KRAI CASEBOOK / FIELD GUIDE
How do you know whether a car repair worked?
Keep a record of what changed before you call the problem solved. A code disappearing is one observation. The original symptom, test conditions, and follow-up matter too.
Keep four pieces of evidence together
- Before: Write the complaint in plain language. Record when it happened, any scan results, and the source of each observation.
- Action: Record the test or repair actually performed and the date or odometer reading.
- After: Repeat the relevant check when practical. Record whether the symptom returned, what the scan showed, and the conditions of that check.
- Status: Say “improved,” “unchanged,” or “not checked yet” if that is all the evidence supports. Leave a case open until a meaningful follow-up.
Example: a lean-condition code
Suppose a driver records P0174 and a rough idle. After work, a new scan has no recorded code. The useful follow-up is whether the rough idle changed and under what driving conditions the vehicle was checked. A blank scan field without a scan is unknown; a missing code on one scan is not proof that the underlying problem is gone.
Record only readings you actually have. An owner’s observation, a technician’s observation, and a scan tool reading should remain distinguishable.
Make a free before-and-after case
KRAI Casebook keeps those notes together on your own device. It currently does not connect to a vehicle, diagnose a fault, or decide whether a car is safe to drive.
Open the free Casebook pilotFor a safety concern or unresolved fault, use a qualified inspection and appropriate vehicle service information. This guide is a recordkeeping method, not a repair procedure.