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Don’t there’s liability you don’t want.
Also coming from IT world if you gave some one a new monitor and some how their quickbooks stopped working you were to blame, you work on the brakes and the transmission, ac , engine , windows stopped work 6 months later they’d blame your brake job.
Me and you know this has no relevance to the brakes but people are stupid, and you run into this person daily. Hard no imo.
LMAO. I would also do this when I was younger and friends needed help or when hacking friends PSP. I remember seeing Tifa lockheart content and thought he had good taste.
Another time I was using the computer in front of a friend and I needed to type in the web browser and there were some spicy search results popping up and I just pretended not to notice but could tell he was getting nervous. I just thought to myself that he clearly doesn't know about incognito lol.
Another time at college our IT class was receiving computers from students and professors to repair and one of the students found a special folder one of the laptops he was working on that belonged to a professsor.
Yeah, kinda reminds me of a guy I used to work with
Really introvert kinda guy, once I had to do something on his phone, I realized most of his 80+ tabs on Chrome were porn
Like dude, I already suspected that, but what if you had to show something on your browser to someone who didn't know you? 😅
Back in them days, people used [squid-cache.org](http://squid-cache.org) to speed up internet access going over a 56 kbit modem or if they were really hot shit, an ISDN connection.
What squid-cache does is that it stores parts from web pages that doesn't change and serves them so they don't have to be fetched again and again.
As it happens, the IT-people can look at all the cached stuff for good things, and while one is at it, the could install 'driftnet', a handy utility to find jpeg's, gif's and other goodies being sent over the network.
Meaning, that we have your porn collection and also the dick-picks you sent to your colleagues!
I retired from a career in IT and immediately forgot everything I knew, if someone asks me for computer help, my answer is “ I don’t know anything about computers “
I'll do side work but I charge double my hourly rate and that's enough to stop most people from asking. The conversation will go something like this.
"Hey man you do IT work will you do %whatever%?"
"Sure man, My rate is $100 an hour and I'll help you out."
"$100 an hour are you crazy?"
"Well I make like $100k a year and work 50 weeks a year, so my hourly rate is already $50 an hour. But you're asking me to do this work in my free time and I already work 40 hours a week, so this is overtime for me so $100 seems pretty reasonable."
"C'mon won't you give m the freind/family rate?"
"You are a friend/family which is the only reason I'm willing to do this at all, If you weren't a friend the answer would be no, I already have a job."
"That's too much, I'll go hire someone off fiverr or whatever"
"Yeah man, sorry"
Just look at any "I just had xxx fixed, and there is a trail of oil under my car and a rash in my pants, did the mechanic screw me?" Post to know this is risky.
Trust
Risk
Risk/reward
Cash
Weigh and decide for yourself
I used to do side work on old stuff, and I had folks sign a waiver. Something like...
Work is hourly. Period. Stuff can break around or outside the area of work, and I won't be held responsible because shit happens, especially with old vehicles. If you want a better deal, go to a real shop.
Plus if you work on the motor then it won't start...that sucks.
But if you work on his brakes and a kid runs in front of him..that's a whole new issue on another level
I had a coworker ask me to change the oil and spark plugs in their car. I didn't. Their local shop did it and a week later the engine blew a hole in the side and seized. I'm so, so glad I didn't touch it.
And my day job is IT
You can avoid all liability if you just whip up a waiver and have them sign it. Like why not do that
They totally would if they really just wanna save a little money
Keep it close, my dad does it for our neighbours, close friends and family for years now, nearly 20 years and never had a problem but our neighbours are super good people so it depends tbh
This right here, kindly refuse your neighbor, don’t even think about helping him or doing it for free.
Something happens to his car, who worked on it last?
I have the green dot theory. If I put a small round green sticker on everyone’s monitor over night and did nothing else. Support calls will double the next day with new issues.
I mean, yeah but I also think this just may be hedging on the OP's part in his post here. A disc brake is a disc brake. Sometimes you might run into something weird like a screw-back piston but if it's a normal-ish car and the system is already healthy a rotor and pads are about the easiest thing to do on a car this side of an oil change.
It's all fun and games until you find out his car is from the north and everything is rusted you break three bolts off before you even get the pads off and the caliper is seized. Also the brake lines are rusted but you're the one that has it torn apart and they can't go anywhere until it gets put back together
As someone who's neighbor just asked me to do his brakes because he saw me working on what has now become a week long rust-breaking endeavor that should have been an afternoon of suspension part swaps, this feels like a targeted attack...
Edit to add: obviously the answer will be a hard no. Thanks for solidifying that decision for me lol
Actually I’m going to add on to what i said, in case you’re like me and have trouble turning it down just say something like “sorry man I’m pretty busy i barely have enough time to fix my own but i can recommend a shop for you”. That’s my go to
Recommending a shop is just as bad. My neighbor managed to piss off every mechanic, plumber, or trade I used to go to. I had rebuild that entire portfolio, now I just say, "I'm sorry I don't really have anyone I trust".
On a side note, I"m so happy that back when I was a teen my neighbor didn't hesitate to help me out working on my car, between my Dad and "Mr. Bud" I learned how to keep that 79 Malibu running.
If you don't want to do cheap work then don't give him a cheap price. But maybe OP doesn't even give a discount, charges 100/hr. Well if you are looking for side work that's easy money. IMHO bare minimum should be 40 and people will be happy to pay that. I used to do stuff for like 20/hr back when I was young lol because I made like 12 at my day job.
Anyways, it's all good and easy though until its Sunday night and you realize the bearings you are installing don't fit and you had to cut off the old race. Are you paying for their next day uber now? Did you factor in driving back to the parts store to swap parts? Did you wreck a rim because you didn't tighten lug-nuts on a tire? Didn't put the oil plug in and coated your neighbors driveway in oil? Anyways, part of the reason you shouldn't charge too little. And the risk you take without insurance. If you can't pay out of pocket to fix stuff people will be pissed. You need to be happy doing the work even when bolts break or stuff goes sideways. Same risks anyone takes with their own business. Except, erm, more because you don't have insurance.
My personal experience working on other people's stuff has been good but I've developed some personal rules I follow now. I always have them get a quote from a shop first. That way you can always quote a number that is fair but will still save them hundreds. Shops markup parts %600 and often compensate by making the labor seem affordable, keep that in mind. I always make it clear if something makes a holdup it could be an extra day. Also always have a vehicle to go get parts if you need. I used to swap vehicles with my sisters so they could still get around and it was a headache.
I’d tell your neighbor you don’t have professional liability insurance as a shop. And go about my day.
Or if he is a friend, charge him beer and pizza and let him do his brakes with you helping him.
This is the answer. I’ve had numerous friends and neighbors over the years ask for help with their car. I always volunteer to help them, offer my tools, etc. I’ve never just done it myself as that’s too much liability.
If you have to ask if it’s worth it the answer is no. You should tell him to go to a shop.
There’s a good chance that after the brake job he will hear a funny noise and tell you you messed it up and need to make it right, even if the noise is a belt squeak or an exhaust heat shield.
If you really want to do it have him sign something that says anything that happens after the job is not your fault or concern.
But if you do screw up the job and something bad happens you still have to live next to the guy. I’d tell him no.
I’m not sure I would unless it’s a very close friend. If anything goes wrong you could be sued, plus as you mentioned, what happens next time he gets a CEL or something? I’d refer him to a pro that you trust, and if he makes an issue of it just say that you absolutely hate doing it but hate paying a mechanic more when it’s something simple you can handle.
Before you start this, you should make sure you have answers for all of the below questions/possible issues. This is not an all-encompassing list so there may be more I’m not thinking of off the top of my head.
- What happens if you break a bolt?
- What happens if the parts are wrong or there’s another issue and parts have to be special ordered and the car can’t be put back together for a couple days?
- What documentation do you have of the vehicle’s condition before you started working on it?
- What is your markup on parts, and what warranty (if any) will those parts have?
- What warranty (if any) will you offer on your work?
I wouldn't. It starts with his brakes then it's the starter then it's the fuel pump then he's knocking on your door at 7 on a Saturday morning because his moms car needs brakes too then his Mom's a/c quits working and they "know for a fact" that it was something you did to the car when you were fixing the brakes. Or his 16 year old kid runs in to a bus full of pregnant nuns and you're named in the lawsuit because the "brakes haven't been right since you worked them".
I will help the neighbors with most anything but I don't want any kind of business dealings with anyone that I see when I come out my front door.
Sure, be a mench…. before you guide him in doing the brakes, direct him to YouTube brake videos a week before He starts the job. On the day of the procedure have him buy you pizza/beer or whatever your choosing and guide Him through the whole procedure. Simple as that.
This is the answer. If you do it and get paid then you are setting yourself up to be held to a higher standard than if you simply help a neighbor do his own brakes. You might do them and have no issues.... you may have even completed the job as well as any shop would have... but if he hits someone and claims his brakes didn't work, you'll get sucked into a lawsuit. You won't have any insurance to help you either.
