Toyota servicing could have killed me. Can I get a refund?

I thought I told you not to mention the handbrake!

And besides, why would the handbrake have fluid in it?

-- Malc

What size chimpanzee would you recommend?

I distorted the socket on the one piece bendy metal wrench that came with one car just by standing on the end of the bar with a stuck nut. I went and bought a nice telescopic one that I didn't have to stand on to get the nuts off for about 8 quid.

It looks just like these:

That's not the issue - what I've found is that the cheap cast items supplied in the toolkit are rather 'baggy' on the nut.

these:

Thanks, I didn't know Maplin sold them. I think though that they are for weak people to have a normal amount of torque. However about 15 years ago when I did have to take a car to a garage with overtightened wheel nuts, and I ended up having to put my foot on the brake because the car was moving in gear with the handbrake on. (The mechanic was about 18 stone.) I will try my torque wrench, but I suspect that I'll need professional quality tools.

You sound like Mr Negativity. I did not touch my faulty brakes. The third party was qualified to make the car roadworthy to drive back to the garage which as it turned out was not needed. Have you any idea about insurance? You need to minimise your costs. A bill for a recovery could easily be =A3200 and who would pay for this? All I could have got from the garage was lies and another bill. I now have written evidence of the fault. Would you like to see it?

What it the maximum liability for costs in a small claims court?

You sound like Mr Negativity. I did not touch my faulty brakes. The third party was qualified to make the car roadworthy to drive back to the garage which as it turned out was not needed. Have you any idea about insurance? You need to minimise your costs. A bill for a recovery could easily be £200 and who would pay for this? All I could have got from the garage was lies and another bill. I now have written evidence of the fault. Would you like to see it?

you say "all i could have got from the garage was lies and another bill" this is all surmising, i take it you have got in contact with the garage ? if so what have they said ? Any decent garage would have looked at the situation & taken it from there, but you need to let them have that option, rather then letting off both barrels before hearing what they have to say.

I have now uploaded the RAC report, which is definitely one for the album.

I've burst one of the Ford ones after a friend took it to KwikFit.

Definitely worth standing in the middle of the sales room & worth arguei= ng =

about in front of the other customers :-)

I did have fluid for getting home. and pumped the brakes quite a bit after I arrived, to look for leaks.

My Toyota has real brakes, none of this anti-lock nonsense.

I think you are mixing up the chain of evidence needed for criminal and civil cases.

There is no point in contacting the police or HSE since they don't even care that the NHS kills thousands with dirty hospitals. (Sorry I've read the Daily Mail.)

You sound like Mr Negativity. I did not touch my faulty brakes. The third party was qualified to make the car roadworthy to drive back to the garage which as it turned out was not needed. Have you any idea about insurance? You need to minimise your costs. A bill for a recovery could easily be £200 and who would pay for this? All I could have got from the garage was lies and another bill. I now have written evidence of the fault. Would you like to see it?

What it the maximum liability for costs in a small claims court?

Why did you not stop or try to return to the garage? Why would you try to remove the wheel? Why not just phone the garage you claim are at fault? I personally know he garage you mention, their work is usually OK.

Taking out a court case may give you your losses, which could be car hire for a day or two plus court costs, say 250 quid. However, the court will ask what you did to mitigate your losses, such as phone the place you claim are responsible and reduce your award accordingly.

Mrcheerful

Forwarded to lookers and I have also asked them for their comments.

Mrcheerful

You obviously never owned an Alfa Romeo :-). My 164 wheelbrace was made of processed spaghetti and with the correct torque on the wheelnuts simply bent (obvoiusly quite gently and very artistically) before they even began to think about coming undone.

">> This does not sound correct, modern cars have a dual circuit system and a

Regardless of how often you pumped the barks the part of the reservoir for the circuit without the leak should have remained full.

Jeff

and a salesman has the authortity to do what ?

follow the advice - speak quietly but carry a BIG stick

I don't quite see the connection here. Why did the leaking fluid make you want to take a wheel off?

I was walking past a Kwik Fit the other day and saw one their guys tightening the nuts with a torque wrench! Given their reputation I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

Perhaps he was just seeing if he'd beaten his personal best with the air gun just used... ;-)

Mathew

these:

I thought a torque wrench was not meant to be used to loosen nuts - only tighten? Or maybe it's just my (relatively cheap) one which says that in the manual?