Maximizing Benefits of Clean Fuels:

1. Maximizing Benefitsof Clean Fuels: • Vehicle Inspection & Maintenance

2. Introduction • New automobile emissions standards in Europe, Japan and the USA have reduced CO, HC and NOx emissions so substantially that only cold start emissions of gasoline automobiles are now high contributors to the emissions inventory • NOx and HC emissions have dropped by an order of magnitude over the last decade, and will continue to decline • Vehicles in use may become high emitters • Failures • Deterioration

3. Why is It Important? • Deterioration or failure of vehicle components may substantially increase tailpipe emissions relative to their original values. • Manufacturers are obliged to certify their emissions-related performance and components for an extended period of time (50,000 miles or 120,000 miles in the USA, and 100,000 km for current Euro 4 vehicles) • Components may still fail, suffer mechanical damage, or be subjected to tampering • After the required durability period, the manufacturer would not be obliged to maintain a low emissions profile of the vehicles produce 80% of the emissions!”

4. Methods • Some I&M inspections for tampering only • Simple I&M tests measured the exhaust composition with the vehicle idling, or set to an elevated speed idle • Effective for determining the idle richness setting in old carbureted vehicles, but not effective in measuring the emissions from a modern fuel injected gasoline vehicle with feedback control • More effective to test the vehicle on a chassis dynamometer (or “rolling road”) where a load can be applied. • Transient (example, in the USA, is the IM240, a 240 second long test) • Steady-state loads • Four-wheel drive vehicles were often exempt from testing, but now more four-wheel drive dynamometers are available in most I&M programs.

5. IM240 Test IM 240 Data have been correlated with FTP75 certification test IM240 test cycle (Dieselnet)

6. IM240 & Idle Tests www.transport.govt.nz Image: Mustang Dynamometer

7. Units & Need for Allowances • I&M standards need to take into account the inherent lack of accuracy in quick tests with variable conditions • Also need to take into account the variability between similar vehicles • Deterioration may vary as a result of use • I&M standards may be set in distance specific units (g/mile or g/km) for chassis dynamometer tests, or as tailpipe mass flows or concentrations • In all cases it is necessary to account for the difference in the test from the original certification process

8. I&M In Practice • I&M may be enforced by coupling the passing of an I&M emissions test to the vehicle licensing process • To prevent I&M from burdening the vehicle owner too heavily, some local governments have allowed the vehicle to be registered if the owner spends a minimum amount of money on emissions-related repairs, even if the vehicle still does not pass • Both centralized (usually government operated) and decentralized (at service stations) I&M systems have been employed