If you drive a Dodge, Chevy, or Ford diesel pickup, you know the amount of hard work your truck puts in. You may also be aware that diesels run a little dirtier than your average gas burner. At Skip's Auto Repair in Frederick, MD, our goal is to keep your Duramax, Cummins, or Powerstroke truck on the road for many miles to come. A huge part of that is keeping your oil maintained.

It doesn't matter if you are driving a car or truck, jeep or SUV, a diesel 4x4 or a classic when those dash warning lights go off the first thing you do is think "how bad is it?" and "how much will it cost me?" followed quickly by "when was my last service visit?"!!  Driving your vehicle longer safely is all about getting it serviced based on what your vehicle manual recommends and these warning lights are alerting you to a situation that requires your attention. 

While not all warning lights are a sign that disaster is imminent, no warning indicator light should ever be ignored!

Trucks aren’t like cars...your average personal vehicle usually holds about 5 quarts of oil, and you are supposed to change it every 3-5k miles. However, the same logic doesn’t apply to large trucks. At Skip's Auto Repair in Frederick, MD, we know how important proper oil changes and diagnostics are to keep your truck on the road, for hundreds of thousands of miles. Here’s what you need to know:

Are you leaking oil? Our technicians atSkip's Auto Repair in Frederick, MD can help. Oil leaks not only mess up your driveway but also make a mess under the hood and cost big when it comes to related repairs and maintenance.  They can also cause serious inconvenient issues and are when best-taken care of immediately.   

Everyone from mechanics, to your uncle that works on cars, has at some point given you advice concerning engine oil. The fact of the matter is that while we are familiar with words like “synthetic” and “oil weight,” many people don’t know exactly what the terminology means, or why common knowledge about oil exists in the form that it does. At Skip's Auto Repair in Frederick, MD, we keep things clear and simple. The more you know about your vehicle, the better equipped you are to keep it maintained, and we know a thing or two about vehicles. We have compiled a short list of common myths for you, most of which you’ve heard, but maybe never second guessed.

Everyone from mechanics, to your uncle that works on cars, has at some point given you advice concerning engine oil. The fact of the matter is that while we are familiar with words like “synthetic” and “oil weight,” many people don’t know exactly what the terminology means, or why common knowledge about oil exists in the form that it does. At Skip's Auto Repair in Frederick, MD, we keep things clear and simple. The more you know about your vehicle, the better equipped you are to keep it maintained, and we know a thing or two about vehicles. We have compiled a short list of common myths for you, most of which you’ve heard, but maybe never second guessed.

Are you leaking oil? Skip's Auto Repair in Frederick, MD can help. Oil leaks mess up your driveway and make a mess under the hood. It can also get pricey constantly having to fill the engine, not to mention inconvenient.

Oil changes are integral to the performance, longevity, and reliability of your diesel truck. At Skip's Auto Repair in Frederick, our expert mechanics understand the importance of good quality oil, changed at correct intervals, in allowing you to get the most out of your Cummins, Powerstroke, or Duramax diesel.

We see this with our fleet customers, our regular Frederick car pool drivers and our diesel truck drivers so it isn't just one type of driver that ends up with a nightmare on their hands costing thousands of dollars to repair, asking about the costs of a JASPER replacement engine!  The fact is your driving habits and maintenance habits can easily avoid this issue!  6 EASY STEPS - Service, Tires, Don't Ignore Service Engine Lights, Keep it Clean & Stop Driving Crazy!

At Skip's Auto Repair in Frederick, MD, we know that over the past decade, depending on what type of car, truck, or SUV you drive, it may seem like oil changes have gotten more expensive, and there are more options from synthetic to standard 10w/30 oil.  What kind is best for your vehicle and is the higher price worth the cost? 

Diesel trucks are known for their incredibly reliable engines. At Skip's Auto Repair in Frederick, we know that the key to a reliable engine is good maintenance. In fleet trucks, the difference between a truck that lasts a million miles and a truck that needs new engine hinges on how well it has been maintained.

While diesel engines have become more common in trucks and certain cars, overwhelmingly the most common car, truck, and SUV powerhouse found on the road today is the gasoline combustion engine. At Skip's Auto Repair in Frederick, our technicians are skilled in every aspect of gasoline engine maintenance and repair, to keep yours reliably on the road and running strong.

At Skip's Auto Repair in Frederick, MD, we do our best to keep you on the road. A huge part of being able to do that is proper vehicle maintenance; when was the last time you changed your oil?

Changing the oil in big trucks and commercial vehicles is an expensive, but necessary, part of keeping your vehicles going. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late to change your oil, but changing it too early can be a waste of time and money. Having your oil tested regularly helps us to hone in on exactly how often your oil needs to be changed, to optimize reliability and efficiency.