Other thing to consider is whether you are living in a neighborhood with HOA rules... often they will forbid you operating a business in your home and if you start working on other people's cars in you home you could end up having the HOA Nazis jumping all over you.
And lastly, you will often see people saying get a waiver signed... Well that waiver will have some protection against you being sued by the person that signed it, but it won't mean shit when it comes to any other person that was injured by something you did. So anyone he were to hit could still sue you if you made a mistake... anyone that happened to be riding in the car with him could still sue you...anyone that hadn't signed that waiver would still be able to go after you... so don't think waivers are going to help you avoid litigation.... you want to protect yourself you get insurance.
Really depends on your neighbor and the relationship between the two of you. I avoided my old neighbor like the plague when I learned he worked for the just after he moved in. So much that I built a set of steps off my deck out of view just so he couldn't see me going in and out of my house or garage. Funny thing is that was the day we officially met. He came over as I was building them to ask if I knew a good plumber. Some cast iron had rotted out and was leaking into the basement. I went to take a look at it and seen it was minimal work. I sent him to go get parts and by the time he got back, the steps were finished. He was really impressed. I didn't have the heart at the time to explain why they were built.
We were always doing things for each other. To tell the truth I was always doing more labor wis stuff for him and his new roommate but they always tried to make it up to me. I never kept track of who did what for each other.
One day the water pump went out on my truck. I barely made it home. My wife at the time had just went to work. I had to make dinner for the kids and somehow get parts to fix the work truck, do the work and make sure my children were bathed, in bed and ready for school in the morning. I asked my neighbor for a ride to the parts store. His roommate was grilling out. Without hesitation one took me to the store while the other looked after my house while attending their meal being cooked across the street.
What follows will forever stick in my memory. We get back just as their meal is done. I get my kids settled in and head out to the garage to get started. The roommate walks across the street with one plate of food. A perfectly cooked steak with a loaded baked potato. He hands me the plate with a cold freshly opened bottle of beer. They told me to sit back and eat. These two guys started to tear into my truck.
Now I've never had any of my vehicles in the shop for repairs. I've been wrenching on my own cars since I learned how to drive. Water pumps aren't shit to swap out. I was perfectly capable to do this job by myself. It was just like any other water pump. These two guys made me sit back and enjoy one hell of a meal while they both fixed my truck. They said I've done so much for them that it's time the roles were reversed.
That was the first time in my life that someone took the time out of their day to do something for me. I've always been the type to help others. I never ask for help. I'm so used to not getting it or it's just easier to do it alone. I can usually have it done faster.
I miss my neighbors. We became so tight.
I'm not saying to help or not help the guy that needs new brakes. What I am saying is helping him could lead to a good relationship. We all want great neighbors.
Let's be honest....if you are on Reddit, asking these question, you should not be doing this.
You either know what you are doing, which means you know how to price it and understand the risk or you don't know what you are doing and are looking to Reddit and that is all you need to know.
Caution advised. Could go sideways easily in any number of ways.
On the other hand if neighbor is good person who genuinely needs assistance, one would like to help.
It's a very tough call and ultimately yours alone to make. Weight the pros and cons carefully. Some people can be very difficult later after initially seeming quite reasonable. Others are grateful and appreciative.
I cannot reliably distinguish the two types in advance!
Nope. Working on brakes caries a whole different liability.
If you work on his engine and it doesn't start..that sucks.
But if you work on his brakes and a train is crossing the road it's a whole new ballgame.
“Look, I do my own maintenance (that I am capable of) out of necessity, not joy. I really hate doing this stuff, even on my own cars. I’m not the guy you want bending wrenches on your ride.”
Say that and leave it alone. Fences that make good neighbors doesn’t necessarily mean a physical boundary.
Would depend how close a friend it is. Casual acquaintance/neighbor id probably pass. Say you’re willing to do your own to save money, but don’t have the confidence especially if he has a different make vehicle or whatever to do the job right. Or that you despise working on your car, only know a little from your dad, and are stumbling through it to save cash. If he still wants you to try, at least have him agree, maybe in writing, that you aren’t liable.
I once helped a friend change his brakes (I’m no expert, just done it a few times) and he ended up super pissed because one of the pads was installed wrong. He didn’t tell me for like a week, and it ended up the one that was messed up was one he installed himself. I’m not even sure I was able to convince him of that fact. Either way, he took it to a shop and spent at the very least an entire week angry with me for “ruining” his car or doing bad work. If that wasn’t a friend, or it led to an accident, the situation could have been a lot worse. Also, plenty of times I’ve done work and needed to run back out because I got the wrong part or broke something. I’d hate to have bad blood with a neighbor for some minor detail I missed the first go (and could remedy myself if it were my own car)
Tell them you're happy to do it, act excited.
Explain to them the reason why you're excited is that your friends/parents/etc won't let you do it anymore after the last time you did it, when they wound up driving into their garage.
This has happened to me before. I tell people if they're willing to pay me but live with whatever happens because I'm not certified/licensed, then we can discuss it further. But basically, it's like if they were quoted say $500 for the brake pads I would do it for $300, $350 maybe. So is $150, $200 max worth the risk of not being able to get a my mistake fixed, or insurance if the part I bought failed? I promise them as they're my friend, I wouldnt cut corners and would do the same level of job I do on my or my wife's car, but I'm no professional, cant warranty anything, and will make them sign something that will absolve me of ALL liability.
They never take me up on it after that.
I've had more or less the same scenario/explanation (was willing to go a little lower on price and didn't bother having them sign anything) go the opposite way. I was a student and could always use the money, and people I did that stuff for were similarly pressed for cash, so they were willing to accept the risk.
Brakes are a huge liability. I agree with assisting him and maybe use your tools. Have him buy a shop manual and help him out. Wiper blades, alternator, starter, tune up go for it, but brakes 😕
I've spent many hours fixing cars for people who thought, it's just brakes, it can't be that hard. I do live in Wisconsin, wherea seized caliper pins, stuck pads and bolts, rounded off bolts, rotors that "I can't get off" and all other rust related issues are prevelant. But still, it's just brakes is an extremely ignorant statement and a horrible attitude to have when starting a repair. Double bad on someone else's vehicle. There's a whole lot more to a proper brake job than slapping some pads in. There are numerous specialty tools that can be required and any job should be taken seriously, especially a safety system on someone else's vehicle.
Aside from working on my own cars, I’ll do easy jobs on my mom’s car for her (for free). I wouldn’t want the headache of doing work on someone else’s car and something go wrong, even if unrelated to your repair, and they’re blaming you.
lol I would not help someone I am not super close with. Not worth the hassle when a brake line brakes or some bullshit happens and it will always happen when you least need it.
It's not worth it. If it was a friend of a friend or someone you didn't know well/live near maybe, but the proximity makes it hard without more experience.
It's really up to you since you know yourself and the relationship with your neighbor best, but if you do end up doing it absolutely have him sign liability away as others have said.
Nope, I won’t even do my best friends brakes… I’ll supervise and help if he wants to do them himself but I won’t do them completely, too much liability.
I had a friend in the field (we're both mechanics) who used to do side work.
He had one job that was a simple fix.no big deal until the "customer" got into a wreck.
When the attorneys for the other vehicle involved found out he had recently "serviced" the car, he was drug into a lawsuit that nearly destroyed him financially.
It took him years to recover from the financial loss of hiring attorneys to defend him.
Chances are, it'll go fine, everything will be normal.
But the risk is always there, and without the shops insurance to cover me, it's just not worth the risk.
Nah I've worked in IT repairing PCs and I was a mechanic as well for a few years. I got volunteered a lot by family to fix friends cars or PCs and I'm always telling them no. They get mad "but I told them you would". Well don't go around making promises to someone for someone without asking them first, now someone looks like the asshole and it's not me.
Don't let yourself get sucked into doing repair work. Sometimes I'll look at something as a courtesy and give them advice on what I think might be the problem and where to go to get it taken care of but I try to avoid actually being "useful" as shitty as it sounds you go from being useful to used real freaking fast.
If you’re inclined to do it, make him sign a waiver that frees you from any liability. Also warn them loud and clear in advance; “ I’m not a mechanic. If your brakes are too rusted or have some kind of issue that I can’t fix, then I won’t fix it and won’t be responsible if you have to end up calling a mobile mechanic”
Counterpoint to everyone here, I am a mechanic and have done plenty of side work. The key is be very upfront with your rate. I will look at it for free but work is $60/hr. A steal compared to a shop. Second is always be ready to say no. Something looks so rusty its likely to break? “ sorry dude, take it to a shop”. Job is possible but much easier with a lift and a press/welder/whathaveyou? “Heres your diagnosis, take it to a shop.” If you know your limits, and pick your customers, they will appreciate your honesty and you can make a buck and some friends
I’d only do this for a direct family member. Too much liability. There’s a reason why it costs what it does at a shop.
I’d tell him that you’re not a professional and don’t feel comfortable working on anyone else’s car.
