The Findings
Summary.
Version 1.0 · September 2026 · Sam Bruley
One document, passed between the technician, the writer, the owner and the instructor. Seven sections, always in this order. It records what was measured, what was ruled out and on what evidence. It does not attribute a finding to any person or organization.
The header
Vehicle. System worked on. Case date. Prepared by. Closed at, with the technician’s stated confidence. Mileage. Whether the job was customer pay or a warranty claim.
1 · Complaint: as recorded
The concern in the customer’s words or the vehicle’s symptom. Prior work. Diagnostic codes on record. Information received secondhand is identified as reported.
2 · Conditions considered
Every condition the walk put up, one line each, with its disposition and the evidence: ruled out (by what test), found here, tested (with a reading), not examined (not reached before the fault was found), or addressed in the repair. The tally sits above the table.
3 · Order of testing
The tests in the order they were run, cheapest first, as written down before the first one.
4 · What the evidence shows
The reasoning in plain words, and the physical law relied on where one applies.
5 · Determination
Root cause, confirmed. The repair. The verification, under the original conditions. Durability within the observation window. Then every point measured: the reading, the specification, and within or out of expectation. A point that was looked at and not measured says so: not measured, visual check: pass or fail.
6 · What this record does not establish
Conditions on the suspect list that were not examined are listed here by name. They are neither excluded nor implicated.
7 · Evidence
Photographs taken before components were disturbed, where applicable, or a line saying none were attached.
The footer
Vehicle, system, prepared by, and one sentence: measurements as recorded at the time of inspection.