recommend a good maintenance app for cellphone

[ecr959]

Hi everybody. I like those apps that can keep track of gas mileage, oil changes, and if you need a part number or metric size for a part, you have all this info in one convenient spot, a cellphone app. I will get one soon, but first I wanted to hear from you veterans in this forum, maybe there is a good one you guys are already happy with. Share with me what you use. I have a Blackberry right now, But I might move to an Android phone, very soon. I'm a techie at heart, so I will understand any tech stuff you might know about.

[alantf]

I just use a file on the computer, & glance at it every now & then -[attachment=0:413w9ohj]Suzuki Marauder.doc[/attachment:413w9ohj]

[jonathan180iq]

I generally just create an excel spreadsheet for all the vehicles that I own and I log fuel economy and maintenance. I will sometimes track cost, but usually only on my nicer vehicles.

Every month or so I will look at the log and see how many miles until oil change or whatever.
Keeping with your fuel economy from tank to tank will allow you to see when something is starting to go wrong, well before you have some type of disaster.... usually ;)

[jonathan180iq]

Well, I think keeping a file of what you have done will prompt you when it's time to do other stuff... at least as long as you check it every now and then. I mean, unless you're just totally disconnected from the thought of external combustion engines, you should have at least a basic idea of what kind of maintenance needs to be done when.

And for those of us that are not all that up on what kind of service the GZ needs, there is a handy chart in the back of the service manual:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=27 (http://www.gz250bike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=27)

As far as techie stuff goes, Autozone keeps a free online garage for your cars. You input your vehicle and mileage and it will send you e-mail updates when it's time to do stuff. But I'm not sure they have one of those for Motorcycles. I'm searching for Blackberry options as we speak.

[ecr959]

Thank you Jonathan. And Gz Rider. I DO want to keep track of how much gas, and how many miles. I used to keep track of those things when I had a car, too.
Also, an app on the cellphone is so convenient to get reminders of the next oil change, or the next air filter change. I used to use a little notebook, back in the 90's, but now cellphones are not a luxury, they're part of my daily life. So, I like to have apps for weather, craiglist, food shopping, etc. So many things you can do with a smartphone, I combine my todo list with my calendar, with my addressbook, important memos, favorite websites. Its just like a little PC in your pocket.

[jonathan180iq]

I think fairly soon they will completely replace home computers.

[alantf]

That's a nice system for tracking what you've done but I don't see how it prompts you for future service.

One of the things he said was that he wanted to keep track of oil changes. My system does that. He can also modify it to keep track of mileage, costs etc, to suit his requirements. :)

Also, if he needs reminders (time wise) reminder fox is the firefox add on that I use. Unfortunately it can't work out mileages. O_o

[jonathan180iq]

Hey, a nice watch fan!

I'm currently sporting a 1993 Seiko Aviator 7T32-7F09.
Designed for the Military but it never caught on:

http://www.larrybiggs.net/scwf/images/com/network54/25/93/38/ed/264cd16b111a72665b5cef7c.jpg

[Water Warrior 2]

That watch has way too many moving parts for an old guy like me. Got a Gold Seiko when I retired and it is still in the box.

[ecr959]

I just bought a new Android phone a few minutes ago. I'm gonna sell my Blackberry. So I guess I'll pick one of the car maintenance apps in the Android app world. I only started this post thinking someone here might already know of a particular good one.

BTW Jonathan, cool watch.

[jonathan180iq]

Which model BB did you have?

I got the 9650-Tour when it was brand new, thinking RIM was going to keep up with neat apps and things... I'm just waiting to save enough $$ for a nicer Droid. I'm all about the google.

[ecr959]

I have a Blackberry Torch. Got it just 5 months ago. I admit I got a thing about phones, I've had about 4 in the last 4 years. I just bought a Motorola Triumph last night. I'm switching from AT&T to Virgin Mobile. Google is the way to go IMHO, I don't think RIM is gonna last long, they are in a downward spiral. I already have Gmail, for years, I depend on my Google contacts, and Google calendar, for years. Those will sync with whatever smartphone I get, so I always have my contacts, calendar, and even my Google Docs, I always have them with me. I get and extra 20gig of Google space for a measly $5 a yr. I also have a free 2gig of cloud storage with Ubuntu Linux, So between Google and Ubuntu, I have a comfortable cloud storage solution, no more lost backups ... ever. I'm happy.

[Water Warrior 2]

Sounds pretty complex to me but then I don't do well with electronic stuff. My cell is almost old enough to have a rotary dial on it.

[jonathan180iq]

You think you're making a joke, but......

http://wswcreative.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/02DEa.jpeg

[alantf]

I just bought a Motorola Triumph last night.

In England, a few years ago, Motorola was the only brand of cell phone available. No problems with the phones, but the batteries they used were crap. twelve months and the batteries wouldn't hold a charge, & had to be replaced at an exhorbitant price. When Nokia came on the market, I changed over, & I find that the batteries now last several years before they need replacing. What are Motorola batteries like nowadays? :??:

[ecr959]

You think you're making a joke, but......

http://wswcreative.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/02DEa.jpeg



hahaha , that image is great ! I gotta send that to a few I know.

[Water Warrior 2]

I'd use that.

[ecr959]

I just bought a Motorola Triumph last night.

What are Motorola batteries like nowadays? :??:


I had a Motorola i1 android phone about 18 months ago and I was impressed. No problems at all with the battery. I stopped using it because of a problem with the version of Android. Smartphones now have so much going on at the same time, email, websites, music, etc. that even a moderate user would have to charge the battery every night or every other night.

I'll get my new phone on friday, so after a week or so, I might PM you and tell how the battery charge holds up.

[jonathan180iq]

[quote="Water Warrior":15okg2wb]Sounds pretty complex to me but then I don't do well with electronic stuff. My cell is almost old enough to have a rotary dial on it.

I'm with you. I've used tracfone for over ten years. No contract, I know what it's supposed to do and it does it. No hassels all for 7.00 per month (100 per year). I love to walk into Best Buy or Sams club and have some cell phone salesman ask me who my service is with. :lol:

Over that 10 years, I've heard so many stories about disappointed customers, fees to break contracts, antennas that don't work, features and manuals that owners don't understand and $50-80.00 per month bills. No thanks.[/quote:15okg2wb]

I so was disgusted with my first cell phone contract, through T-Mobile, that I used Tracfone for a little over a year. It was a great service. The phone options have increased in the last few years. And when a new one comes out, you can pick it up for $10. We made the switch to Verizon when I was going to Haiti after the earthquake and needed a global phone. I haven't switched back, just because it's been convenient and we share a large family plan with my mom and everyone over at her house.

[jonathan180iq]

Yeah, love those "family" plans. They get you to give phones to family members who don't need one (8 year olds) because it's cheap/free. It was a great system to get us all addicted to using them. Like the free ATM's of the 80's, the free disappears and now your eight year old says he/she can't live without it.

They also caused alot of trouble as the person being given the free/cheap phone didn't know the rules and accidentally ran up the bill.

Is that the voice of experience talking?