A car maintenance log with dates, mileage and service notes
“When was the last oil change?” often leads to a search through receipts or a sticker on the windscreen. A car maintenance log puts the service date and the useful details in a record you can check on your phone.
Last Time tracks elapsed time from each event’s date. Put the odometer reading in the entry’s note to keep mileage beside that date. The app does not read your car’s mileage or calculate distance until a service is due.
Track work separately when the dates differ
One event called “Service car” is enough if you only need a history of workshop visits. Create separate events for oil changes, tyre rotations or other jobs when you want to see their individual last dates.
Include the vehicle in the name if you track more than one: “Hatchback — oil change” and “Family car — oil change”. A Car folder can keep the related events together.
A car service log template
| Detail | What to save |
|---|---|
| Date | When the service or repair was completed |
| Odometer | The reading, with miles or kilometres stated |
| Work | What the workshop actually completed |
| Parts or fluids | Specifications recorded on the invoice |
| Workshop | Name and reference number |
| Next service | The time, distance or vehicle guidance supplied |
An example entry might say: “Oil and filter changed at 42,180 km. Workshop: Riverside Garage. Invoice saved with car documents. Next service guidance on invoice.” The mileage is an example, not a recommended service interval.
Keep the invoice and formal service documents in your usual storage. The event note is a quick reference for what happened, rather than a substitute for those records.
Dates alone do not determine the next oil change
Use the maintenance schedule for your vehicle and pay attention to its service indicators. Ford’s explanation of its Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor shows why a generic interval can be misleading: the system uses vehicle data, and the interval can vary with operating conditions, driving habits and mileage.
A counter can tell you how many months have passed. To assess a distance-based interval, compare the last recorded odometer reading with the current one. Keep both pieces of information available whenever the vehicle’s guidance depends on them.
Add an entry after the work is complete
- Create an event for the vehicle and the job you want to track.
- Set the date from the completed service record.
- Add the odometer reading, units and work completed to a note.
- Mark the event done at the next completed service, then add the new mileage to that entry.
Check an invoice before marking several events done. A workshop visit does not necessarily mean every item on your maintenance list was completed.
Keep occasional repairs distinct
“Replace windscreen wipers” can have its own counter, while a one-off repair may only need a dated note. Use the same approach as a home maintenance log: give each record a specific name and keep the details you will need later. For smaller devices at home, a battery replacement log uses a similar replacement history without the mileage field.