This guide is general maintenance information for pickups and HD trucks. It does not replace your owner's manual, which defines severe service and sets the service intervals for your truck.
What severe service means for a pickup
Most truck makers publish two maintenance schedules: a normal one and a severe one, sometimes called special operating conditions. The severe schedule usually covers towing a trailer, carrying heavy loads, long periods of idling, frequent short trips where the engine never fully warms up, dusty or unpaved roads, and sustained high outside temperatures.
The exact list and the intervals are in your owner's manual, and they vary by make, model, and year. AAB Service does not invent a separate schedule. We use the one the manufacturer wrote for your truck.
Why San Antonio driving often counts
Summer heat, stop-and-go traffic, idling in pickup lines and drive-throughs, and a trailer on the weekend all add up. Many F-150, Silverado, Sierra, Ram, Tacoma, and Tundra owners in Northeast San Antonio meet at least one severe-service condition without ever thinking of their pickup as a work truck.
That does not mean every truck needs extra service. It means the question is worth asking at your next visit, with the manual and the way you drive in front of you.
Oil-life monitors and the severe schedule
Many late-model trucks have an oil-life monitor that adjusts for engine temperature, load, idle time, and trip length. On those trucks, the manual usually says to change the oil when the monitor calls for it or when the time limit is reached, whichever comes first.
Older trucks, or trucks without a monitor, rely on the printed schedule. At each visit we read the monitor, check the manual for your truck, and tell you which schedule applies.
Fluids that matter most in San Antonio heat
Engine oil and the oil filter carry the most heat and load, so they come first.
Coolant and the cooling system keep the engine out of trouble on hot afternoons and when towing. Our Cooling System Repair page explains what we test when a truck runs hot.
Transmission fluid takes a beating from heat and load. Our Transmission Repair page covers shifting concerns and fluid checks.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time and matters more when the truck is loaded. On 4x4 trucks, the front and rear differentials and the transfer case have their own fluid service in the manual.
Pickup and HD truck maintenance at AAB Service
AAB Service maintains domestic and Toyota pickups and HD trucks, including F-150, Super Duty F-250, F-350, and F-450, Silverado and Sierra 1500, 2500HD, and 3500HD, Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500, Tacoma, and Tundra.
Maintenance at an independent shop generally does not affect your factory warranty when the work meets the manufacturer's requirements. Keep your invoices with the truck. This is general information, not legal advice.
The shop is at 10515 Nacogdoches Rd, San Antonio, TX 78217. Call (210) 946-7800 or schedule online, and use the key drop if the truck needs to come in outside work hours.
San Antonio auto repair
Have a vehicle-specific question?
AAB Service can inspect, test, and explain what is happening with your vehicle so you can decide what to do next.