If you know what to look for you can make a diagnostic as simply as turning the key, revving the engine, and listening and feeling for a response.
There’s one truck I’ve ridden in lately, that hasn’t gotten the love it obviously deserves. I’m not going to go into all that, but the resistance to power, and the high speed tapping sound led me to believe it was being run low on oil, this will cause more friction on the internal bits of the engine, as well as not provide cushion/lubrication for push rods, cams, and crank, this will ruin an engine fast. Normally at this point, Id use my lunch half hour and check the levels to confirm this, but I knew, and it was coming up very soon on service. I reported it and hopefully she’ll get the love she deserves.
Love your vehicles, and they’ll love you back. With basic maintenance, you should get many happy miles. Keep on motoring.
Alex.Sev3n 