There is no definitive answer to this question regarding an auto loan application. There are many factors that go into a credit score and the formula is kept a closely guarded secret. In most cases, your credit score will take a slight hit when you first take out an auto loan. Any new credit lines will tend to knock your score down for a few months. In some cases an auto loan can actually increase your score as the credit scoring agencies like to see variety in the types of credit a person has. In all cases, the most important thing you can do is make your payments on time. If you fail to do this, your score will definitely go down.