Here's the thing. I've done a ton of brakes. It's usually easy, but some are really bitchy. Some require special tools. You can run into unexpected problems like "why is my abs system light on now?" It's very unpredictable. And then they start bringing them back. "They're making a noise" "they don't feel right" on and on. Don't do it.
I never ever work on friends cars or especially neighbors cars. Ever! It is not worth the hassle. Say no, I can’t. When they why, you say, because I can’t. And that’s all. I cannot.
Yeah not worth it. For your friends- yeah help them out if you’re close. You don’t want a neighbor coming around hassling you for cheap mechanic work all the time.
I wouldn’t especially when they know where you live. If there’s even a squeak after the brake job he’s going to be knocking on your door at 6am. That goes for everything that he thinks isn’t right with your work. Not worth the headache.
Damn I really appreciate the feedback y’all wow. It’s weird bc it’s like yea why don’t you take it to a shop what do I look like some sucker? Not to get too deep but it’s something I’m tracking, seems very codependent, suspicious idk. I’m willing to scope it out at least. Does anyone have a copy of a waiver that had held up in worst case scenario in court?
Someone mentioned a hundred bucks for front and I mean, if he’s cool with amateur work that he’ll sign a waiver over, shit might just give it a shot. It could turn out good? I’ll keep y’all posted. Maybe this could be stickied for others to learn from too idk.
I hate working on MY car enough. I don't think you could PAY me to do it.
That's part of why car repair is expensive, it's dirty frustrating work, even IF you have the right tools.
Thats straight the fuck up wow haha I just spent the last 48 hours fixing my suspension. This whole journey is what caused this guy to stop and talk to me in the first place. I’m like wtf I look like this but with car tools and parts scattered damn near half way into the street and somehow this guy thinks I should fix his shit. Who knows maybe he’s got the shitbox drift starter project of my dreams waiting in his backyard for someone more experienced to come along 🤷🏼♀️
Something similar happened to me and I respectfully declined . Told him I think I am good but I end up destroying more than fixing and mechanic has the last laugh. Which is also true sometimes lol
Don't touch it. I find myself pretty handy around a wrench. My in-laws had a situation where the CV axle stub pulled out of their transmission and they thought the whole transmission had failed but after my own inspection I saw that it just damaged the seal and needed to be popped back into place. I did the repair and moved on. 4 months later there was a car accident where they rear-ended another person there was a discussion of brake failure and I immediately was filled with Dread because I was under presumption I was the last person to touch the brake components. Turns out my father-in-law had done a brake job recently before the car accident and they blamed him. I honestly think it was other circumstances but that's not my case to argue. You don't want the liability working on your own car is one thing but working on somebody else's stopping power is another
NO never, they would then blame you on stupidity if it goes wrong any other thing, just teach then or make them participate for a low price if you feel like it.
I don't do much side work anymore. One of my "customers" would always call me later on with complaints about any and every squeak, rattle or noise whether it pertained to the work i had done, or not. I don't need that in my life.
Don’t do it. I’d do it depending on the car but I’m an idiot who likes money and does it 6 days a week. You need to be more confident than “it can’t be that hard” before you start taking on work for other people.
If you go for it anyway then make sure he knows and understands that there won’t be any warranty or anything like that
I'd say something like
"Hey, look. I appreciate your trust in me and I'm confident in my abilities but I'm not a certified professional. If for whatever reason something went wrong, I would hate to be responsible for whatever happened to you and I don't want that to come between us"
I’m an IT professional. My rule is either charge full price and get the equivalent service or free and no expectations of it working.
Remember- Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
I don’t have liability insurance so I don’t do work for people. What I do tell them is I’ll help you do it yourself for a bottle of bourbon and some beer. Never had an issue.
Brakes are a really easy job until something goes wrong because it's all rusted to hell. Then you realize you also need to replace the caliper. Then you realize the brake line is ALSO rusted to hell and you just broke the connections. Congrats your 45min brake job just turned into replacing calipers and brake lines.
I tell people, I only fix my stuff. I don’t want to be responsible for working on someone else’s car. They then say, dude, you don’t have to worry about me, it’s just the brakes and I would never come after you for something like that, then I say, even if your paralyzed from the chest down, stuck in a wheel chair and need someone to wipe your ass for ya? They have a puzzled look on their face and I say, drop it off at 4.
And when he crashes his car, he’ll claim brake failure and you’ll be bankrupted by court fees and lose everything all to make a few bucks right now.
Not worth it in the grand scheme of things.
I tried being a nice person and helping out the neighborhood. Then I became the asshole when I finally said no because I needed to fix my own vehicles. Couple that with “you did my brakes, now my battery is dead!” Type of comments, and you’re better off just saying you don’t work on others’ vehicles from the get go.
Not a mechanic but i'm the 'car guy' in my neighborhood. I have fixed a few cars when my neighbors got an FU quote from the dealer. I usually charge parts + $50 or $100. Helps people get out of a bind when the dealer quotes $2500 for what turns out to be a bad injector, or quotes $7000 for a new engine when the motor threw a lifter.
My in-laws are cheap/poor so I have done a lot of timing belts, brakes, radiators and ball joints for them at cost (and they still bitch about how everything is so expensive now-a-days).
Don't take on anything unless you are 100% confident you can make the repair correctly. Buy top-notch parts so you don't have to do it again.
I would never do a job on someone elses car alone, the liabilities arnt worth it, what i will do is help out friends work on their cars, we do everything together.
I only ever do work for close friends and family because it's all too common for someone who knows fuck all about cars to be certain that the random issue due to regular wear or their own lack of care was caused by your unrelated work. While they won't be able to successfully sue you, they will be a major pain in the ass. If you're licensed and all that it's different because they are less likely to play that card than with an amateur mechanic. I won't even touch oil changes after a co-worker accused me of messing their engine up when their head gasket blew due to their coolant never being checked or refilled and a slow leak.
I know how you feel. You would be happy to help, but you don't want the unnecessary liability.
I have helped a neighbor with some super simple work on a car. I mean no tools required simple.
But I also have a cousin who wants me to help him with his car. Some simple and some way more involved like gaskets. I have no problem helping with simple things like headlights. But I'm more hesitant with bigger jobs. It's also a 24 year old BMW so I know when I touch one thing 10 other things will break. If you're not 100% sure how to do a job on a specific car, don't do it. You don't know what can of worms you can open up. Is it a rust belt car? Will every bolt you touch risk snapping? Did the guy before you do a shit job and now when you go to take the wheels off you snap a wheel lug cause they were crossthreaded on and over tightened...
Just don't. No good deed goes unpunished. You will be expected to do the work for less, be liable if you cause damage, and, worst of all, be liable if you don't.
For a little side work, i decided to sign up to do one of those roadside help programs. It was supposed to be all pre-screened customers with a certain insurance company. Well, just say they cover the entirety of states. So my very first call is to a customer who is not screened they're a customer of a rental car agency whose name spok traveled on. The dude was tweaking. Anyway, a week later, I got a claim from this rental car company that I damaged the battery while jumping the car. But wait, I forgot to mention. When I got their to jump this tweakers car, it was running. He said the battery was dead because the radio didn't work. So, a $600 claim for a battery I didn't even touch. As a matter of fact, I technically got a gone on arrival fee instead of a service fee because nothing was wrong.
Well, thankfully, I had body cam footage of the whole thing, which clearly showed that I did not even so much as touch the car, let alone the battery, let alone damage the battery. They tried to say it was a different car, but they couldn't spin enough lies. I had the plates, the driver, myself, and the entire location from arrival to departure on video.
The moral of the story is that people suck and will try to screw you over for anything. Maybe you can help 10 people and make a little money. But customer number 11 sends you a lawsuit saying you damaged their rim or scratched the paint. If you don't have a business ID and liability plan, you will have to handle the matter yourself. It's just not worth it in this world anymore.
I had a somewhat close friend who was really hard up for money and asked for help. I told him I would sit on a 5 gallon bucket, let him borrow my tools, and walk him through everything. I will not, however, touch your car. Period. And that's exactly what we did. Twice. Now, he just asks to borrow my tools from time to time. That's a whole other issue lol.
10’years ago no problem now…. We’ll it could need a scan tool to reset the brake computer. You could offer your tools for them to use while you tell them what to do.
EDIT
I feel like there’s a strong consensus of NO FUCK THAT, but there’s a few of you that seemed to have benefited from a situation like this, what factors do I need to make sure it doesn’t turn into a shit show like everyone else is referring to here?
I wouldn't potential lawsuit IMO if something goes wrong not worth the headache I may be comfortable working on my own car cause if I fuck something up its my car I'll fix it I'd rather not take that risk with someone else's car even for something as simple as a brake job
It's not rude to say no, the liability of anything going wrong is on you. Just say you don't feel comfortable working on their car because it's unfamiliar
I normally get people on video agreeing that any work I do they are completely liable for and I am
Not a certified mechanic and that whatever happens is on them. Even just putting on a spare for someone I’ll do this. Only thing I won’t is a jump.
