I've searched the internet and everything I've found is cheap and worthless.. I'm unimpressed.. I know few folks have used Excel to track their vehicle information.. I have a spreadsheet I use that someone emailed me as a basis for mine.

What i'm considering.. As I begin my advanced programming class in school.. As a project for class I am thinking about writing a well advanced software that can track your vehicle information.. I'll probably program most of it in VB using databases to manage the data... I think, I'm weighing my options but none the less it would be an awesome final project for class...

SO.. What I need is some input.. What do you guys think should be in a log book?

This is what I know of currently;

- Vehicle information (basic type info, model, 4x2 or x4, trans type etc, Vin, LP #)

- Date (Duh lol)

- Mileage (Service performed)

- Fuel tracking (Gallons, Trip meter, Dollars spent, $ per gallon, MPG calculation, average calculation based on max of last 12 fill ups, if DK or any additive was used)

- Services performed (Air filter, Oil Change & Filter, Fuel filter, Transmission Flush, Tire Rotation, Tire Replacement)

- Servicing station and location

- Additional service information

If you have any ideas of what else is of value.. Please post your thoughts.. Do your best to create a list of items.. That way I can copy everything I see, in essence don't write me a paragraph that I have to decode (Grin).. Just leave a list.. Of course software will be freeware and available for all FTE users.

Would picture of Vehicle be worth wild in vehicle information page?

Thanks!

 

Do not forget any codes that may pop up!


And also, would this be a program that would track the trucks operations in real time? What i mean is that would you be able to plug it into your laptop and see just what it is doing?

 

How about trip info.. Could be used for calculating tax deductable mileage.

Starting mileage
Ending mileage
Total trip mileage
Weather Business or pleasure miles.

 

I really don't track my personal vehicles info, probably because the truck is coming up on 4 yrs. old and still only has 26k miles. But just to give you an idea of what's commercially available, here's the maintenance software we use for fleet management. It also integrates with the Qualcomm info for fuel consumption/cost data.

Main Page: http://www.jjkeller.com/browse/product.html?group_id=2371&ticket=4468963790084669 489753558792&pageseq=10000

PDF Info Sheet: http://www.jjkeller.com/downloads/kmminfosheet.pdf

 

Have you checked out automotive wolf or carcare? I have both but like carcare better as it offers a free addon program for pocket pc and palm. It seems to do everything you say you want.

 

I understand there are some out there that do this.. It's not so much whats out there.. Just a chance for me to write something and also use it for my final project in school

This won't integrate with the computer at all.. i don't have the programming experience or time to research ford's diag connections and developed communication channeling between the two.. Would be nice, maybe after I pass this advanced programming class I can do it :-P

 

A way to indicate use was: towing vs. non towing and perhaps highway vs city. Then appropriate reporting of milage in each of the different driving categories.

 

I didn't post it as a discouragement, or to show you you're to late. But rather as another source for inspiration to help you come up with exactly what it is you want your program to do. Some of the greatest inventions in history weren't original ideas, but improvements on original ideas. Keep in mind, Bill Gates didn't invent DOS, he just improved upon it and marketed it.

 

LOL! You got that right.. I know =D

 

you could try making a spread sheet with Microsoft Excel. That is how I track all my Fuel mileage

 

Document engine hours at each fillup. By subtratcting the previous entry from the current one you get the number of hours driven during that fill-up period. Then dividing the miles driven by this number to get average mph. This makes an interesting chart.

 

Lol... Come on man.. You're killing me here..


I'll explain again =D I have an excel spreadsheet that I use currently for tracking everything.. But at the moment I am finishing my Masters in Network Engineering.. Part of that degree is programming in languages such as VB/C+/C++/JSP/ASP/ASP.NET among others..

This program is going to be the final project for this coming semester.. In our programming class we have to write a software program that is useful to folks.. Lots of people are writing some really good stuff but the only thing I can relate to that REALLY interest me (I'm not fond of programming, but I have to know how to do it) is creating a Log Book program..

That is why I'm asking for input lol..