Another "How do you do that" question

[LPChristensen]

If you look at your owner's manual, warranty information and maintenance logbook for the 2003 and I assume for the 04 as well, the maintenance log requires that servicing dealer doing the maintenance for schedule "A" or "B" fill in the odometer reading, date, repair order number, sign and stamp the page in the logbook for the service work done as well as attach a portion of the logbook page to the repair order. Now, if you are a do it yourself oil change guy (or girl, no slight intended) or if you buy your filters and oil and drive your truck on down to Wally World to let them change it, how do you get your log book filled out by a certified DC dealer? The book claims that failure to keep you log book current could result in the warranty coverage being dropped. What's the secret? How do you prove that you changed the oil and filter at 7500 miles, 15,000, etc. etc. , if you did the work or had Wally World change your oil and look at the fluid levels and inspect the hoses? I have had a couple of Dodge Rams in the past and I never had a maintenance logbook to fill out. I just kept copies of all service related work done in a file and figured that any question about maintenance could be addressed by the file.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Receipts for oil and filters is considered proof enough along with your having kept a record of the work you performed.

 

[GIT-R-DONE]

Larry, I had heard this log book was coming and here it is. My 02 was to have been under this maintenance log book too but was never sent to me. Also if you ever run synthetics in the motor and have the oil analysis done, keep the paperwork from it to for proof if need be for later. I am not sure as to why DC is doing this, probably to try and get out of some warranty work at a later time.

 

[ttreibel]

I take digital photos of each oil change. I log the mileage and engine hours in the book and my dealer stamp is the foil seals from my 3 gallons of Delo-400

 

[Duck]

Originally posted by ttreibel

I take digital photos of each oil change.

Do you hold a newspaper up when you take the photo so there's proof of the date?

 

[DIESELMAN]

I just mark the page in the manual/log book with my sue everyone lawyers business card, hmmmm.

 

[ttreibel]

Duck



LOL



The digital photos are embedded with the date and time are permanently attached to the file. Graphic programs like Adobe Photoshop can read that information and even the exposure etc... ...



Maybe I will put them together someday as a How To or How Not with pics

 

[rbattelle]

I do my own oil changes and I save all receipts. I don't go so far as taking pictures. I have my own detailed maintenance spreadsheet where I track every last maintenance item I do in detail. And I hand-write in the maintenance logbook services I perform and the mileage and engine hours.

 

[LPChristensen]

Has anyone gotten any feedback, positive or negative, from D/C on not using the maintenance logbook or filing it in yourself with oil and filter receipts. My local Dodge dealer is a pretty good dealer, but I had not planned to have 100 or 200 thousand maintenance relationship with them. I don't want to open up a can of worms on oil changes, the correct oil or schedules, but taking the truck to the dealer for maintenance work when it primarily is oil and filter and check the hoses and fluids is pretty expensive. I know I can do it myself or take it to a lube place with my oil and filter for less than half the price. I guess I am feeling that this log book issue is something between guaranteed revenue for D/C or a reason to not honor a warranty promise.

 

[rbattelle]

For those that want the peace of mind of having the dealer stamp the logbook, my dealer charges only $13 labor if you bring in your own oil and filter! That ain't bad at all.

 

[Diesel Nut]

I thought about this problem to and got on the computer and made a service record sheet for my 7 ring planner. Dates, Odo readings, and all services done and materials, and hold onto receipts. I keep track of materials used (like delo 400 oil, K+N Hp 4003 oil filter) so DC will have a hard time trying to say I've been running a Fram! Just takes a few extra minutes, weather it works or not. The way I see it if you make an effort to record servicing intervals it's on them to prove you wrong.