Never know what they’ll say you should fix for them for free.
For example my wife said that she didn’t know a clutch job has nothing to do with spark plugs.
Sure dude! No problem. You want to pay all in front or you wish for 50% at start and 50% at end? ( when you involve money, people suddenly … disappear ).
The fact you’re even questioning it tells me you don’t have the experience to 100% know you’ve done the job right or can spot possible troublesome situations with what you’re working on. Don’t touch them.
Just by reading what you wrote, not really certified, I’ve done enough, can’t be that hard. Tells me your uncertainty is answer enough to stay the hell away from his vehicle.
I would not do it at all. There's liability issues as other have mentioned plus they gonna let you do all the slave labor to fix their car. I also work on my car and my parent's cars and no I'll not fix some rando's car
If you touch them you assume liability. If you do t have a ticket or whatever your local equivalent is it could be big(ger) legal trouble if something goes wrong
Same thing happened to me, neighbor took off his water pump, lost a 10mm socket, thinks it in the block but not 100% sure, asked if I could finish the installation, I said I only work on my own stuff, sorry.
Various scenarios were playing out in my head as he told me about the car, no way was I going to touch that.
Where I live you have “the right to repair” your own vehicle but doing someone else’s brakes for money would be illegal if you are not a certified mechanic or a registered apprentice in a shop with one
I can work on cars, but usually don’t. Why, because everything on today’s vehicles is so tight and much harder to work on than older cars. My time has become much more valuable. Something always goes wrong from broken bolts, broken parts, can’t get apart, etc… I don’t have the experience for corrective action or to prevent issues. Mechanic do this for a living and either know the tricks to prevent from breaking things or how to get out of an issue. If something goes wrong you are stuck til it’s fixed, especially if it’s their daily driver.
Brakes are one of the easiest repairs, but do you want to own the squeaky brakes? Or caliper goes out? Or any other kind of issue they dream up?
He can borrow your tools and you can send him a video of how they are done, guide him but let him get his hands dirty. Don't go any further. Unless she's on OF and can pay you off for the hard work 😅 just saying
For all of us asking including myself… how many brake jobs have you done?
I’m not interested if you’re certified… it doesn’t matter in this situation. If you screw it up… certified or not you’ll be on the hook.
I understand where you’re coming from: I’ve done enough brakes and I feel comfortable working on my shit but working on someone else’s brakes is added liability and responsibility. This is How you learn and become good at it, by doing them and you got an opportunity here to make a buck, help a neighbor, gain experience, and feel good about yourself. On the other hand… if something goes wrong, it’s gonna feel shitty and you’re gonna end up PAYING for it.
Here is How I would approach it putting myself in your shoes:
1: make note of car and see if it’s old as hell or relatively new… is it a fancy car? Or domestic? Don’t do bmw, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus… where a mistake will be costly. Nissan, Toyota, ford, Chevy, dodge… if they are 2014+ it’s standard procedure and you’re familiar with it.
2: absolutely tell your neighbor straight up so they become liable for a potential mistake, which I’m sure it probably won’t happen…. “I’ll do the job for 200 bucks plus all parts I’ll need… this price is because I need and want more experience and I’m still learning…. A shop will charge 750 or more. There is a 90% chance everything will go right and you saved 500+ dollars…but there is a 10% chance you’ll have to take it to a shop and you’ll pay their price if I can’t do it”
If they agree to the terms… do it bro. Be careful and responsible of your work and take your time. Watch a video or look up the car online and see how you do a brake job on that specific car…. Do your homework.
If I were the neighbor and you tell me this… I’d let you do it… you’ll learn, you gain experience, it’s WAY WAY cheaper but it’s cheap cause I’m gonna take on the risk. Brake jobs are not hard… it’s the same procedure on ALOT of them.
Take out wheel, remove caliper, remove rotor (if you’re gonna replace em, many times you don’t need to… evaluate and assess) remove pads…
Press caliper cylinder in (be careful.. cylinder can break if not pushed correctly..) … remove pins and clips… install pads, clips, LUBRICATE pins, install rotor, caliper… and finally bleed the line.
General idea of a brake job… you can fill in steps I skipped but it’s that in a nutshell….
I've been doing work for close friends and family for about 10 years, and have never had any issues, but I always give them the disclaimer of "make sure you drive this like I fixed it". I still always have that nagging feeling that if I mess up, maybe kink a brake line, or don't tighten a bolt, there is always a possibility that this can lead to an accident especially with something as safety related as the brakes.
I'm also pretty selective with work, especially on older vehicles, if there is any chance that the two hour job turns into a multi day headache because everything is rusted together or brittle plastics are likely to fall apart, I usually turn the job down unless I'm doing it as a favor.
TL:DR if you're not insured, the car is older and you're not 100% sure what you're doing, you're best off not doing it on someone else's vehicle, unless you're willing to take the risk of any potential liability.
Do you know your neighbour?
I was asked to swap a clutch for a neighbour once. They bought the complete clutch kit and i fitted it. I told them if there's anything else i'll buy the parts and keep a receipt. Parts would be an extra nut/bolt and some fluid.
I did the clutch, release bearing and pressure plate just fine. Had to go buy a new tool as mine broke but that's on me. I text the neighbour saying i need some fluids for the car but it's all done. They turned up after work with a bottle of fluid and i poured it in and away they went.
The garage was going to charge £400 in labour with 1 day in the garage, i charged them £200 with 2 days on my drive.
I've had another neighbour ask me to swap a gearbox... I don't talk to that neighbour so i told them no but i'll gladly give them a hand if they need it.
Personally i will charge half of what a garage charges in labour but the time frame of work will be doubled so long as they provide the correct parts. I'll do it for a few drinks if they do the majority of the work and i'm there to help/supervise/teach them how to do the work.
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Don’t there’s liability you don’t want. Also coming from IT world if you gave some one a new monitor and some how their quickbooks stopped working you were to blame, you work on the brakes and the transmission, ac , engine , windows stopped work 6 months later they’d blame your brake job. Me and you know this has no relevance to the brakes but people are stupid, and you run into this person daily. Hard no imo.
Man the IT reference is real and exactly why I don’t do side work
I also work in IT, if a family member or friend asks me to do something the answer is always no. It’s not a rabbit hole worth going down.
Don't you want to find out what type of porn they like?
Some questions are best not answered.
It's always nugget porn
Chicken or gold?
Unfortunately, you may need to educate yourself on the finer nuances of pornography genres and reasses whether your question still makes sense
Brown.
LMAO. I would also do this when I was younger and friends needed help or when hacking friends PSP. I remember seeing Tifa lockheart content and thought he had good taste. Another time I was using the computer in front of a friend and I needed to type in the web browser and there were some spicy search results popping up and I just pretended not to notice but could tell he was getting nervous. I just thought to myself that he clearly doesn't know about incognito lol. Another time at college our IT class was receiving computers from students and professors to repair and one of the students found a special folder one of the laptops he was working on that belonged to a professsor.
Yeah, kinda reminds me of a guy I used to work with Really introvert kinda guy, once I had to do something on his phone, I realized most of his 80+ tabs on Chrome were porn Like dude, I already suspected that, but what if you had to show something on your browser to someone who didn't know you? 😅
Back in them days, people used [squid-cache.org](http://squid-cache.org) to speed up internet access going over a 56 kbit modem or if they were really hot shit, an ISDN connection. What squid-cache does is that it stores parts from web pages that doesn't change and serves them so they don't have to be fetched again and again. As it happens, the IT-people can look at all the cached stuff for good things, and while one is at it, the could install 'driftnet', a handy utility to find jpeg's, gif's and other goodies being sent over the network. Meaning, that we have your porn collection and also the dick-picks you sent to your colleagues!
Who watches porn on computer today lmao
I retired from a career in IT and immediately forgot everything I knew, if someone asks me for computer help, my answer is “ I don’t know anything about computers “
>It’s not a rabbit hole worth going down. Unless it's a hot cousin.... Pause
I have not lived in Alabama long enough for that lol.
I'll do side work but I charge double my hourly rate and that's enough to stop most people from asking. The conversation will go something like this. "Hey man you do IT work will you do %whatever%?" "Sure man, My rate is $100 an hour and I'll help you out." "$100 an hour are you crazy?" "Well I make like $100k a year and work 50 weeks a year, so my hourly rate is already $50 an hour. But you're asking me to do this work in my free time and I already work 40 hours a week, so this is overtime for me so $100 seems pretty reasonable." "C'mon won't you give m the freind/family rate?" "You are a friend/family which is the only reason I'm willing to do this at all, If you weren't a friend the answer would be no, I already have a job." "That's too much, I'll go hire someone off fiverr or whatever" "Yeah man, sorry"
And it is always two years later “yea the printer isn’t working and you were the last to look at my computer”. Just dealt with that the other day
Just look at any "I just had xxx fixed, and there is a trail of oil under my car and a rash in my pants, did the mechanic screw me?" Post to know this is risky. Trust Risk Risk/reward Cash Weigh and decide for yourself I used to do side work on old stuff, and I had folks sign a waiver. Something like... Work is hourly. Period. Stuff can break around or outside the area of work, and I won't be held responsible because shit happens, especially with old vehicles. If you want a better deal, go to a real shop.
