Maintenance Calendar Export - How It Works

What is Maintenance Calendar Export?

The Maintenance Calendar Export feature lets you sync your equipment maintenance schedules to your phone's calendar app (Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, etc.). This ensures you never miss important maintenance tasks like oil changes, blade sharpening, or equipment servicing.

Benefits:

Get calendar notifications for upcoming maintenance
See maintenance alongside your other appointments
Share maintenance schedules with family members via shared calendars
Never forget critical equipment servicing

Understanding Maintenance Sections

Garage Vault has several interconnected sections for managing equipment maintenance:

1. Maintenance Tracking (Service History)

Records of maintenance you've already completed:

Past service records
What was done
When it was done
Who did it
Costs

2. Maintenance Schedules (Future Maintenance)

Recurring maintenance tasks that need to be done:

Custom schedules you create
Set intervals (every 90, 180, 365 days)
Next service due dates
Automatic calculations

3. Upcoming Maintenance Dashboard

Quick overview card showing what's due soon:

Items needing service in the next 30 days
Overdue maintenance
Color-coded urgency

4. Calendar Export

Syncs your maintenance schedules to external calendar apps:

Export individual items or all equipment
Automatic updates when schedules change
Integration with your phone's calendar

Setting Up Maintenance Tracking

Step 1: Add Equipment to Track

Go to Inventory
Find or add an equipment item (Lawn Mower, Snow Blower, Chainsaw, etc.)
Make sure the category is set to "Equipment" or "Tools"
Save the item

Step 2: Create a Maintenance Schedule

Open the equipment item
Scroll to "Maintenance" section
Tap "Add Maintenance Schedule" or "Create Schedule"
Fill in the details:

Maintenance Task:

Task name (e.g., "Oil Change", "Blade Sharpening", "Air Filter Replacement")
Description of what needs to be done

Interval:

Select how often (90 days, 180 days, 365 days, custom)
Or set by hours/mileage (e.g., every 50 hours, every 3,000 miles)

Last Completed:

When was this maintenance last done?
The app calculates the next due date from this

Cost Estimates (Optional):

Estimated parts cost
Estimated labor cost
Helps budget for upcoming maintenance

Tap "Save"

The app now automatically tracks when this maintenance is due next!

Logging Completed Maintenance

When you complete a maintenance task:

Open the equipment item
Go to "Maintenance" section
Find the maintenance task
Tap "Log Service" or "Mark Complete"
Fill in the service record:
- Date Completed (defaults to today)
- Service Provider (yourself, shop name, mechanic)
- Actual Costs (parts and labor)
- Mileage/Hours (if applicable)
- Service Notes (what was done, issues found, parts replaced)
- Before/After Photos (document the work)
Tap "Save"

What Happens Next:

The service record is saved to history
Next service due date is automatically calculated
Calendar export is updated with new date
Dashboard shows updated "upcoming maintenance"

Exporting to Your Calendar

How to Export Maintenance Schedules

Go to Settings → Maintenance → Calendar Export OR Open an equipment item → Maintenance → "Export to Calendar"
Choose what to export:
- Single Item - Export one piece of equipment's maintenance
- All Equipment - Export maintenance for everything
- Selected Items - Choose specific equipment
Select export options:
- Calendar App (let the app detect your default calendar)
- Advance Notice (how many days before to show reminder)
- Repeat Settings (one-time vs recurring events)
Tap "Export"
Your phone will open the calendar app:
- Review the maintenance events
- Choose which calendar to add them to
- Confirm the export

What Gets Exported

Each maintenance schedule creates a calendar event with:

Event Title:

Equipment name + Maintenance task
Example: "Lawn Mower - Oil Change"

Event Date:

Next service due date

Event Details:

Task description
Last service date
Estimated cost
Link back to Garage Vault item

Reminders:

Notification 1 week before (customizable)
Notification 1 day before (customizable)

Recurring:

Automatically repeats based on your maintenance interval
Example: Oil change every 180 days = calendar event every 6 months

How the Sections Work Together

Here's how everything connects:

The Maintenance Cycle

1. CREATE SCHEDULE

   ↓

   Set intervals and tasks

   ↓

2. EXPORT TO CALENDAR

   ↓

   Sync with phone calendar

   ↓

3. GET REMINDERS

   ↓

   Calendar notifies you when due

   ↓

4. PERFORM MAINTENANCE

   ↓

   Do the work or take to shop

   ↓

5. LOG SERVICE RECORD

   ↓

   Record what was done, costs, photos

   ↓

6. AUTOMATIC UPDATE

   ↓

   Next due date calculated

   Calendar export updated

   Dashboard refreshed

   ↓

REPEAT CYCLE

Example: Lawn Mower Maintenance

January 15 - Initial Setup:

Add lawn mower to inventory
Create maintenance schedule: "Oil Change every 180 days"
Last completed: January 15
Next due: July 14 (auto-calculated)
Export to calendar

Your Calendar Shows:

Event on July 14: "Lawn Mower - Oil Change"
Reminder on July 7 (1 week before)
Reminder on July 13 (1 day before)

July 10 - Perform Maintenance:

Get reminder notification
Change the oil
Log service record in Garage Vault
Add photos, notes, costs

Automatic Updates:

Next due date: January 6 (180 days later)
Calendar event updates to January 6
Dashboard shows next service in 180 days

Dashboard Integration

Upcoming Maintenance Card

Your dashboard shows an "Upcoming Maintenance" card that displays:

Color Coding:

🔴 Red - Overdue (needs service now!)

