If it's time for your twice-yearly or monthly car service then it can be a little daunting when you hear quotes and estimates. Something like a simple paint job or interior replacement can cost you many times as much as jobs that might seem far more labour intensive and a major concern to your car. It would also be great to know roughly how much a proper repair will likely cost to plan it into your relevant budgets and to avoid receiving a nasty shock when talking to a mechanic. While it might seem a bit mysterious full or mechanical jargon, the reason some service and repairs cost astronomically more than others comes down to a few simple factors.

Parts
Sometimes the jobs itself is easy, but ordering in extra parts is the costly part of the job. The price range of the different parts depends on a whole lot of factors, the most common variable being the importance and commonality of the part. A brand of car that is very popular in a mechanic's area will probably mean the parts are also very common in that area making the materials easy to order and obtain for the mechanic. Conversely, if you own a foreign, rare car then the parts that might be needed for repair or maintenance will be costly to order in and find on the mechanic's behalf. This is especially true for those local mechanics unaffiliated with any brand of car manufacturer and need to find overseas contacts. If you own an import or modified type of vehicle then be prepared to pay a little extra for your servicing, or find a specialty mechanic retailer that order stock in bulk or has the proper channels to acquire the parts you need.

Labour
Some jobs are harder than others, even with all the necessary tools and equipment in place. To ask a mechanic to do a simple cleaning job of replacement of a common part in the interior of the car will always cost more than a job on the exterior body of the vehicle. This is because the car needs to be taken apart, a tedious and difficult task that is not without its risks. In this case a mechanic might take a whole day to take apart a car, make the replacement or repair and put the car back together again. The other side of the coin is expertise. Some jobs need to be done by those mechanics that are more senior, or even require an expert in the car's manufacturing brand to take a look at the car. The time of senior mechanics will cost more than that of a trainee for simple tune ups and checks, so even if the job can be done in a few minutes right before your eyes it may be costly, though common reason does apply. Be sure to ask as many questions as you can to get a sense of what level difficulty that job is, and get quotes from more than one place to cross check answers.

Pricing Deals
If your vehicle is from a major brand then it's likely that you have capped service pricing. Another advantage of buying cars from these big manufacturers is a new trend in the car product world that gives consumers piece of mind after the purchase. Capped prices usually apply to a certain age of the vehicle or a set distance travelled on the road. Many small mechanics will often also have special deals for certain types of small services like vacuums, washes and tire or fluid changes that you can watch out for. If it's time to get your car a service then look at some car mechanic directories in your local areas that will help you find a Sydney Mechanic or Melbourne Mechanic in your area who currently has a special deal open.