Helped a neighbor change her oil last Saturday and she taught me a trick I'd never seen before

An older lady down the street in Buford asked if I could help with her Camry. While we were under the hood she showed me how she marks her oil filter with a sharpie - writes the date and mileage right on it. Said she learned it from her dad 40 years ago. Simple but it makes so much sense. I've been changing my own oil for years and never thought of that. Has anyone else picked up a tip like that from someone you least expected?

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1 Comment

the_rowan1mo ago

I mark the date and mileage right on the oil filter" sounds clever at first, but honestly it's a waste of time if you keep your vehicle's service records in any kind of logbook or digital file. Sharpie ink fades and gets greasy after a few months under the hood, so that writing won't be readable when you actually need it. The real trick is to just write the date and mileage in the owner's manual like every mechanic I've known has done for decades.