Tips for Easier Records-Keeping

Hello again, Readers!

In my last post, I promised a future edition that focused on making your record-keeping easier. I decided to heed the adage of 'no time like the present', so we will cover that very topic today. Actually, I did already touch on this very topic back in November 2011, with the post "Warranty Enforcement 101". Tip #3 of that post gave a quick overview of how to preserve receipts for future warranty claims. This post will go deeper, including more details about that and a step-by-step filing system.

First things first: 
How many vehicles do you own? Write them down on a list. Be sure also to count motorcycles and RV's in the mix. While you're at it, you might consider adding any watercraft (boats, jetski's, etc.), ATV's, mopeds/scooters, and lawn equipment that you have. Pretty much, if it has an engine, you want it on your list. Yes, this is daunting right now, but the work will pay off tremendously. I promise you this!

Get your supplies:
For every vehicle on your list, you will need a 1" hard-bound binder. These usually have a clear plastic cover around them, that allows you to slip a title page in the outside pouch. Make sure yours do, too. If you own a vehicle long enough, you may need to get a larger binder later; for now, the 1" size is the way to go.

If anything else on your list has an ID number (boats, ATV's, etc), I recommend using the 'vehicle' binder method. When you eventually sell such an item, you will get better offers by having this book available as part of the sale.

All of your small engine/lawn equipment (push mower, weed whacker, chainsaw, snowblower, leaf-blower) can generally share one binder. I would recommend a 2" binder for this shared-binder category. If you have a riding mower, you can either do the 1" dedicated binder method for it, or you can put it in the very front of the lawn equipment's shared binder. Since I believe they have an ID number, I would recommend a dedicated binder, but that is your decision to make.

Aside from the binders mentioned above, you will also need the following:
Clear page protectors
Tabbed binder dividers
Plain printer paper
Permanent Marker or Self-adhesive labels (your choice - labels can be made by a label-gun)

Setting-Up Your System:
1. Create a 'Vehicle Maintenance Log' sheet.
  a. In lines across the top, leave open fields for the vehicle's details (year, make, model, engine, color, VIN). Leave enough space to fill in the blanks by hand. Be sure to include a "Page __" spot.
  b. Add a simple table below this. Three columns are all you need: Date, Odometer/Mileage, Description of Repair/Maintenance. The table should have as many lines as will fit neatly on the page.
  c. Print off 2-3 copies for each vehicle (and items that have an ID number).

2. Choose a vehicle on your list. Gather a 1" binder, 10 page protectors and 3 dividers.

3. Using your computer (or any type-and-print device), create a title page for the binder. Be sure to include the color, year, make, model and VIN on this page. Print this out and slip it into the outside front pouch.

4. Fill in the appropriate ID information on the Log sheet you created. Place "Page 1" face-up in front of you, with the other 1-2 copies stacked underneath it. Insert the whole 'packet' into one of the page protectors. Place this protector and one empty protector behind the first tabbed divider.

5. Of the 8 remaining page protectors, place 4 behind each of the other tabbed dividers. Using the labels that came with them, mark the dividers this way: Maintenance Log, Parts Receipts, Repair Receipts.

6. Open the binder, thread the rings through the holes of your organized stack, then seal it up. Use permanent marker or a self-adhesive label to write the year, make, model, color and VIN (at least the last 4-8 characters of it) on the spine of the binder. Store the binder on your bookshelf.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 for the remaining vehicles on your list.

NOTE: Certain items like watercraft and lawn equipment have maintenance intervals based on 'hours used' instead of 'mileage driven'. Refer to your owner's manual to figure out which interval type you should reference on your maintenance log. I recommend creating a separate Maintenance Log that works better for these items. (Mostly, just changing 'mileage' to 'hours' on the table would work well. But you may also want to tweak the 'equipment information' portion to reflect the machinery's details.)

Maintaining Your System:

The hard part was the set-up, so now you're on 'easy street'! Every time you do any repair or maintenance (oil and filter change, air filter change, any fluids flushed, etc):

1. Grab that vehicle's binder from the bookshelf. 

2. Pull your Log out of the protector and fill in the particulars (date, miles, job description).

3. File the receipts in the appropriate section - 'repair' if you had a shop do the job, 'parts' if you got the items from a parts store and did the job yourself.

    *NOTE: Consider making a photocopy of any parts store receipt before filing it.*

4. Put the binder back on the bookshelf. You're done!

As with nearly any system, the hardest part is setting it up in the first place. Once you have that done, keeping up with it is a breeze. A lot like cleaning your home: get your routine in place, don't slack off, and you will always be company-ready in 5 minutes or less. Speaking of which, I had better go now. Housekeeping duties are calling me.

Remember to keep those records well, so you can save your sanity. And treat your vehicle as well as you want it to treat you.

See you again soon!

PPM

"...That Stuff is Such a Chore! *stomp* I Hate This!"

Welcome back, Readers.

My youngest turned 7 on Saturday, and we have reached the point where she often refuses to do something, because it is boring/stupid/hard/not any fun... yeah, you get the point. Lately, the refusal comes mostly when it is time for her to brush her teeth. I actually had to fight the urge to laugh the first few times she did that (when she was about 4 or 5). You see, I remember my younger brother choosing that very battle when we were young... actually, he was about 4 or 5 as well. And being the oldest (by about 2.5 years), I remember vividly how my parents so expertly handled it, and have used that tactic on my daughter myself. (I have tweeked it a bit, because she is more stubborn. But the idea is the same.)

