ShiftyMechanics Open calculatorWe are updating the calculator with real published prices, one entry at a time. Selected battery, regas, oil-change, brake-fluid, diagnostic and tyre-service results now show clearly labelled supplier offers. Other entries remain model-based guides during this review.
Calculate a repair cost → No workshop can pay to change the calculated range.The price basis is shown with the result. Published fitted offers and modelled component costs are kept distinct.
Results identify model-based guides, advertised supplier offers, sourced parts plus fixed fitting fees, or platform- or owner-reported historical completed-job examples. We are replacing existing model-based entries with source-backed prices one by one while keeping the calculator available.
Published examples retain the supplier, service area, vehicle scope, inclusions and date checked. A make/model listing does not establish compatibility with every engine, battery or trim. Where a supplier requires a specific engine, gearbox or model code, an optional confirmation choice is shown. Leaving it unknown keeps the existing guide and does not select a specification-dependent offer.
Where a supplier advertises supply and fitting together, we use that advertised total directly. We do not invent a parts/labour split or add hourly labour, tax, exchange-rate or vehicle multipliers to it. If the same supplier separately prints a compatible part price and an eligible fixed fitting fee, we show those components and their sum explicitly. That sum is labelled as calculated, not a supplier-printed completed total; no hourly duration or rate is invented.
Supplier examples are not national price limits or guaranteed local quotes. The existing model-based catalogue remains available during review, and its values have not all been verified against real completed-job prices.
The quote checker displays your workshop total alongside the selected price reference and gives neutral guidance. It does not label quotes fair, high, overpriced or unusually cheap. Model-based values remain unverified during review. Published offers and historical examples have their own scope, location and date limitations; none defines a fair-price interval. Compare current itemised local quotes for the same work, parts, tax and warranty.
ShiftyMechanics does not inspect the vehicle, diagnose faults or know what a particular workshop found. Safety-critical symptoms should be assessed by a qualified repairer.
David Burridge is the founder, publisher and editor of ShiftyMechanics. He is responsible for the site's editorial direction, methodology disclosures and correction reviews. He is not a qualified mechanic, and this methodology is not professional mechanical advice.
The calculator automatically applies the maintained repair data and rules described on this page. That automation is useful for applying the same method consistently, but it does not inspect a vehicle, diagnose a fault or independently verify a workshop's quote. Modelled assumptions are identified as such and are kept separate from the external sources used for reasonableness checks.
When a correction or new price example is submitted, it is reviewed against the repair scope, vehicle, country, pricing date and what the source actually includes. Material errors in the method or its explanation are corrected as soon as reasonably practical, and the page date is updated when substantive content changes. Send supporting evidence to admin@shiftymechanics.com.
Methodology and editorial policy last updated 22 October 2026.
The existing parts allowances, labour hours, country workshop rates and vehicle factors are manually maintained model assumptions, not a database of verified parts quotes or actual repair invoices. These entries are being reviewed and replaced individually. A model-based result should not be treated as proof that a workshop is overcharging.
The 16 October 2026 update uses Sydney Battery's published LandCruiser offers: A$239 with the table's 2-year warranty option or A$259 with its 3-year option. Its advertised scope is LandCruiser 1971 onward and its service area is Sydney. The source includes delivery and installation but does not confirm every engine or battery specification. The advertised warranty labels should be confirmed because the supplier's separate warranty page uses different durations.
These two offers are shown as separate examples, not the low and high bounds of the Australian market. No separate parts price, labour duration or hourly rate is inferred. GST treatment and any additional fees are not stated on the price table and must be confirmed with the supplier. We do not add tax speculatively or claim these are verified final payable totals.
Perth/Mandurah regas examples come from atmechanical's service price list, checked 16 October 2026. R134a starts at A$249 up to 1,000 g; R1234yf is advertised at A$459 up to 500 g. Inspection is included. Extra refrigerant, parts and repairs can cost more, GST treatment must be confirmed, and a failed regas can incur an A$119 inspection charge. Verify the actual refrigerant, charge quantity and service area. These are regional supplier examples, not model-specific quotations.
US oil-service examples use Walmart's advertised packages, including their oil-quantity and product conditions. The engine's required oil specification must be checked. Discount Tire's eligible puncture repair and rotation offer are advertised free, with repairability and other stated conditions. These examples do not set the price for other repairers.
UK examples use Kwik Fit's brake-fluid service, National's eligible puncture repair, Halfords' initial diagnostic service and PW Auto Repairs' Newark R1234yf service. The selected offer's scope, booking requirements, location, VAT and exclusions remain attached to the result.
Additional Australian examples use Oil Change Xpress in Green Fields, Canberra Tyres' per-axle brake offers and Battery Yard's Sydney alternator/starter offers. They retain their starting-price, specification, travel and tax limitations.
New Zealand references include My Auto Shop's oil service, Aztech's Hamilton puncture repair and Johns & Gee's Auckland menu. GST is included as stated by those suppliers; eligibility and additional work still require confirmation.
Canadian examples retain RAF Auto Clinic's Markham package conditions and Level Auto's Scarborough service scope. Their advertised amounts exclude tax, which is shown prominently with each option. No national tax rate or currency conversion is invented.
Japan references use Autobacs' tax-inclusive brake-fluid and tyre-rotation charges. South African references use Pit Stop's Gauteng service packages and its VAT/travel terms. Store, vehicle and scope restrictions remain with each result.
Other battery sources reviewed include Wide Bay Batteries' Land Cruiser starting-price offer and Supercheap Auto's fitting service. Different service areas, batteries and fitting conditions mean these cannot be combined into an invented national price range.
Historical completed-job examples retain the reported total, named work, model/year and available date and workshop details. They may be platform-reported or owner-reported; the result identifies which. An owner report is not a platform-verified transaction or independently verified invoice. A post date is kept distinct from an unknown exact repair date, and missing workshop, tax or itemization details remain explicit. None is a current offer. A model/year match does not establish matching engine, fuel, trim, parts or condition. These figures are not inflated, averaged or adjusted by vehicle size. The result and shared summary identify their historical basis.
Battery results cover one replacement low-voltage battery. Confirm the capacity, terminals and chemistry; dual-battery systems, EFB/AGM requirements and manufacturer-specific lithium auxiliary batteries need the correct scope. High-voltage traction batteries are separate repairs.
When a parts-plus-labour calculation is added, its compatible part price, supported job time and local labour rate must be documented for the same job. A directly reported completed-job total can be used instead, with its stated inclusions and limitations. These are checked references, not a live supplier-price feed. Where an advertised offer has an explicit end date, the calculator stops selecting it after that date; older shared selections may need to be cleared before calculating again.
Advertising is kept separate from the estimate formula. Questions, corrections or evidence that a range needs review can be sent to admin@shiftymechanics.com.
Choose your vehicle and repair to see the available price reference and its limitations.
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