- What it is
- Oil and filter, plus the fluids the quick lubes skip: brake, coolant, transmission where the maker allows it. If the air filter is dirty I show it to you; I don’t just add a line.
- What it isn't
- An upsell funnel. If the air filter is clean it stays in the car.
- What it costs
- $65–$120 Typical time: about 45 minutes. Waiting is fine
The board · Nothing behind a phone call
Six services, six honest ranges.
Every range below is real before you call, and it narrows to one exact number, in writing, before any work starts. That's the house rule, and the estimate page shows precisely what the writing looks like.
Oil & fluid service
Brakes
- What it is
- Pads, rotors, and hardware: parts and labor, per axle. If your rotors still measure within spec, I tell you that and you keep the difference.
- What it isn't
- Automatically rotors. If yours measure within spec, you keep that difference.
- What it costs
- $180–$420 per axle Typical time: half a day. Drop off in the morning
Diagnostics
- What it is
- Check-engine lights, electrical faults, the noise that only happens when it rains. One flat fee to find the cause. If I do the repair, the fee comes off the bill.
- What it isn't
- Parts-swapping until something works. One fee finds the cause.
- What it costs
- $95 flat, credited toward the repair Typical time: usually same day
Suspension & steering
- What it is
- Struts, control arms, tie rods, wheel bearings. The range is wide because a bushing is not a pair of struts. Your written estimate narrows it to one number.
- What it isn't
- Always the struts. Sometimes it is a forty dollar bushing. The estimate says which.
- What it costs
- $150–$800 Typical time: book a full day
Timing belts & major service
- What it is
- The big intervals: timing belts, water pumps, 100k-mile plug and coolant services. Priced from your VIN before you book, not after the engine is open.
- What it isn't
- Open-ended once the engine is apart. The number comes from your VIN, before you book.
- What it costs
- $400–$1,400 Typical time: one to two days
Pre-purchase inspection
- What it is
- An hour on the lift before you buy someone else’s problem. You get a written report, photos, and a straight answer, including “walk away” when that’s the answer.
- What it isn't
- A rubber stamp. Walk away is a result you can pay for.
- What it costs
- $120 flat Typical time: about an hour. Book a day ahead
Why these are ranges
- Parts differ by engine, trim, and what the last owner did to the car, so a range is the honest way to publish a price before I’ve seen yours.
- Before any work starts you get one exact number, in writing. The range is the map; the estimate is the address.
- There is no “shop supplies” percentage padded onto the bottom of my invoices. There never has been.
Ready for a number instead of a range?
Call (720) 555-0152