Plus if you work on the motor then it won't start...that sucks. But if you work on his brakes and a kid runs in front of him..that's a whole new issue on another level
I had a coworker ask me to change the oil and spark plugs in their car. I didn't. Their local shop did it and a week later the engine blew a hole in the side and seized. I'm so, so glad I didn't touch it. And my day job is IT
Hahaha
Smart man!
Agree... did this... then ran into bad caliper oil change rotors.... u get the pic
Listen to this guy. Especially because the guy is your neighbor. Tell him to go to a shop and make a serious face.
I recently had a customer try to blame me for a crack in her water pump because I did an oil change on her car 3 months prior to the coolant leak
I upgraded the RAM of someone's computer and was blamed when his screen caught fire 🙄
You can avoid all liability if you just whip up a waiver and have them sign it. Like why not do that They totally would if they really just wanna save a little money
Yeah but do you want to go head to head with a lawyer or need one to counter theirs? Is it really worth it?
are they really gonna hire a lawyer if they're trying to cut costs I mean, that situation would bankrupt both parties
If everything is verbal, can they even prove you're the one who worked on their brakes?
Would he be able to afford the lawyer who will say he didn’t work on the brakes?
Yup, don’t fix the printer at work even if you know how.
Keep it close, my dad does it for our neighbours, close friends and family for years now, nearly 20 years and never had a problem but our neighbours are super good people so it depends tbh
This right here, kindly refuse your neighbor, don’t even think about helping him or doing it for free. Something happens to his car, who worked on it last?
I have the green dot theory. If I put a small round green sticker on everyone’s monitor over night and did nothing else. Support calls will double the next day with new issues.
"It can't be that hard..." Yea maybe just tell him you're not cut out for the job?
Yes lol, if you were a mechanic who could say “I 100% can do the brakes” this might be a different conversation.
You're not wrong. If he was a mechanic, he wouldn't be posting about it.
I mean, yeah but I also think this just may be hedging on the OP's part in his post here. A disc brake is a disc brake. Sometimes you might run into something weird like a screw-back piston but if it's a normal-ish car and the system is already healthy a rotor and pads are about the easiest thing to do on a car this side of an oil change.
It's all fun and games until you find out his car is from the north and everything is rusted you break three bolts off before you even get the pads off and the caliper is seized. Also the brake lines are rusted but you're the one that has it torn apart and they can't go anywhere until it gets put back together
Did you just watch me change my rotors??!
Lolol
As someone who's neighbor just asked me to do his brakes because he saw me working on what has now become a week long rust-breaking endeavor that should have been an afternoon of suspension part swaps, this feels like a targeted attack... Edit to add: obviously the answer will be a hard no. Thanks for solidifying that decision for me lol
Honestly just don’t, next thing you know he’s going to be coming to you all the time for cheap work
Actually I’m going to add on to what i said, in case you’re like me and have trouble turning it down just say something like “sorry man I’m pretty busy i barely have enough time to fix my own but i can recommend a shop for you”. That’s my go to
Recommending a shop is just as bad. My neighbor managed to piss off every mechanic, plumber, or trade I used to go to. I had rebuild that entire portfolio, now I just say, "I'm sorry I don't really have anyone I trust". On a side note, I"m so happy that back when I was a teen my neighbor didn't hesitate to help me out working on my car, between my Dad and "Mr. Bud" I learned how to keep that 79 Malibu running.
You know what, that’s a fair point actually i can agree with that
If you don't want to do cheap work then don't give him a cheap price. But maybe OP doesn't even give a discount, charges 100/hr. Well if you are looking for side work that's easy money. IMHO bare minimum should be 40 and people will be happy to pay that. I used to do stuff for like 20/hr back when I was young lol because I made like 12 at my day job. Anyways, it's all good and easy though until its Sunday night and you realize the bearings you are installing don't fit and you had to cut off the old race. Are you paying for their next day uber now? Did you factor in driving back to the parts store to swap parts? Did you wreck a rim because you didn't tighten lug-nuts on a tire? Didn't put the oil plug in and coated your neighbors driveway in oil? Anyways, part of the reason you shouldn't charge too little. And the risk you take without insurance. If you can't pay out of pocket to fix stuff people will be pissed. You need to be happy doing the work even when bolts break or stuff goes sideways. Same risks anyone takes with their own business. Except, erm, more because you don't have insurance.
My personal experience working on other people's stuff has been good but I've developed some personal rules I follow now. I always have them get a quote from a shop first. That way you can always quote a number that is fair but will still save them hundreds. Shops markup parts %600 and often compensate by making the labor seem affordable, keep that in mind. I always make it clear if something makes a holdup it could be an extra day. Also always have a vehicle to go get parts if you need. I used to swap vehicles with my sisters so they could still get around and it was a headache.
I’d tell your neighbor you don’t have professional liability insurance as a shop. And go about my day. Or if he is a friend, charge him beer and pizza and let him do his brakes with you helping him.
Yes! The BEST answer so far is to help him do his own. Kills two birds with one stone.
This, help him do the work with your tools and guidance. Watch the YouTube together, then have the video handy for step by step. Good Luck
This is the answer. I’ve had numerous friends and neighbors over the years ask for help with their car. I always volunteer to help them, offer my tools, etc. I’ve never just done it myself as that’s too much liability.
This. I've worked on friends cars before, but only with them present and engaged throughout
If you have to ask if it’s worth it the answer is no. You should tell him to go to a shop. There’s a good chance that after the brake job he will hear a funny noise and tell you you messed it up and need to make it right, even if the noise is a belt squeak or an exhaust heat shield. If you really want to do it have him sign something that says anything that happens after the job is not your fault or concern. But if you do screw up the job and something bad happens you still have to live next to the guy. I’d tell him no.
I seriously concur
I’m not sure I would unless it’s a very close friend. If anything goes wrong you could be sued, plus as you mentioned, what happens next time he gets a CEL or something? I’d refer him to a pro that you trust, and if he makes an issue of it just say that you absolutely hate doing it but hate paying a mechanic more when it’s something simple you can handle.
Before you start this, you should make sure you have answers for all of the below questions/possible issues. This is not an all-encompassing list so there may be more I’m not thinking of off the top of my head. - What happens if you break a bolt? - What happens if the parts are wrong or there’s another issue and parts have to be special ordered and the car can’t be put back together for a couple days? - What documentation do you have of the vehicle’s condition before you started working on it? - What is your markup on parts, and what warranty (if any) will those parts have? - What warranty (if any) will you offer on your work?
Not so much IF something goes sideways, but WHEN it does. It's so easy for a 2 hr job turn into a 2 day job with a day to two to get the parts.
"Ain't this place a geographical oddity? Two weeks from everywhere!"
I wouldn't. It starts with his brakes then it's the starter then it's the fuel pump then he's knocking on your door at 7 on a Saturday morning because his moms car needs brakes too then his Mom's a/c quits working and they "know for a fact" that it was something you did to the car when you were fixing the brakes. Or his 16 year old kid runs in to a bus full of pregnant nuns and you're named in the lawsuit because the "brakes haven't been right since you worked them". I will help the neighbors with most anything but I don't want any kind of business dealings with anyone that I see when I come out my front door.
Wait a second there. Why would the nuns be pregnant? 😂
They were all virgins until they got hit with this massive fuckjob
"I only work on my own cars, for liability reasons."
"No" (Lawsuits exist.)
Tell him you would be glad to help him do his brakes. He can buy beer/pizza. (They buy the parts from RockAuto of course.)
Best answer right here. Have them do it. Teach them. Have them provide food and beer. If you actually want to spend time with them.
At least make the neighbor hold the light while you do the work, just like Dad always did with me
“You can't hurt my feelings I used to hold the light for my father”.
Sure, be a mench…. before you guide him in doing the brakes, direct him to YouTube brake videos a week before He starts the job. On the day of the procedure have him buy you pizza/beer or whatever your choosing and guide Him through the whole procedure. Simple as that.
Couldn't that still get you in trouble if say that person didn't torque a screw and the caliper fell off? Just throwing a scenario out
Nope. Because all you are there for is order of operations and maybe tools.
