Those will be fun and they’re nice because you don’t have to look into an app or spreadsheet to see where you are. I use AUTOist app.
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Those will be fun and they’re nice because you don’t have to look into an app or spreadsheet to see where you are. I use AUTOist app.
Yeah I have an Excel sheet per car on my phone with all my maintenance and next mileage to change oil... But I'm definitely guilty of changing it a little late because I just hadn't looked that the spreadsheet in a while
I just change oil and rotate tires on the 5s for all our vehicles, which is easy to remember. I also track everything in an Access database.
Access!!! Wow that's like a running joke at my work but I've never actually seen it used
That's my general plan too. However, I drive several rigs so they can sit for too long before they accumulate 5K. Also, I use conventional oil in the TJ so 3K there. My wife's BMW with a 3L turbo six is supposed to be 15K?! oil change interval. Tried that on the last one which lost the turbo at only 100K so F that. It gets changed at 5K and so far so good at 150,000. Actually did an analysis which looked really good.
That's what I do for regularly driven vehicles that don't tell me when a maintenance is due. Every 5K I know something is due.
I do keep an excel sheet with any non-regular and/or major repairs, but after juggling multiple vehicles I found the best thing to do is get a paint pen and write on the vehicle/part.
As you can see this one is about to get oil& filter.
The Jeep is due for oil & filter, and its probably getting a coolant flush in the next few months.
The spreadsheet is one of the most important and most useful programs ever written, but it is not a substitute for a relational database like Access. I've used spreadsheets for over 40 years, but I'm a newbie at Access. I've only been using it for about 30.
I use it for vehicle records, firearm and reloading records, and home inventory (but I use a purchased front-end program for that, and only use access to perform functions that the program lacks).
I find it funny to even consider the need to have a spreadsheet or any other forum of electronic tracking to tell me when to change my oil...
But then I'm OLD so what do I know...
But then I'm OLD so what do I know...
You said it. Don’t forget the rest though…”OLDIE but a GOODIE!”
I need some way to track my maintenance stuff so I use a spreadsheet, zorba
The spreadsheet is one of the most important and most useful programs ever written, but it is not a substitute for a relational database like Access. I've used spreadsheets for over 40 years, but I'm a newbie at Access. I've only been using it for about 30.
Why do you need a relational database for vehicle records?
If I can’t remember it in my head it’s probably not important.
I change the oil in the summer vehicles every year or two.
Don't LUMP me in with that dress wearing fool... I know how to use a phone...
Just can't imagine the need to electronically track my oil changes.
You don't drive your jeep so it's different. It's nice knowing how long and how many miles things last IMO. It's for everything not just oil changes.
It's not like I don't DRIVE.... And I was driving long before there were such a thing as a personal computer or smart phone...
But it's OK... I just found other ways to keep track of things like that.
Suggestions like has been said here... Wrote on the filter.. Or a piece of tape under the hood for other things. Wrote on the air filter but they were larger than some now days. Plus I had a notebook...
I don't need a relational database for it. It simply makes it easier to keep track of things. Paper and pencil works, too.
I'm old, too. And being old is a perfect reason to keep better track of maintenance (because we tend to get forgetful once we get all that wisdom).
If all I ever did on a vehicle was change oil, I wouldn't bother keeping records. However, I do a lot more than that with it. Most parts have warranties tied to time or mileage. By keeping track, I can tell if the part is still under warranty.I can also determine the last time a part failed or wore out to see if that brand was good or bad. Brake pads are a good example of that. So are tires. Where I grew up (the north country), tires seemed to last forever. Down here in Texas, they wear very quickly on the hot asphalt. My '98 Impreza daily driver has had 8 sets of tires on it in its lifetime. I can tell you that tire brand makes a big difference. Michelins last the longest, and the cost per mile is lower, even with the high price.
All of that can be done with a spreadsheet or even with a notebook, but a relational database just works better for me. YMMV, of course!
I want to look back at Scottie's (@toximus) readings, but at least for his use cases there wasn't a huge change in oil performance based on the ranges most of us would be wanting to test them in. However, I don't remember the duration between checks.
Either way, at least for my jeep - it's on the 3s since I don't run it much. Everything else just pairs up with tire rotation since they're daily drivers.
Either way, at least for my jeep - it's on the 3s since I don't run it much. Everything else just pairs up with tire rotation since they're daily drivers.
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