Wanted: Excel Maintenance Log
12-13-2006, 11:28 PM
#16
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Please add me as well. I have a VERY simple spreadsheet that I use for my cars. All I list is what was done, the date and the mileage. I keep a folder of every receipt, but I don't look at them, and certainly don't total them. This "log" works well for me to reference when stuff was done. Your feature of the notifications is a nice one, I'd love to help you on the beta testing. PM me, if you need my e-mail address.
Here is an example of what I use, as I mention above, it ain't much. Since I can't post an xls file here, I copied a portion of the log to Word.
Here is an example of what I use, as I mention above, it ain't much. Since I can't post an xls file here, I copied a portion of the log to Word.
12-14-2006, 12:54 AM
#19
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Originally Posted by Dennis Wilson
How about putting it on the net and having Randy post the link up top? Appears that quite a few like myself are interested in the sheet.
I just took a look at where I left off. I need to add a few 'usability' features before allowing this horse out of the barn or I'll get drowned in tech support
12-14-2006, 11:00 AM
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Could I please be put on this list too? I would also be honored to assist with testing, if you want another guinea pig.
Thank you!
Leslie
Thank you!
Leslie
12-14-2006, 12:47 PM
#21
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I also made a simple excel file that lists all the repairs-upgrades and keeps a running total of $$$ spent (its scary).....it was pretty easy to make, even for a computer challenged person like myself
12-15-2006, 12:01 AM
#22
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Prospective Beta Testers.... I'm almost ready for one or two folks to do a trial run on Office 2000.
I just tried it on 2003 and it tossed its cookies.... so I'll need to beat Excel 2003 about the head a shoulders before any 2003 users can play with it.
Anybody still running Office 2000?
You will need to have VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) installed.
I've been hacking on it tonight and its almost ready. Before we start though let me set some expectations (so that those that are interested can participate and so that those that are not can move on.)
Why I made this maintenance sheet:
- With three 928s I cannot keep their maintenance schedules in my head
- I needed a way to track Maintenance Events,
- a means to remind me of Maintenance Events, and
- a way to predict maintenance events for planning.
- I wanted a nice format for both on-screen and printed forms
- I wanted a concise format that would allow me to see several years of maintenance at a glance. Since I keep detailed written records of every maintenance event I did not need detail in the sheet.
- I wanted to be able to add MEs and to change recommended periods (time and/or miles)
- I wanted this sheet to predict MEs based upon both time and a prediction of future mileage.
Maintenance Events (MEs) are things like oil changes, Wally's electrical maintenance etc.
Along the way I decided that I could also use this to track component failures (e.g. alternator, hood shocks, etc.) With enough data from owners we might be able predict failures with some statistical accuracy. So, failures are also considered MEs.
What this sheet is/does:
- MEs are tracked by item (oil change, timing belt replacement, etc.) on a quarterly basis.
- MEs are predicted for future quarters based upon the time or mileage interval for each item.
- MEs can be added, deleted and/or changed easily by the user.
- For each quarter a single mileage is recorded for purposes of predicting maintenance. The calculation is pretty simple and assumes that the cars is driven about the same number of miles per quarter. (It's a bit smarter, but, not much.)
- For each ME, a prediction is calculated based upon the passage of time, miles, or the prediction of miles to be driven.
- A grid of cells (item vs. Quarter) is used to record an ME.
- A single column is used as an at-a-glance method to determine what MEs are due this quarter.
- The 'in-service' date for the car (essentially model year), the 'start date' for the log, and the 'current date' are entered by the user. These three dates are used in the calculations for the following reasons:
1) The 'current date' can be set to a future date so that you can see what needs to be done next quarter, or next June.
2) Since many of us do not have records for our cars since Day One, there's no reason to have many years of empty cells taking up space - but for purposes of prediction we need to know when the car entered service
3) The log 'start date' represents the beginning of our maintenance records.
What this sheet does not do:
- It does not track ME cost (although that could be added if there's enough interest.)
- It does not replace detailed records of MEs - it's just a method to summarize.
* At the moment, the 'relative ME' calculation (for instance t-belt tension check after replacement) is broken. I have to fix that.
Below is a screen shot of what the sheet looks like (only a few of the MEs are shown in this shot. There are 100+ in total.)
I just tried it on 2003 and it tossed its cookies.... so I'll need to beat Excel 2003 about the head a shoulders before any 2003 users can play with it.
Anybody still running Office 2000?
You will need to have VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) installed.
I've been hacking on it tonight and its almost ready. Before we start though let me set some expectations (so that those that are interested can participate and so that those that are not can move on.)
