?
When logged into myCARFAX, you can add your own service records, including records for services that you've completed yourself. Simply click on the "Add Service Record" button in your Service History. However, this information will not be included on the CARFAX Vehicle History Report.

Check on it yourself. Make a dummy account and look up your car. None of your oil changes will be available... Just found this out today.

From what I can tell, you need to pay for a subscription for SMS software that can be linked to myCarFax and then they call you to make sure you are legit. Its absurd, but I guess they want to control who can enter maintenance records. This is probably why your service history from local mom & pop shops isn't available on the CarFax history report when you go to sell it.
 
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Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Goes right in the back of my Owners manual with all my other maintenance info. Oil and filter and mileage.


I keep a notebook with specifics milestones needed to accomplish and date/initial the owners manual when service is completed. Additional services are added as appropriate and if completed sooner than specified I correct the manual with the date service was performed.

I make sure to include oil and filter brand, grade, and manufacturer. Same for grease, fluids, and other parts like brakes/belts/pulleys. I keep track so I can remember which parts I liked or performed/did not perform well.
 
Originally Posted by LTZ10
I use the manufacturer's vehicle owner web site to document my oil changes.

Me too. Toyota's owner's website is great for this.
 
Originally Posted by Ddub
Hi BITOG,

... 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


I would keep it simple since the issue will never come up, yet at the same time its good to be prepared.
IF the owners manual doesnt have a log to keep track, simply put a small binder notepad in the glovebox. Write down date and mileage of when you do a service.
For receipts, simply thrown them all in a box in the EXTREMELY unlikely even you may need receipts, you will have them.
 
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I do the same with my vehicles.


Originally Posted by DGXR
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.
 
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