December 17, 2005
Car Maintenance Schedule spreadsheet
As a frugal guy, and one who takes care of his own car, I know how important it is to remember to perform routine maintenance. It's not only a good habit to get into, but it also is a long-term money-saving strategy. "A stitch in time saves nine," as the old saying goes. The oil change you perform today, and every three months or 3,000 miles, may prevent engine wear and make your car last hundreds of thousands of miles longer. If you consider that you won't have to buy a new car if your current car is properly maintained, then you know what a cost savings it is.
The problem, however, is keeping track of when scheduled maintenance needs to be performed. Some of us are sticklers: we'll get the oil changed on or before it hits the 3,000-mile mark, and we keep an eye on the odometer all the time. Others of us are more lax: we'll change the oil about every three months or so, and that's good enough. So, for those of you who are in the first group, that's great. You're on top of things, and probably don't need any help. For the rest of us, an occasional reminder is nice. That's where the Car Maintenance Schedule spreadsheet comes into play.
The Car Maintenance Schedule spreadsheet keeps track of your maintenance information, and shows you when a maintenance item is due. It even lets you know when an item is overdue, by highlighting the due date in red.
Click here for a screenshot of the Car Maintenance Schedule spreadsheet.
Click here to download the Car Maintenance Schedule spreadsheet.
Filed under Free Excel Templates, Money Making/Saving Strategies, Personal Finance Tools by Sean
Comments on Car Maintenance Schedule spreadsheet »
It's important to keep in mind that the "every three months or 3,000 miles" schtick is promoted mainly by the oil change places. According to the manufacturer recommendations, one of our cars only needs the oil changed every 7,500 miles (or 3,750 under "extreme" driving conditions) and our other car only needs it done every 10,000 miles (or 5,000 under extreme conditions). Check your owner's manual before committing to oil changes every 3,000 miles.
Another thing to keep in mind is that (assuming you use a quicky lube type place) every time you take your car in, you are opening yourself up to the possibility that a less-than-skilled mechanic will mess something up. At the very least, they often over-tighten the drain plug and strip it. So if you decide that there's no harm in having you oil changed too often (aside from the expense), think again. The more times you have it in, the more opportunity they have to mess something up.
One thing that needs to be understood is that most people do drive their cars under "extreme" conditions. That is, the majority of their driving is stop-and-go. To a car manufacturer, "normal" driving equals "highway driving". So perhaps 3,000 miles is too often, but not by very much.
Again, as you said, go by your car maker's recommendations. No blanket set of rules applies to all automobiles, so use your best judgment or see what your car's manufacturer's recommendations are.
Great spreadsheet! Now for a website that will teach me how to do all of these things that it's actually possible to do by myself. LOL.