A responsible car or truck owner knows that any vehicle needs to be properly maintained in order to perform at its best. We all know that this means regular oil changes, filter changes, and other similar procedures. The problem is that most of us (myself included) have a tendency to forget or put them off. And when I do remember to think about it, I often forget what’s been done and how recently. That makes it really hard to know when I’m due for something like a tire rotation. Those little decals the oil change folks put in the window aren’t quite enough. I needed a better way to track and organize all of this information.
I knew right away that whatever record system I came up with, it needed to be easy to organize and small enough to fit easily in a glove compartment. The perfect solution was to use an old checkbook cover
With the cover decided on, I next made a list of all the common maintenance procedures that my car needed. Oil changes and tire rotations were no-brainers, and I added others like spark plug inspection/replacement, chassis lubrication, and air filter replacement. I made a simple chart for each procedure, so that I could track each time I had a service performed, and I made them just the right size to fit inside the checkbook cover.
I even got inspired and made a chart for tracking fuel economy and a page for writing down all the important information you need at your fingertips in case of an emergency.
And of course I bundled it all into a free downloadable template for you so you can print out your own!
| Download our vehicle maintenance records sheets |  |
Just print out as many sheets as you want, cut them out, and tuck them into a checkbook cover.
I’m so happy with the results that I’m going to make a set for my Dad for Father’s Day. Finally, a practical and useful Father’s Day gift that he’ll actually like!
8 comments so far:
What a great idea! When they ask me if I need a rotation/oil change/etc I always have to ask the mechanic how long its been since my last one and sometimes I wonder… Now I can track it myself. Thanks tons, I’ll be linking.
These are so cool. Thanks for making and sharing this very useful tool!
Came across this as I was searching for a way to track my car’s maintenance as I just got a new car and wanted to keep up-to-date on all these things. While I consider myself a geek, I like having a hard copy of these things, since after all when you have to get your car serviced you usually don’t have easy access to the internet.
Rachel, now you can keep them honest
librarianism, you’re welcome. Enjoy!
John, I tend to agree. Some stuff is just better on paper, and I like having the records right there handy in the glove compartment. And congrats on the new car!
You have a great blog & this freebie is great! Thanks for sharing. I’ve linked to it on my blog:
http://www.mydeliciousambiguity.com/2010/05/free-printables-for-fathers-day.html
Hope you’ll stop by sometime!
What a great idea! I’m making several for my husband as a gift.
Those are really cool!! I just bought a new car (after putting 252,000+ miles on the last one which we bought used) and I want to make sure I don’t miss any of the FREE scheduled maintenance from the dealer. This will definitely help.
Oh, and can you tell me the name of the Font you used? I want to find that for my own personal use. THANKS!!
Paulycowgirl, you certainly got the most out of that old car! Good luck with the new one as well
The font I used for this project is “Graphite Std”.