Records Keep Track of Service
Question: I have just purchased a new car. Can you suggest what sorts of records I should keep?--P.M.
Answer: Certain records will be helpful in maintaining the car, as well as selling it in the future. Many owners of cars keep every scrap of paper from their purchase and later service. You don’t need to do all of that, but some basic record-keeping is a good idea.
The most important concern is to keep a log that includes mileage and dates of major service, including tuneups, oil changes, tire rotations, valve adjustments, coolant replacement and other fluid changes. It is difficult to keep all of this information in your memory and a slip could mean that vital fluids are allowed to drop too low or become too dirty.
It is also a good idea to keep invoices or customer receipts of your major service, in case a part or service fails while it is still under warranty. This is especially important in the case of tires and other safety items.
A small file at home should suffice for the service records. And a notebook in the glove compartment ought to be adequate for the maintenance log.
But if you are also a computer buff, there is now available a computer software program that allows you to keep track of the service records for up to four automobiles. It tracks such expenses as fuel, oil, maintenance and repairs costs.
The software is produced by Oak Tree Systems of Palm Desert, which can be reached at (619) 341-1559. Michael Jones, Oak Tree president, said the software is best suited to a well-organized motorist who is willing to keep receipts, record mileage and post maintenance expenses on the computer system.
Until now such software systems were available only for fleet operators and were quite costly. The Oak Tree system sells for $49.95.
To use the system, a motorist creates a file for each of his or her cars and then types in regular entries on gasoline purchases, oil changes, maintenance and repairs. The central location could conceivably keep records more organized than if separate logs were located in each car. The downside of the system is that instead of simply entering the data into a notebook in the car, it must be taken home and entered into the computer.
One side benefit of the system is that it seems to greatly impress the Internal Revenue Service if the agency raises questions during an audit about taxpayer deductions for auto expenses, Jones said.
Q: Does driving on hot pavement during the summer accelerate tire wear or is very cold weather harder on tires?
A: All temperature extremes are hard on tires, but hot pavement will tend to accentuate tire wear. The rubber softens as it gets hotter and tends to wear out more quickly when it is soft. The only benefit is that the softer rubber has somewhat better traction.
Q: I have a 1986 Cadillac Sedan De Ville with a 4.1 liter engine. Is the transmission in that car one of GM’s lemons?--T.R.
A: The Cadillac Sedan De Ville has a Model 200 transmission that is about on a par with the other GM transmissions, including the 125 and 400. The whole series of transmissions was a consumer nightmare, but GM has been working in the past two years to clean up its act. It may be too early to tell yet whether the new generation of transmissions has improved. You have to assume, though, that with all of the money GM is investing in new products and processes, it will eventually improve.