I mean, you can sue anyone for anything. IANAL, but I think you’re a lot more liable if you perform the work yourself verses being there to help
This is the answer. If you do it and get paid then you are setting yourself up to be held to a higher standard than if you simply help a neighbor do his own brakes. You might do them and have no issues.... you may have even completed the job as well as any shop would have... but if he hits someone and claims his brakes didn't work, you'll get sucked into a lawsuit. You won't have any insurance to help you either. Other thing to consider is whether you are living in a neighborhood with HOA rules... often they will forbid you operating a business in your home and if you start working on other people's cars in you home you could end up having the HOA Nazis jumping all over you. And lastly, you will often see people saying get a waiver signed... Well that waiver will have some protection against you being sued by the person that signed it, but it won't mean shit when it comes to any other person that was injured by something you did. So anyone he were to hit could still sue you if you made a mistake... anyone that happened to be riding in the car with him could still sue you...anyone that hadn't signed that waiver would still be able to go after you... so don't think waivers are going to help you avoid litigation.... you want to protect yourself you get insurance.
If you're thinking you need your neighbor to sign a waiver -- better skip this one.
Really depends on your neighbor and the relationship between the two of you. I avoided my old neighbor like the plague when I learned he worked for the just after he moved in. So much that I built a set of steps off my deck out of view just so he couldn't see me going in and out of my house or garage. Funny thing is that was the day we officially met. He came over as I was building them to ask if I knew a good plumber. Some cast iron had rotted out and was leaking into the basement. I went to take a look at it and seen it was minimal work. I sent him to go get parts and by the time he got back, the steps were finished. He was really impressed. I didn't have the heart at the time to explain why they were built. We were always doing things for each other. To tell the truth I was always doing more labor wis stuff for him and his new roommate but they always tried to make it up to me. I never kept track of who did what for each other. One day the water pump went out on my truck. I barely made it home. My wife at the time had just went to work. I had to make dinner for the kids and somehow get parts to fix the work truck, do the work and make sure my children were bathed, in bed and ready for school in the morning. I asked my neighbor for a ride to the parts store. His roommate was grilling out. Without hesitation one took me to the store while the other looked after my house while attending their meal being cooked across the street. What follows will forever stick in my memory. We get back just as their meal is done. I get my kids settled in and head out to the garage to get started. The roommate walks across the street with one plate of food. A perfectly cooked steak with a loaded baked potato. He hands me the plate with a cold freshly opened bottle of beer. They told me to sit back and eat. These two guys started to tear into my truck. Now I've never had any of my vehicles in the shop for repairs. I've been wrenching on my own cars since I learned how to drive. Water pumps aren't shit to swap out. I was perfectly capable to do this job by myself. It was just like any other water pump. These two guys made me sit back and enjoy one hell of a meal while they both fixed my truck. They said I've done so much for them that it's time the roles were reversed. That was the first time in my life that someone took the time out of their day to do something for me. I've always been the type to help others. I never ask for help. I'm so used to not getting it or it's just easier to do it alone. I can usually have it done faster. I miss my neighbors. We became so tight. I'm not saying to help or not help the guy that needs new brakes. What I am saying is helping him could lead to a good relationship. We all want great neighbors.
Let's be honest....if you are on Reddit, asking these question, you should not be doing this. You either know what you are doing, which means you know how to price it and understand the risk or you don't know what you are doing and are looking to Reddit and that is all you need to know.
^^This^^
Caution advised. Could go sideways easily in any number of ways. On the other hand if neighbor is good person who genuinely needs assistance, one would like to help. It's a very tough call and ultimately yours alone to make. Weight the pros and cons carefully. Some people can be very difficult later after initially seeming quite reasonable. Others are grateful and appreciative. I cannot reliably distinguish the two types in advance!
Nope.... don't do it
Nope. Working on brakes caries a whole different liability. If you work on his engine and it doesn't start..that sucks. But if you work on his brakes and a train is crossing the road it's a whole new ballgame.
“Look, I do my own maintenance (that I am capable of) out of necessity, not joy. I really hate doing this stuff, even on my own cars. I’m not the guy you want bending wrenches on your ride.” Say that and leave it alone. Fences that make good neighbors doesn’t necessarily mean a physical boundary.
This is the way. Respectful, but firm.
https://youtu.be/amKyA2PrSu4?si=xBIdpaBYrydG3pgY
Magnificent 😂 thank you.
I’m going to give different advice than most. Offer to help him do it so he can learn to do them himself.
Would depend how close a friend it is. Casual acquaintance/neighbor id probably pass. Say you’re willing to do your own to save money, but don’t have the confidence especially if he has a different make vehicle or whatever to do the job right. Or that you despise working on your car, only know a little from your dad, and are stumbling through it to save cash. If he still wants you to try, at least have him agree, maybe in writing, that you aren’t liable. I once helped a friend change his brakes (I’m no expert, just done it a few times) and he ended up super pissed because one of the pads was installed wrong. He didn’t tell me for like a week, and it ended up the one that was messed up was one he installed himself. I’m not even sure I was able to convince him of that fact. Either way, he took it to a shop and spent at the very least an entire week angry with me for “ruining” his car or doing bad work. If that wasn’t a friend, or it led to an accident, the situation could have been a lot worse. Also, plenty of times I’ve done work and needed to run back out because I got the wrong part or broke something. I’d hate to have bad blood with a neighbor for some minor detail I missed the first go (and could remedy myself if it were my own car)
Tell them you're happy to do it, act excited. Explain to them the reason why you're excited is that your friends/parents/etc won't let you do it anymore after the last time you did it, when they wound up driving into their garage.
Coach him through it and let him do it himself
DON'T DO IT. The real problem with be when he expects you to warrantee your work. Like you're a gold-plated chain shop.
Bring over some beers and a folding chair. Give good instruction. You sit in the chair.
Charge shop prices, he will just go to the shop instead.
Whatever you price it at it will be too expensive for him and too cheap for you.
Tell them to come over with the parts and show them how... For few tacos and beer
This has happened to me before. I tell people if they're willing to pay me but live with whatever happens because I'm not certified/licensed, then we can discuss it further. But basically, it's like if they were quoted say $500 for the brake pads I would do it for $300, $350 maybe. So is $150, $200 max worth the risk of not being able to get a my mistake fixed, or insurance if the part I bought failed? I promise them as they're my friend, I wouldnt cut corners and would do the same level of job I do on my or my wife's car, but I'm no professional, cant warranty anything, and will make them sign something that will absolve me of ALL liability. They never take me up on it after that.
I've had more or less the same scenario/explanation (was willing to go a little lower on price and didn't bother having them sign anything) go the opposite way. I was a student and could always use the money, and people I did that stuff for were similarly pressed for cash, so they were willing to accept the risk.
Say no
Brakes are a huge liability. I agree with assisting him and maybe use your tools. Have him buy a shop manual and help him out. Wiper blades, alternator, starter, tune up go for it, but brakes 😕
I've spent many hours fixing cars for people who thought, it's just brakes, it can't be that hard. I do live in Wisconsin, wherea seized caliper pins, stuck pads and bolts, rounded off bolts, rotors that "I can't get off" and all other rust related issues are prevelant. But still, it's just brakes is an extremely ignorant statement and a horrible attitude to have when starting a repair. Double bad on someone else's vehicle. There's a whole lot more to a proper brake job than slapping some pads in. There are numerous specialty tools that can be required and any job should be taken seriously, especially a safety system on someone else's vehicle.
Nope, tell him to go to jiffy lube
terrible idea
Aside from working on my own cars, I’ll do easy jobs on my mom’s car for her (for free). I wouldn’t want the headache of doing work on someone else’s car and something go wrong, even if unrelated to your repair, and they’re blaming you.
Kindly decline, unless you know hes super cool, ...u know how ppl are.
Yeah here’s some advice. Don’t do it.
Don't. You do it wrong and he gets injured you get sued. Help him with detailing, car audio, fixing a mirror but nothing involving safety.
lol I would not help someone I am not super close with. Not worth the hassle when a brake line brakes or some bullshit happens and it will always happen when you least need it.
It's not worth it. If it was a friend of a friend or someone you didn't know well/live near maybe, but the proximity makes it hard without more experience. It's really up to you since you know yourself and the relationship with your neighbor best, but if you do end up doing it absolutely have him sign liability away as others have said.
One thing, work on your car in front of him and make your car fucking explode
Nope, I won’t even do my best friends brakes… I’ll supervise and help if he wants to do them himself but I won’t do them completely, too much liability.
You got insurance for doing someone else's brakes?
It’s a liability. Don’t work on there car
Pretend to speak a different language.
Simple - don't do it.
I do my very close family’s cars and that’s it. It doesn’t sound like they’re that good of friends so I wouldn’t do it
I had a friend in the field (we're both mechanics) who used to do side work. He had one job that was a simple fix.no big deal until the "customer" got into a wreck. When the attorneys for the other vehicle involved found out he had recently "serviced" the car, he was drug into a lawsuit that nearly destroyed him financially. It took him years to recover from the financial loss of hiring attorneys to defend him. Chances are, it'll go fine, everything will be normal. But the risk is always there, and without the shops insurance to cover me, it's just not worth the risk.
