Brake failure

namvet

Hi

I have recently replaced a dual mass flywheel and clutch on my fords smax through a small local garage. Today I was driving and had a complete failure of the brakes and very luckily, was on a small country road with no traffic. I called out the RAC who inspected it and said that the brake hose wasn't correctly fitted back in its holder and constant friction had caused it to burst. The RAC man was quite adamant that this was an error on the mechanics part.

Where do I stand legally with this? I am guessing that the garage will need to take full responsibility for fixing the issue?

Thanks in advance.

arcon5

If they've caused the damage then yes. But you need to have them inspect it and go from there.

colino

Get the RAC man to point out exactly which brake hose was disturbed and replaced incorrectly (in such a manner that it would have chafed and burst after being worked on, "recently") and armed with that, go back to the garage that did the clutch job.

Astronaughtwannabe

Could be spouse trouble. Yikes! Don't drive.

IanMSpencer

Yes, and when you go in to see them, keep calm but be firm. If you approach them sensibly, not backing them into a corner at the first opportunity any decent mechanic would be mortified that they had made such an error. Give them time and space to apologise and make reparations, not just the repair but some gesture of goodwill.

burlington6

I'd take what the RAC / AA men say with a pinch of salt. The vast majority of them are pretty useless

Astronaughtwannabe

Sounds quite plausible to me. Pipe not clipped back in place, rubs on tyre until it burst? Does it need salt?

IanMSpencer

burlington6 wrote: »

I'd take what the RAC / AA men say with a pinch of salt. The vast majority of them are pretty useless

I think in this case, a loose brake hose out of a clip with a hole worn in it with a pool of fluid underneath does not require a high degree of engineering expertise.

I'd be more worried by the sellotape used to effect a temporary repair

ariba10

I was under the impression that the hydraulics on modern vehicles was split into two. Either front and rear or O/Side front and N/side rear and vica versa?

So that if you had a leak you were still left with some breaking ability.

forgotmyname

IanMSpencer wrote: »

I'd be more worried by the sellotape used to effect a temporary repair

Only waterproof Duck tape should be used for that repair and nothing less

ariba10 wrote: »

I was under the impression that the hydraulics on modern vehicles was split into two. Either front and rear or O/Side front and N/side rear and vica versa?

So that if you had a leak you were still left with some breaking ability.

True, but it seems that most people feel the pedal sink and dont try to pump it of push it down further than normal.
If it takes more effort than gently resting your foot on the pedal the brakes must be faulty.

Mate was selling a Morris Minor and a young lad came to view and had obviously done a bit of research or someone had told them to pump the brakes with the engine off and it should be soft at first but go firm after a couple of pumps. Then start the car and it should sink.
But he failed to read up on the fact this only works on a car with a servo, no servo then it wont do that.

Then he failed to start it from cold my mate said have you put the choke on. The young lad was puzzled by that statement.

Mate started asking if an old car was really for him. He must have put the doubt in his mind or the lad realised my mate was mocking him. He didnt buy it.

IanMSpencer

forgotmyname wrote: »

True, but it seems that most people feel the pedal sink and dont try to pump it of push it down further than normal.
If it takes more effort than gently resting your foot on the pedal the brakes must be faulty.

That was my take too, the racing parlance is a long brake pedal.

Similar issue with power steering failure, when it goes it can feel like the steering is locked in place, but at speed it should be possible to steer though a large amount of effort is required that most people could not adapt to in the short period of time it takes to comprehend what is going on. A workmate of mine had power steering go at 70mph in an old Peugeot hatchback and claimed he could not steer round a motorway bend on the M1 coming south into Nottingham - there is nothing vicious around there. (Similarly, remember toughened windscreens and advice about punching holes to see - when they go, all you look at is frosty glass and panic, regardless of visibility zones).

In other words, it is easy to be wise on a forum about what you should do and what should happen, but when you have a serious failure on the car, it is usually at a time when something is under stress or only noticed when it is needed, and the reaction time is massive with no time to think about what to do. That is why ABS is so useful, it is one thing pumping brakes but when you are in an imminent head-on all the average driver is going to do is ram that foot through the floor, not think about lock ups.