🟡 Yellow - Due soon (within 7 days)

🟢 Green - Upcoming (within 30 days)

⚪ Gray - Not due yet (more than 30 days away)

Quick Actions:

Tap an item to open details
Tap "Log Service" to mark complete
Tap "Export" to sync to calendar

Customizing Dashboard Display

Go to Settings → Dashboard
Toggle "Show Upcoming Maintenance" on/off
Drag to reorder where it appears
Set how many days ahead to show (7, 14, 30 days)

Maintenance Parts Tracking

For equipment that needs replacement parts:

Adding Parts to Equipment

Open an equipment item
Go to "Maintenance Parts" section
Tap "Add Part"
Fill in details:
- Part Name (e.g., "Chainsaw Chain", "Mower Blade")
- Part Number (manufacturer number for reordering)
- Quantity on Hand
- Reorder Threshold (get alerted when low)
- Estimated Lifespan (hours until replacement)
- Purchase Link (where to buy)
Tap "Save"

Logging Part Replacements

When you replace a part during maintenance:

Log the service record (see above)
In the service notes, mention the part replaced
Update the part's quantity (if you track spares)
The app tracks replacement history

Low Parts Alerts

Dashboard shows parts running low
Get notified when parts need reordering
Add directly to shopping list

Best Practices

Creating Effective Maintenance Schedules

✅ DO:

Set realistic intervals based on manufacturer recommendations
Include all regular maintenance tasks (oil, filters, blades, belts)
Log maintenance immediately after completing
Add photos to document condition
Track actual costs for budgeting

❌ DON'T:

Set intervals too short (creates alert fatigue)
Skip logging completed maintenance (breaks the cycle)
Forget to export to calendar (you'll miss reminders)
Ignore overdue maintenance (can damage equipment)

Calendar Export Tips

💡 Choose the Right Calendar:

Use a dedicated "Maintenance" calendar if you have many items
Share with family members who also maintain equipment
Use color coding in your calendar app (e.g., red for equipment maintenance)

💡 Set Helpful Reminders:

1 week before: Order parts if needed
1 day before: Gather tools and supplies
Day of: Do the maintenance!

💡 Sync Regularly:

Export updates after logging service
Re-export if you change schedules
Check calendar weekly for upcoming tasks

Equipment to Track

High Priority (definitely track):

Lawn mowers
Snow blowers
Generators
Chainsaws
Pressure washers
Vehicles/ATVs in your garage

Medium Priority (consider tracking):

Power tools with regular maintenance (table saws, routers)
HVAC equipment in workshop
Compressors
Welders

Low Priority (optional):

Hand tools (rarely need maintenance)
Small occasional-use equipment

Advanced Features

Tracking by Hours/Mileage

For equipment with hour meters or vehicles:

In maintenance schedule, choose "Hours" or "Mileage" interval
Set interval (e.g., every 50 hours, every 3,000 miles)
Log current hours/mileage when completing service
App calculates next service based on usage

Example:

Generator: Change oil every 50 hours
Current hours: 175
Last oil change: 150 hours
Next due: 200 hours (25 hours of runtime remaining)

Multiple Maintenance Schedules per Item

You can create multiple schedules for one piece of equipment:

Lawn Mower Example:

Oil Change - every 180 days
Blade Sharpening - every 90 days
Air Filter - every 365 days
Spark Plug - every 730 days

Each schedule exports separately to your calendar!

Service Provider Tracking

Track who does your maintenance:

Yourself - DIY maintenance
Shop Name - "Mike's Small Engine Repair"
Dealer - Equipment dealer service department
Mobile Service - Traveling mechanics

Benefits:

See service history by provider
Track warranty work
Compare costs between DIY and professional service

Troubleshooting

Problem: Calendar export not working

Check calendar permissions in phone settings
Make sure you have a calendar app installed
Try exporting single item first before bulk export
Restart the app and try again

Problem: Next service date is wrong

Check the "Last Completed" date in maintenance schedule
Verify the interval setting (90, 180, 365 days)
Log a new service record with correct date
The next due date will recalculate automatically

Problem: Not getting calendar reminders

Check notification settings in your calendar app
Make sure reminders are enabled for the maintenance calendar
Verify the advance notice setting (7 days, 1 day)
Re-export the schedule to refresh

Problem: Dashboard not showing upcoming maintenance

Go to Settings → Dashboard → Toggle "Upcoming Maintenance" ON
Check that you have maintenance schedules created
Make sure maintenance is due within your display window (30 days)
Pull down to refresh the dashboard

Problem: Overdue maintenance not showing

Check that the maintenance schedule is still active
Verify the last completed date is in the past
Refresh the dashboard
Log the service if it was already completed

Quick Reference

Maintenance Workflow Cheat Sheet

Setting Up:

Add equipment to inventory
Create maintenance schedule with interval
Set last completed date
Export to calendar

When Service is Due:

Get calendar reminder
Perform or schedule maintenance
Log service record with details
Add photos and costs
Next date auto-calculated

Regular Reviews:

Check dashboard weekly for upcoming maintenance
Review calendar monthly for next month's tasks
Update schedules if manufacturer recommendations change
Export updates after major changes

Need Help?

If you need assistance:

Contact support@garagevault.app
Visit our Help Center
Watch our Maintenance Tracking Tutorial Video
Check out the Equipment Management Guide

Keep your equipment running smoothly! 🔧⚙️