Why I made this maintenance sheet:
- With three 928s I cannot keep their maintenance schedules in my head
- I needed a way to track Maintenance Events,
- a means to remind me of Maintenance Events, and
- a way to predict maintenance events for planning.
- I wanted a nice format for both on-screen and printed forms
- I wanted a concise format that would allow me to see several years of maintenance at a glance. Since I keep detailed written records of every maintenance event I did not need detail in the sheet.
- I wanted to be able to add MEs and to change recommended periods (time and/or miles)
- I wanted this sheet to predict MEs based upon both time and a prediction of future mileage.
Maintenance Events (MEs) are things like oil changes, Wally's electrical maintenance etc.
Along the way I decided that I could also use this to track component failures (e.g. alternator, hood shocks, etc.) With enough data from owners we might be able predict failures with some statistical accuracy. So, failures are also considered MEs.
What this sheet is/does:
- MEs are tracked by item (oil change, timing belt replacement, etc.) on a quarterly basis.
- MEs are predicted for future quarters based upon the time or mileage interval for each item.
- MEs can be added, deleted and/or changed easily by the user.
- For each quarter a single mileage is recorded for purposes of predicting maintenance. The calculation is pretty simple and assumes that the cars is driven about the same number of miles per quarter. (It's a bit smarter, but, not much.)
- For each ME, a prediction is calculated based upon the passage of time, miles, or the prediction of miles to be driven.
- A grid of cells (item vs. Quarter) is used to record an ME.
- A single column is used as an at-a-glance method to determine what MEs are due this quarter.
- The 'in-service' date for the car (essentially model year), the 'start date' for the log, and the 'current date' are entered by the user. These three dates are used in the calculations for the following reasons:
1) The 'current date' can be set to a future date so that you can see what needs to be done next quarter, or next June.
2) Since many of us do not have records for our cars since Day One, there's no reason to have many years of empty cells taking up space - but for purposes of prediction we need to know when the car entered service
3) The log 'start date' represents the beginning of our maintenance records.
What this sheet does not do:
- It does not track ME cost (although that could be added if there's enough interest.)
- It does not replace detailed records of MEs - it's just a method to summarize.
* At the moment, the 'relative ME' calculation (for instance t-belt tension check after replacement) is broken. I have to fix that.
Below is a screen shot of what the sheet looks like (only a few of the MEs are shown in this shot. There are 100+ in total.)
12-19-2006, 11:01 PM
#24
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I've uploaded the Excel Sheet to this link - right click and Save As...
In order to use the sheet you will need to:
1) be using Excel 2000 (Office 2000) as I haven't gotten it to work in 2003 yet
2) VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) installed.
3) Security set to Medium level (or lower, but not recommended.)
When you load the sheet you should see two windows:
1) The foreground window (the first tab sheet) with instructions.
2) The background window with the maintenance sheet.
I'd like one or two folks (not a bunch for now) to try it out and see if it works (Sharkskin?) before letting everyone beat on it just in case there are some issues. (I've never 'deployed' an Office app. My software used to come with an automated installer, two DVDs, and a systems engineer.)
Once I get indication that the sheet does something interesting we can use this thread as general Q&A.
In order to use the sheet you will need to:
1) be using Excel 2000 (Office 2000) as I haven't gotten it to work in 2003 yet
2) VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) installed.
3) Security set to Medium level (or lower, but not recommended.)
When you load the sheet you should see two windows:
1) The foreground window (the first tab sheet) with instructions.
2) The background window with the maintenance sheet.
I'd like one or two folks (not a bunch for now) to try it out and see if it works (Sharkskin?) before letting everyone beat on it just in case there are some issues. (I've never 'deployed' an Office app. My software used to come with an automated installer, two DVDs, and a systems engineer.)
Once I get indication that the sheet does something interesting we can use this thread as general Q&A.
Last edited by worf928; 12-21-2006 at 08:40 PM.
12-20-2006, 01:23 AM
#26
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Originally Posted by WICruiser
Dave, I would love to give it a try but I am running Office 2003. If you want me to play with it some let me know.
12-20-2006, 01:29 AM
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WICruiser - scratch that last. It's going into an infinite loop on 2003. So, nothing you can do now unless you really want to debug my VBA code. I'm in the debugger now...
12-20-2006, 08:05 AM
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Originally Posted by SharkSkin
Dave, I opened the sheet in Excel 2K and I can't see it doing much when I click "Calc now" except showing the hourglass. Is that a feature or a bug? 
