A new inspection always starts from a jobcard — the submission gets tied to that jobcard for record-keeping. You can't start a "loose" inspection that isn't attached to a car visit.
How to start
Open the jobcard
The car needs to be on a jobcard before you can inspect it. If it isn't yet, create one.
Open the Inspections tab
On the jobcard detail page, switch to the Inspections tab.
Click New Inspection
A dialog lists every active inspection template for your garage. Pick the one you want.
The submission is created
Pistonlog snapshots the template schema into a new submission row, status in_progress. The fill view opens.
Multiple inspections per jobcard
A jobcard can have any number of inspection submissions — start a general check, a brake inspection, and a tyre inspection on the same visit, all separate submissions tied to the same jobcard.
Permission
You need inspections.create. All four default roles — Owner, Manager, Reception, and Technician — have it. Technicians starting their own inspections from the workshop floor (web or mobile) is the intended flow.