Bringing your car in for regular servicing is the best way to keep it in great shape, and make sure that it lasts for years to come. However, even people who regularly service their cars often make a mistake – failing to log and record maintenance performed on their car.
Keeping a car maintenance log has a wide variety of benefits. In this article, Ride Time will look at just a few of these, and show you why you should start keeping records of maintenance and repairs today!
1. You Can Understand The Overall Cost-Of-Ownership Of Your Vehicle
Different vehicles cost more to maintain – but without keeping any kind of maintenance log, it may be difficult to understand exactly how much you’re spending to maintain and repair your vehicle.
This can make it a bit harder to budget, and ensure that you have enough money set aside for regular maintenance and repairs. You’ll never really know how much you’re spending – although you might have a general idea.
Keeping comprehensive records of repairs, oil changes, and other common maintenance tasks will allow you to see exactly how much you spend on your car per year, and help you budget more effectively.
2. You Eliminate Guesswork And Unnecessary Maintenance
Here’s a common scenario. You go in for an oil change, and the service technician asks when you last got your tires rotated. And guess what? You can’t remember! So you tell them to go ahead and rotate your tires – better safe than sorry.
Then you get home and check your receipts, and it turns out that you rotated your tires less than 5,000km ago – and you probably could have gone another 5,000 without a rotation.
If you had a car maintenance log, you would have known exactly when your tires were rotated, which would have let you save some money. Not a lot – but over time, saving on unnecessary maintenance adds up.
In addition, you don’t have to do any guesswork about when you changed your oil, topped up your fluids, had a brake inspection, or anything else! You can just reference our log, and you’ll know exactly what services your car needs.
3. You Will Be Able To Benefit From Warranties On Replacement Parts
If you keep a car maintenance log, it’s a good idea to also keep a folder full of receipts with it. Keep all documentation related to purchasing auto parts and services, and make sure that you keep that information alongside your maintenance log.
You may even want to use an app like Drivvo to take photos and scans of your receipts and other information. This way, even if you lose the physical receipt, you can benefit from warranties on replacement parts.
If you lose your proof of purchase, you’re pretty much hosed when it comes to redeeming a warranty. So keep your receipts close – most parts like car batteries have a 5-year warranty, which you’ll definitely want to take advantage of in the future.
4. You Can Increase The Resale Value Of Your Car
A comprehensive car maintenance log increases the resale value of your car for a few reasons.
First, a car maintenance log complete with receipts shows that you have been taking proper care of your vehicle. This is especially important if you have a very high-mileage (or very low-mileage) car. A vehicle that’s been properly maintained and driven 200,000km will be in better condition than one that has been neglected – and a car maintenance log is usually the only way to prove this.
In addition, it helps buyers know what they’re getting. A Carproof report doesn’t tell a potential buyer everything about the car – just whether or not it’s been in a major accident. Your maintenance log can give them peace of mind, and ensure that they know which parts have been repaired or replaced, and understand the overall condition of the car.
Start Your Maintenance Log Today!
At Ride Time, we understand the importance of regular vehicle maintenance. So don’t wait. Start your maintenance log now, and you’ll enjoy a number of benefits. And if you need a car servicing in Winnipeg, come in to the Ride Time service centre today!
At our top-notch service centre, we’ll take great care of your vehicle, and ensure that you’re following the proper maintenance steps for your particular car. So schedule your appointment online today, and get started with Ride Time.
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