Her: "Brushing my teeth is boring! I hate it!"
Me: "That's okay, Honey. Tell you what. You don't have to brush all of your teeth."
Her: "Really? Cool!"
Me: "Really. Just brush the teeth you want to keep."
Her: "Oh." *hesitates, thinking*
Me: "The grownup teeth you get, are your last teeth to use. They will have to last you for the rest of your life, until you are super-duper old. Whichever ones you want to have even then, those are the ones you want to brush."
Her: "What if I don't brush some of them?"
Me: "When your baby teeth fall out, the adult teeth grow in behind them. You already have some of these. If adult teeth aren't brushed and taken care of, they fall out too. No other teeth grow in their spots, and you can't chew as many hard or crunchy foods, because your teeth are your chewing power. Treat enough of your teeth badly, and you won't be able to eat anything crunchier than applesauce."
Her: "Oh. That's not fun at all. I think I'll go brush my teeth. All of them, so they all stick around."
Me: "That sounds like a great decision!"

Aside from gaining a new parenting tactic, you might be wondering: What does this have to do with vehicles? The answer is simple: Plenty!

Yes, doing Preventive Maintenance on your vehicle can be quite a chore. My young daughter considers certain routines - teeth brushing, room cleaning, etc. - to be quite a hassle as well. Many children share her opinion, on one responsibility or another. Heck, some of us never outgrow our aversions to certain tasks - especially cleaning!

But, what would happen if we chose *not* to do our "dreaded chores"? Laundry would pile up - either in clumps of dirty clothes, or piles/stacks of clean ones that never got put away. The dish cabinet would be empty, with its contents in the sink and on the counter - clean and dirty all mingling together. Dust and dirt would be everywhere, causing all who walked by to sneeze repeatedly. That's a disturbing thought, one that brings to mind the show "Hoarders", right?

Let's apply that thinking process to our vehicles. No one *likes* fueling up, but without fuel the auto won't go anywhere - not even to your work. Without fresh wiper blades and light bulbs, your chances of seeing and being seen are reduced greatly. Ignore servicing your brakes,  and your vehicle won't stop properly for very long at all.

I could go on, but I think you get my point.  Yes, keeping tabs on what services have been done and when can be quite the undertaking. In fact, I will offer suggestions on how to do exactly that with greater ease, in a future post. But one thing I want to bear in mind, is that your vehicle will exercise karma and the Golden Rule in dealing with you. So, if you want continuous, reliable service out of your auto, you must give it continuous, reliable preventive maintenance. If you choose to shirk your duties as the owner, your vehicle will eventually choose to shirk its duties in taking you where you want/need to go. Sobering thought, isn't it?

And now you have a better understanding of why I sign my posts the way I do.

Until next time, remember: Take care of your vehicle, the way you want it to take care of you!

PPM

Hey, Reader... Check Your Battery!

Happy 2012, Readers! I pray that your Christmas and New Year celebrations were filled with all of the joy (and very little of the stress and drama) that this time of year brings.

But, stress and drama may very well be lurking on your horizon, if you haven't given your vehicle its due TLC (that's "tender, loving care", not the former singing group). As this post's title states, you need to check your vehicle's battery. If the charge (power level) on it is too low, you will have some rough days ahead - in the form of 'slow starts' and eventually 'no starts'. If this is your idea of a fun adventure on a morning that you are already rushed or running late, please raise your hand. Anyone, anyone?

Even though I can't exactly see you, Readers, I'm willing to wager that not one of you raised your hand. Despite my - at times - odd sense of 'adventure', I didn't raise my hand either. I'm glad we agree! So, how do we avoid these non-adventures? You do the following three things:

1. Look up what your auto's "OE CCA" rating is. You will find this in the owner's manual, on the battery itself (hopefully it's the factory one, otherwise double-check the spec's), or at your quality parts store when they look up a replacement for you.

NOTE: The "OE" stands for "Original Equipment", or the company that made your auto (e.g. Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, etc.). The "CCA" stands for "Cold Cranking Amps", which is the raw power capacity of a battery at 0°F.


2. Have your battery tested to verify what CCA's it is actually producing. Many businesses (repair shops, oil change outfits, parts stores, etc.) offer this service as a 'courtesy' (read: FREE) to customers, so don't be afraid to ask. Just be sure to ask them to provide you with the actual results, so you see first hand how strong or weak your battery is.


3. Compare #2's results to what your vehicle requires (from #1). You want #2 to be *significantly* HIGHER than #1... if it isn't, your battery is due to be replaced. Why? Because the current battery has become a weakling overtime, and 'Murphy's Law' will apply very soon. Picture your battery finally screaming in a Scottish brogue, "I cahn't du'it, Cahp'n... I need more power!"


If a new battery is in your near future, I want to make a very clear point on something. I know first hand what a rotten economy we still have. Money doesn't grow on trees... I get that. Which is why I want you to be sure that the battery you purchase, will actually live up to the honor of serving you the way that it should. In a nutshell: Compare the CCA of any replacement battery offered, to the OE CCA for your vehicle!


All too often, a customer will insist on getting the 'cheapest battery that will fit'. Batteries are identified by "BCI Group Code", which classifies batteries based on their footprint (length x width), height, and terminal type (top, side or 'dual' - which is a combo). So, sure a 'cheaper' version of the same battery will 'fit' - but only size-wise. Cheaper batteries have a shorter warranty period for a reason: They lack the extra power capacity that the ones with longer warranties possess. For true purchase satisfaction, make sure the BCI number *and* the CCA rating match your OE spec's!




As an aside...
No, Readers, you are not imagining things. I did manage three different movie references in this post: The title was inspired by a scene in Sister Act I. There was a nod to Ben Stein's character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. And - of course - the trekker/trekkie in me couldn't resist the Scotty quote. :-)


Until we meet again, remember to take care of your vehicle only as well and for as long, as you want it to take care of you.


PPM