[JekyllandHyde]

For the DIY maintenance guys, how do you keep a record of the maintenance you've done in case a warranty issue pops up? I enjoy doing maintenance on my cars myself, but I keep hearing stories about dealers always trying to weasel their way out of repair work covered under warranty. Obviously I keep all my receipts, but will I have to resort to filming myself putting in the oil in my car to satisfy the proof of maintenance being done?

As to why I don't just let the dealer service it, I'm pretty old school and know that when I perform maintenance, I'm not rushing to get the bay free for the next car. I take my time and pay attention to all the little details. Plus less chance of stupid mistakes like leaving the drain plug loose or putting in the wrong oil.

 

[drowned12]

All of my receipts are either in email or some other electronic format. I doubt anyone would try to argue I'm buying oil repeatedly and not using it.

 

[jimnfor]

I wrote service for 12yrs and it's quite obvious when maintenance has been neglected and an owner tries to say otherwise.

It's also easy to spot when something has been worked on or tampered with. Getting one over on a dealer is possible, but not super easy.

Dealer's don't try to get out of warranty work, heck it's the manufacturers money they would rather take, not yours. The problem is if they dealer replaces or repairs something that didn't actually fail due to a legitimate defect and the part is 'called for' (meaning Honda wants to inspect it to determine if a recall or TSB should be issued) and it's not on the up and up, the dealership is charged back the cost of the repair and could ultimately lose it's ability to perform warranty work.

 

[ltxi]

Receipts for oil/filter/parts and date/mileage/parts used entry in the maintenance log page of the owners manual...preferably with a greasy thumbprint or two.

 

[TN9thSi]

I haven't started doing my own maintenance yet since I still have a package from the dealer, but even now I scan every single piece of documentation from every service visit, combine all the files into a single PDF, named with the date and type of service and file it on my hard drive and also my DropBox. I will continue to do the same when I start doing oil changes, tire rotations, CVT fluid drain/fills, brake fluid, etc. myself. I don't think they can dispute if you have receipts. Also, try to put all maintenance-items on a separate receipt if you have other purchases. Helps keep everything sorted.

 

[ElectricDuck]

I use a Word document with dates and mileages, plus all receipts that paid for items used in conjunction with those action in a small box. I'll sort it out if challenged. Never been challenged, including warranty work on power train after 58,000 on my TSX (5/60 coverage at that time), because it was obvious I had done it and used the manual.

 

[steve88]

For the DIY maintenance guys, how do you keep a record of the maintenance you've done in case a warranty issue pops up? I enjoy doing maintenance on my cars myself, but I keep hearing stories about dealers always trying to weasel their way out of repair work covered under warranty. Obviously I keep all my receipts, but will I have to resort to filming myself putting in the oil in my car to satisfy the proof of maintenance being done?

As to why I don't just let the dealer service it, I'm pretty old school and know that when I perform maintenance, I'm not rushing to get the bay free for the next car. I take my time and pay attention to all the little details. Plus less chance of stupid mistakes like leaving the drain plug loose or putting in the wrong oil.

I don't do any of the maintenance on my car anymore but I used to for several years "back in the day". The way I did it was by keeping a log in Excel showing the date, type of service I did, the mileage on the car, and the cost of the parts and supplies. I would then tape the receipts onto paper and just binder clip them together in order. I like the suggestion of emailing it to yourself as well in case the paper records ever get damaged or lost. Good luck!

 

[Pstar]

I use a legal pad and I write down the date, mileage, work being performed, details of the work being performed like tread depth and so on, staple the receipt to it and call it a day. I'll be doing everything to my car except a coolant exchange since I have over 10 years of automotive experience.

 

[teezythakidd]

I keep all of my service records in the glovebox. I actually need to scan everything sooner than later so I have electronic copies. I also add every record to my account on owners.honda.com. The only work I do is minor electrical stuff (basically just with lights for now until I mature in knowledge and confidence with that stuff) and brakes. Brakes, because I can do the same exact job a dealership would charge for 2-3x less... and it's also very time-consuming, which is awesome for me sometimes lol

 

[Pete240z]

What if this happens? I do all my maintenance and minor repairs and haven't needed any warranty work in 51 months and 102,000 miles......I actually save all my receipts and I tape the Honda filter label inside the maintenance book and I get all my parts at the dealer.

 

[cristphoto]

Easy answer. Register your vehicle on the Honda owners site (owners.honda.com). You can login your maintenance there so Honda has an actual timeline of work thus eliminating any disputes. You can print it out for your own records too. Plus Honda will send you info on your car (recalls, etc.). Everything about your car is available online since you enter the serial number. Owners manuals to paint color - soup to nuts. Plus its free.

 

[TrueBlueV6]

what are your opinions on skimping on B12 services at 40k KM (mainly the inspection of moving parts) by doing the oil change and tire rotation myself? I can even do brake pad replacement myself if needed. The dealership i spoke to are charge about $250 CAD for the service. some won't even give me a discount if I did the oil change and tire rotation myself.

I guess my question is, will negligence of the inspection and brake service cost me my warranty in the future?