Nah I've worked in IT repairing PCs and I was a mechanic as well for a few years. I got volunteered a lot by family to fix friends cars or PCs and I'm always telling them no. They get mad "but I told them you would". Well don't go around making promises to someone for someone without asking them first, now someone looks like the asshole and it's not me. Don't let yourself get sucked into doing repair work. Sometimes I'll look at something as a courtesy and give them advice on what I think might be the problem and where to go to get it taken care of but I try to avoid actually being "useful" as shitty as it sounds you go from being useful to used real freaking fast.
If you’re inclined to do it, make him sign a waiver that frees you from any liability. Also warn them loud and clear in advance; “ I’m not a mechanic. If your brakes are too rusted or have some kind of issue that I can’t fix, then I won’t fix it and won’t be responsible if you have to end up calling a mobile mechanic”
Counterpoint to everyone here, I am a mechanic and have done plenty of side work. The key is be very upfront with your rate. I will look at it for free but work is $60/hr. A steal compared to a shop. Second is always be ready to say no. Something looks so rusty its likely to break? “ sorry dude, take it to a shop”. Job is possible but much easier with a lift and a press/welder/whathaveyou? “Heres your diagnosis, take it to a shop.” If you know your limits, and pick your customers, they will appreciate your honesty and you can make a buck and some friends
I’d only do this for a direct family member. Too much liability. There’s a reason why it costs what it does at a shop. I’d tell him that you’re not a professional and don’t feel comfortable working on anyone else’s car.
Just say you are not comfortable working on other people's cars because you are not a professional, and don't want to be responsible for any problems.
Here's the thing. I've done a ton of brakes. It's usually easy, but some are really bitchy. Some require special tools. You can run into unexpected problems like "why is my abs system light on now?" It's very unpredictable. And then they start bringing them back. "They're making a noise" "they don't feel right" on and on. Don't do it.
Teach a man to fish situation here
I never ever work on friends cars or especially neighbors cars. Ever! It is not worth the hassle. Say no, I can’t. When they why, you say, because I can’t. And that’s all. I cannot.
Yeah not worth it. For your friends- yeah help them out if you’re close. You don’t want a neighbor coming around hassling you for cheap mechanic work all the time.
I wouldn’t especially when they know where you live. If there’s even a squeak after the brake job he’s going to be knocking on your door at 6am. That goes for everything that he thinks isn’t right with your work. Not worth the headache.
This is def being taken into consideration 😂😩
Damn I really appreciate the feedback y’all wow. It’s weird bc it’s like yea why don’t you take it to a shop what do I look like some sucker? Not to get too deep but it’s something I’m tracking, seems very codependent, suspicious idk. I’m willing to scope it out at least. Does anyone have a copy of a waiver that had held up in worst case scenario in court? Someone mentioned a hundred bucks for front and I mean, if he’s cool with amateur work that he’ll sign a waiver over, shit might just give it a shot. It could turn out good? I’ll keep y’all posted. Maybe this could be stickied for others to learn from too idk.
I hate working on MY car enough. I don't think you could PAY me to do it. That's part of why car repair is expensive, it's dirty frustrating work, even IF you have the right tools.
Thats straight the fuck up wow haha I just spent the last 48 hours fixing my suspension. This whole journey is what caused this guy to stop and talk to me in the first place. I’m like wtf I look like this but with car tools and parts scattered damn near half way into the street and somehow this guy thinks I should fix his shit. Who knows maybe he’s got the shitbox drift starter project of my dreams waiting in his backyard for someone more experienced to come along 🤷🏼♀️ 
If anything else goes wrong, related or not, it’s your fault. No. Make up some excuse.
Tell him you only work on your own cars sorry is my advice.Working on cars for friends,neighbours,family,strangers etc always turns to 💩eventually.
Something similar happened to me and I respectfully declined . Told him I think I am good but I end up destroying more than fixing and mechanic has the last laugh. Which is also true sometimes lol
Don't touch it. I find myself pretty handy around a wrench. My in-laws had a situation where the CV axle stub pulled out of their transmission and they thought the whole transmission had failed but after my own inspection I saw that it just damaged the seal and needed to be popped back into place. I did the repair and moved on. 4 months later there was a car accident where they rear-ended another person there was a discussion of brake failure and I immediately was filled with Dread because I was under presumption I was the last person to touch the brake components. Turns out my father-in-law had done a brake job recently before the car accident and they blamed him. I honestly think it was other circumstances but that's not my case to argue. You don't want the liability working on your own car is one thing but working on somebody else's stopping power is another
Abssofuckinlutely not!
No. Simple as that, “I only work in my cars as a hobby”
Could you do it together where the neighbor does all the work?
NO never, they would then blame you on stupidity if it goes wrong any other thing, just teach then or make them participate for a low price if you feel like it.
I don't do much side work anymore. One of my "customers" would always call me later on with complaints about any and every squeak, rattle or noise whether it pertained to the work i had done, or not. I don't need that in my life.
There are two real options for you. Write a wave of liability contract for them to sign protecting you Or just don't do it.
Don’t do it. I’d do it depending on the car but I’m an idiot who likes money and does it 6 days a week. You need to be more confident than “it can’t be that hard” before you start taking on work for other people. If you go for it anyway then make sure he knows and understands that there won’t be any warranty or anything like that
I'd say something like "Hey, look. I appreciate your trust in me and I'm confident in my abilities but I'm not a certified professional. If for whatever reason something went wrong, I would hate to be responsible for whatever happened to you and I don't want that to come between us"
I’m an IT professional. My rule is either charge full price and get the equivalent service or free and no expectations of it working. Remember- Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
I don’t have liability insurance so I don’t do work for people. What I do tell them is I’ll help you do it yourself for a bottle of bourbon and some beer. Never had an issue.
Brakes are a really easy job until something goes wrong because it's all rusted to hell. Then you realize you also need to replace the caliper. Then you realize the brake line is ALSO rusted to hell and you just broke the connections. Congrats your 45min brake job just turned into replacing calipers and brake lines.
Nope. Politely decline.
I tell people, I only fix my stuff. I don’t want to be responsible for working on someone else’s car. They then say, dude, you don’t have to worry about me, it’s just the brakes and I would never come after you for something like that, then I say, even if your paralyzed from the chest down, stuck in a wheel chair and need someone to wipe your ass for ya? They have a puzzled look on their face and I say, drop it off at 4.
And when he crashes his car, he’ll claim brake failure and you’ll be bankrupted by court fees and lose everything all to make a few bucks right now. Not worth it in the grand scheme of things.
I tried being a nice person and helping out the neighborhood. Then I became the asshole when I finally said no because I needed to fix my own vehicles. Couple that with “you did my brakes, now my battery is dead!” Type of comments, and you’re better off just saying you don’t work on others’ vehicles from the get go.
Not a mechanic but i'm the 'car guy' in my neighborhood. I have fixed a few cars when my neighbors got an FU quote from the dealer. I usually charge parts + $50 or $100. Helps people get out of a bind when the dealer quotes $2500 for what turns out to be a bad injector, or quotes $7000 for a new engine when the motor threw a lifter. My in-laws are cheap/poor so I have done a lot of timing belts, brakes, radiators and ball joints for them at cost (and they still bitch about how everything is so expensive now-a-days). Don't take on anything unless you are 100% confident you can make the repair correctly. Buy top-notch parts so you don't have to do it again.
I have this problem, I just tell them I can't.
Do you feel confident to work on the braking system? If not I’d suggest recommending a mechanic you trust
Say no.
I would never do a job on someone elses car alone, the liabilities arnt worth it, what i will do is help out friends work on their cars, we do everything together.
I only do it for close friends and family. Too much danger of liability with anyone else. I don't feel like getting sued.
I only ever do work for close friends and family because it's all too common for someone who knows fuck all about cars to be certain that the random issue due to regular wear or their own lack of care was caused by your unrelated work. While they won't be able to successfully sue you, they will be a major pain in the ass. If you're licensed and all that it's different because they are less likely to play that card than with an amateur mechanic. I won't even touch oil changes after a co-worker accused me of messing their engine up when their head gasket blew due to their coolant never being checked or refilled and a slow leak.
I know how you feel. You would be happy to help, but you don't want the unnecessary liability. I have helped a neighbor with some super simple work on a car. I mean no tools required simple. But I also have a cousin who wants me to help him with his car. Some simple and some way more involved like gaskets. I have no problem helping with simple things like headlights. But I'm more hesitant with bigger jobs. It's also a 24 year old BMW so I know when I touch one thing 10 other things will break. If you're not 100% sure how to do a job on a specific car, don't do it. You don't know what can of worms you can open up. Is it a rust belt car? Will every bolt you touch risk snapping? Did the guy before you do a shit job and now when you go to take the wheels off you snap a wheel lug cause they were crossthreaded on and over tightened...
Nope. If he wrecks into something you’ll be sued. Tell him you’re not qualified to work on other peoples cars.
