Published 2026-09-26
What to write down after each visit so the log is still useful next year.
A maintenance log is a list of work done to one car. It is not a diary and it is not a catalog of parts. If a stranger could tell what was done, when, and at which kilometers, the row is good enough.
You can keep this on paper. RPMBase is the same habit on your phone: one car, one row per visit, with room for the next due date.
01
Make, model, year, and today's odometer. Everything else hangs off that car. If you own two, start two logs. Do not mix them.
02
Oil and filter, front pads, battery, inspection, or a general service. Use the words you would say out loud. Add the shop's name only if you want it later.
03
Date, odometer, and cost. If you only have two, save two. A blank kilometer field is better than a number you invented in the parking lot.
04
If the invoice or the sticker gives a date or a kilometer target, put it on the same row. That is what a reminder can use later.
05
Keep the invoice photo or the PDF with the row. The log should still make sense if you never open the photo again.
Services and repairs belong here: oil, filters, brakes, tires, battery, coolant, belts, inspections, and diagnostic visits that ended in real work.
Fuel does not belong in the maintenance log. Neither does the yearly insurance bill. Those are real costs, and they have their own places, so the service list stays readable.
You do not need the part number, the technician's name, or a photo of the waiting room. You do not need to rate the shop. If a line on the invoice was only a recommendation and the work was not done, do not log it as done.
Skip rows you cannot source. A log with honest gaps is more trustworthy than a log that looks complete and is not.
As far as your invoices go. Start with the latest service if that is all you have. Add older rows when you find the paper.
One visit can be one row that names each job, with one date, one odometer reading, and one total. Split it only if you need separate due dates.
