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[HolyCount]

To some extent, helping get a car through its MOT is good because the Test checks the work to some extent. If you change a brake pipe, and its cross threaded or not done up tight enough, or not bled properly, the tester will spot it. Admittedly he won't see things like the front calipers, but he should feel if they are loose.

As for doing work you can't really handle, well...... If you never try you will never learn anything. I think its also about recognising when you have reached your limit and its time to call in experts. I helped my son in law change some brake pipes on his car, but we got to a state where no matter how often we bled them, the brakes still didn't feel right. I therefore stopped and said get it done by a garage, and persuaded him not to use the car until it was fixed.

I do feel its a shame we are moving into the "where's there's blame there's a claim" attitude. It kind of stops us helping people who need it.

Ken

This is, unfortunately, true in many walks of life these days, and IMO the world is a far poorer place for it  

On the subject of "If you never try you will never learn anything." .... I am rebuilding my buggy's front disc brake calipers at the mo .... so if I disappear suddenly, it will be my own fault .... or that of the magazine I am getting the guide from .... or the guy who let the brakes get in such a state in the first place ... or the manufacturer who made a brake caliper that would seize in 20 years use ..... the list goes on  

[nick v6]

To some extent, helping get a car through its MOT is good because the Test checks the work to some extent. If you change a brake pipe, and its cross threaded or not done up tight enough, or not bled properly, the tester will spot it. Admittedly he won't see things like the front calipers, but he should feel if they are loose.

As for doing work you can't really handle, well...... If you never try you will never learn anything. I think its also about recognising when you have reached your limit and its time to call in experts. I helped my son in law change some brake pipes on his car, but we got to a state where no matter how often we bled them, the brakes still didn't feel right. I therefore stopped and said get it done by a garage, and persuaded him not to use the car until it was fixed.

I do feel its a shame we are moving into the "where's there's blame there's a claim" attitude. It kind of stops us helping people who need it.

Ken

This is, unfortunately, true in many walks of life these days, and IMO the world is a far poorer place for it  

On the subject of "If you never try you will never learn anything." .... I am rebuilding my buggy's front disc brake calipers at the mo .... so if I disappear suddenly, it will be my own fault .... or that of the magazine I am getting the guide from .... or the guy who let the brakes get in such a state in the first place ... or the manufacturer who made a brake caliper that would seize in 20 years use ..... the list goes on  

just sue yourself
win win

[Lizzie_Zoom]

even if your not charging anything at all
and just helping a friend out
it still goes back to that member a / member b thing

so if you do a job for nothing or £1000 insurance is needed

Well in that case Nick I will refrain from helping any member out

What kind of society have we come to when we cannot help someone else out without fearing litigation??!!.  

On this forum so often many members talk of the ills of our health & safety and litigation orientated society, but now I find a massive element supporting such crap!!

I am amazed and disappointed.

Hi Lizzie, it's not that we 'support such crap' as you so eloquently
put it   , it's just that we recognise the reality of the world we
live in and adapt to it. We would love to live in a world where you
can help each other out without fear... but we don't.  

As to insurance with regard to payment or not, I don't think that
that would matter a fig to an injury claims lawyer. If it was thought
that someone had died or got injured as a direct result of any
actions taken by you then they would come for you with all guns
blazing. Whether you had to sell your house to pay for the claim
or claimed from an insurance policy would be of no concern to them.

But we do agree with your sentiments.      

Oh yes I can use very sophisticated language when I want Grumpy!

[miggcddave]

Iwe shouldnt need to worry about insurance etc in these circumstances for helping repair other members cars.Billy

For general assistance, with no money involved, I agree, no insurance needed.[[

[size=14]If money is changing hands, you NEED insurance[][/size] - there's no question.

what sort of insurance covers you for that kind of work  :-/ one day you are working on brakes the next day you may be working on the engine or just replacing a few bulbs ? how far does this insurance go and what cost is this insurance . i bet the small time back street garage dont have it  

[AndyVXR300]

Fair play to James but for the likes of me and others to offer a hand on job's maybe four times a year i wouldn't take it out. if it's all you do and lifes on the line, than you know you need to cover your self, if you do it day in day out...

Rob " Dont worry son i trust you "

 

[Richie London]

reading this thread was frigging hard work.  

[Chopsdad]

I agree with James that insurance is needed and you must think about what may happen to put it in context.......

I trust someone to fix my brakes, they fail, I kill someone, the family sues me, my insurance company examine the car and see the new brakes, they transfer liability to the fitter, who's insurance pays out.

Without insurance I may be personally liable for not using a trained and suitably insured mechanic, I lose my house and everything else.

I think a lot would depend on your car insurance accepting the claim but if they wanted to get out of it they probably could............

[largecol]

Ok, so taking this discussion to the enth degree, where does this liability end?? How about these scenarios:
1)You`ve owned the car for 5 years and always DIY`ed your own servicing, brakes, repairs etc - sell the car and the brakes fail the following week with the new owner behind the wheel??
2)As above but you still have the car, the brakes fail, you crash write it off and the insurance ask who did the work??
Surely if either led to any kind of claim grey area motor factors and parts suppliers would close overnight due to everyone going to stealers, being too afraid to mend their poorly cars!! Far-fetched I know - but where does it actually end?  :-/

[Richie London]

sell the car and the brakes fail the  but where does it actually end?  

 
in a coffin probably  

[largecol]

sell the car and the brakes fail the  but where does it actually end?  

 
in a coffin probably  

Berboom-TISH!!

[Mr Skrunts]

So

memeber A  repairs a car for

member B who has an MV6 saloon with no LSD but buys a SH LSD from

member C who stripped one off an accident damaged  (rear shunt) and sold it direct to B rather than A, but never mentioned the accident.

1 week later after fitting and money changes hands from B to both A and C for parts or fitting the LSD is fitted and then annother week later he drives down the M1 at 70 miles an hour, the diff locks, spins the car, hits a mini bus full of people and kills them all.  But member B gets out and walks away without a scratch.

Who is responsible.?

[Richie London]

the minibus for being on the rd  

[Chopsdad]

Just for fun...........

You notice a lone motorist with a flat tyre, you change the wheel, later it falls off and causes an accident.............

If you accepted a fag for the work, you need insurance  

[STMO123]

See. I've been right all these years. I wont do a thing to help anybody..........in case I get sued. Honest.

[cem_devecioglu]

I also seperate the jobs that must be done by a friend (independant) mechanic and that must be done under a firm guarantee..

In case bad things happen, I'll squeeze the neck of the firm