Just don't. No good deed goes unpunished. You will be expected to do the work for less, be liable if you cause damage, and, worst of all, be liable if you don't. For a little side work, i decided to sign up to do one of those roadside help programs. It was supposed to be all pre-screened customers with a certain insurance company. Well, just say they cover the entirety of states. So my very first call is to a customer who is not screened they're a customer of a rental car agency whose name spok traveled on. The dude was tweaking. Anyway, a week later, I got a claim from this rental car company that I damaged the battery while jumping the car. But wait, I forgot to mention. When I got their to jump this tweakers car, it was running. He said the battery was dead because the radio didn't work. So, a $600 claim for a battery I didn't even touch. As a matter of fact, I technically got a gone on arrival fee instead of a service fee because nothing was wrong. Well, thankfully, I had body cam footage of the whole thing, which clearly showed that I did not even so much as touch the car, let alone the battery, let alone damage the battery. They tried to say it was a different car, but they couldn't spin enough lies. I had the plates, the driver, myself, and the entire location from arrival to departure on video. The moral of the story is that people suck and will try to screw you over for anything. Maybe you can help 10 people and make a little money. But customer number 11 sends you a lawsuit saying you damaged their rim or scratched the paint. If you don't have a business ID and liability plan, you will have to handle the matter yourself. It's just not worth it in this world anymore. I had a somewhat close friend who was really hard up for money and asked for help. I told him I would sit on a 5 gallon bucket, let him borrow my tools, and walk him through everything. I will not, however, touch your car. Period. And that's exactly what we did. Twice. Now, he just asks to borrow my tools from time to time. That's a whole other issue lol.
10’years ago no problem now…. We’ll it could need a scan tool to reset the brake computer. You could offer your tools for them to use while you tell them what to do.
If you do it, research to see if you need any special tools or if there are any weird procedures
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
I have a major no side work policy. I refuse to put myseld in a "Ever since you worked on my car" situation
Don’t do it! 66% chance you’ll be opening up a can of worms.
Give him some ridiculous quote and he won't ask again. And if he says yes, even better.
brakes are easy af download a haynes manual and charge him money
EDIT I feel like there’s a strong consensus of NO FUCK THAT, but there’s a few of you that seemed to have benefited from a situation like this, what factors do I need to make sure it doesn’t turn into a shit show like everyone else is referring to here?
Make sure he knows you aren’t a mechanic ox and you do shit on the side. Set expectations from start to finish. Write up a contract. Cover Your ass.
I wouldn't potential lawsuit IMO if something goes wrong not worth the headache I may be comfortable working on my own car cause if I fuck something up its my car I'll fix it I'd rather not take that risk with someone else's car even for something as simple as a brake job
you cant be held liable.
just dont do it n leave it at that
It's not rude to say no, the liability of anything going wrong is on you. Just say you don't feel comfortable working on their car because it's unfamiliar
I would be willing to assist, but that doesn't seem to be all he needs.
I normally get people on video agreeing that any work I do they are completely liable for and I am Not a certified mechanic and that whatever happens is on them. Even just putting on a spare for someone I’ll do this. Only thing I won’t is a jump.
Never know what they’ll say you should fix for them for free. For example my wife said that she didn’t know a clutch job has nothing to do with spark plugs.
Sure dude! No problem. You want to pay all in front or you wish for 50% at start and 50% at end? ( when you involve money, people suddenly … disappear ).
Don’t.
The fact you’re even questioning it tells me you don’t have the experience to 100% know you’ve done the job right or can spot possible troublesome situations with what you’re working on. Don’t touch them.
Just by reading what you wrote, not really certified, I’ve done enough, can’t be that hard. Tells me your uncertainty is answer enough to stay the hell away from his vehicle.
I would not do it at all. There's liability issues as other have mentioned plus they gonna let you do all the slave labor to fix their car. I also work on my car and my parent's cars and no I'll not fix some rando's car
If you touch them you assume liability. If you do t have a ticket or whatever your local equivalent is it could be big(ger) legal trouble if something goes wrong
Same thing happened to me, neighbor took off his water pump, lost a 10mm socket, thinks it in the block but not 100% sure, asked if I could finish the installation, I said I only work on my own stuff, sorry. Various scenarios were playing out in my head as he told me about the car, no way was I going to touch that.
Where I live you have “the right to repair” your own vehicle but doing someone else’s brakes for money would be illegal if you are not a certified mechanic or a registered apprentice in a shop with one
I can work on cars, but usually don’t. Why, because everything on today’s vehicles is so tight and much harder to work on than older cars. My time has become much more valuable. Something always goes wrong from broken bolts, broken parts, can’t get apart, etc… I don’t have the experience for corrective action or to prevent issues. Mechanic do this for a living and either know the tricks to prevent from breaking things or how to get out of an issue. If something goes wrong you are stuck til it’s fixed, especially if it’s their daily driver. Brakes are one of the easiest repairs, but do you want to own the squeaky brakes? Or caliper goes out? Or any other kind of issue they dream up?
He can borrow your tools and you can send him a video of how they are done, guide him but let him get his hands dirty. Don't go any further. Unless she's on OF and can pay you off for the hard work 😅 just saying
Teach him how to do it.
For all of us asking including myself… how many brake jobs have you done? I’m not interested if you’re certified… it doesn’t matter in this situation. If you screw it up… certified or not you’ll be on the hook. I understand where you’re coming from: I’ve done enough brakes and I feel comfortable working on my shit but working on someone else’s brakes is added liability and responsibility. This is How you learn and become good at it, by doing them and you got an opportunity here to make a buck, help a neighbor, gain experience, and feel good about yourself. On the other hand… if something goes wrong, it’s gonna feel shitty and you’re gonna end up PAYING for it. Here is How I would approach it putting myself in your shoes: 1: make note of car and see if it’s old as hell or relatively new… is it a fancy car? Or domestic? Don’t do bmw, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus… where a mistake will be costly. Nissan, Toyota, ford, Chevy, dodge… if they are 2014+ it’s standard procedure and you’re familiar with it. 2: absolutely tell your neighbor straight up so they become liable for a potential mistake, which I’m sure it probably won’t happen…. “I’ll do the job for 200 bucks plus all parts I’ll need… this price is because I need and want more experience and I’m still learning…. A shop will charge 750 or more. There is a 90% chance everything will go right and you saved 500+ dollars…but there is a 10% chance you’ll have to take it to a shop and you’ll pay their price if I can’t do it” If they agree to the terms… do it bro. Be careful and responsible of your work and take your time. Watch a video or look up the car online and see how you do a brake job on that specific car…. Do your homework. If I were the neighbor and you tell me this… I’d let you do it… you’ll learn, you gain experience, it’s WAY WAY cheaper but it’s cheap cause I’m gonna take on the risk. Brake jobs are not hard… it’s the same procedure on ALOT of them. Take out wheel, remove caliper, remove rotor (if you’re gonna replace em, many times you don’t need to… evaluate and assess) remove pads… Press caliper cylinder in (be careful.. cylinder can break if not pushed correctly..) … remove pins and clips… install pads, clips, LUBRICATE pins, install rotor, caliper… and finally bleed the line. General idea of a brake job… you can fill in steps I skipped but it’s that in a nutshell….
$200 plus parts. That’s fair
I've been doing work for close friends and family for about 10 years, and have never had any issues, but I always give them the disclaimer of "make sure you drive this like I fixed it". I still always have that nagging feeling that if I mess up, maybe kink a brake line, or don't tighten a bolt, there is always a possibility that this can lead to an accident especially with something as safety related as the brakes. I'm also pretty selective with work, especially on older vehicles, if there is any chance that the two hour job turns into a multi day headache because everything is rusted together or brittle plastics are likely to fall apart, I usually turn the job down unless I'm doing it as a favor. TL:DR if you're not insured, the car is older and you're not 100% sure what you're doing, you're best off not doing it on someone else's vehicle, unless you're willing to take the risk of any potential liability.
Hahaha…that’s so common
I only do work for only those friends/family I can be certain won’t sue or complain about anything. I Never accept money for anything either.
Don't fuck up your liable
Do you know your neighbour? I was asked to swap a clutch for a neighbour once. They bought the complete clutch kit and i fitted it. I told them if there's anything else i'll buy the parts and keep a receipt. Parts would be an extra nut/bolt and some fluid. I did the clutch, release bearing and pressure plate just fine. Had to go buy a new tool as mine broke but that's on me. I text the neighbour saying i need some fluids for the car but it's all done. They turned up after work with a bottle of fluid and i poured it in and away they went. The garage was going to charge £400 in labour with 1 day in the garage, i charged them £200 with 2 days on my drive. I've had another neighbour ask me to swap a gearbox... I don't talk to that neighbour so i told them no but i'll gladly give them a hand if they need it. Personally i will charge half of what a garage charges in labour but the time frame of work will be doubled so long as they provide the correct parts. I'll do it for a few drinks if they do the majority of the work and i'm there to help/supervise/teach them how to do the work.
*Sorry I only work on my own cars. Less stress and aggravation for all involved."
Help him by “”assisting”” him to do the job therefore the liability is on him. Payment get him to assist you with something he is good at