Tag Archives: EPA
What you need to know about Emissions Warranties
posted by cheryl
http://www.gtrblog.com
Emissions testing is not a new requirement. The federal government has issued standards for emissions already in 1972. Since that time, car manufacturers have continued to improve the vehicle components that control emissions. Most states require emissions testing, and you have recourse to your car manufacturer for repairs to regain compliance.
Performance Warranty
The most basic and immediate of warranties after the purchase of your new vehicle is a performance warranty that protects you from repair costs in the event your car fails an emissions test. You could be protected under a performance warranty if you meet the following criteria:
- Your car or light-duty truck fails an approved emissions test
- Your vehicle is less than two years old and has less than 24,000 miles (and up to eight years and 80,000 miles for certain components)
- Your state government orders you to make repairs
- The test failure is not the result of vehicle misuse or neglect on your part to follow the manufacturer’s written vehicle maintenance instructions
- You present your vehicle to a certified warranty-authorized manufacturer’s representative (often a dealer), along with evidence of the emissions test failure, during the warranty period.
Design and Defect Warranty
The design and defect warranty covers emissions-related parts that require repair or replacement due to workmanship errors or design defects. The warranty coverage varies by the type of vehicle you have, i.e., RVs, motorcycles, heavy-duty trucks, light-duty trucks, sedans, etc. You can find the specific warranty information for your vehicle in your owner’s manual, as well as instructions on how to submit a warranty claim. Even design defects have a warranty period, and if your vehicle is old enough, repair won’t be covered. Also note that the design and defect warranty is only applicable to vehicles manufactured since 1995.
For more information, the Environmental Protection Agency has issued a very helpful, very detailed explanation of vehicle emissions along with frequently asked questions.
New EPA Regulations for Auto Repair Shops
posted by Inna
The EPA has recently released new regulations, effective January 2011, on requirements for paint stripping operations and surface coating. This includes the creation of a plan to reduce Methylene Chloride (MeCl), a cleaning solvent, to below one ton for each paint stripping operation (181 gallons per year). The regulation also updated capture of surface coating spraying to 98%. The goal is to prevent MeCl evaporation and ensuing air contamination. The EPA recommends to keep the heat of the spray gun as low as possible.
Other significant requirements include:
- All spray painting work must be done in a booth
- Painters must do spray painting using High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) spray guns or their equivalents
- All painters must complete a training course on the proper use of spray gun and maintain them properly
- Spray gun cleaning must be done in a manner that prevents atomized particles from escaping outside the collection area. The gun must then be kept in a closed airtight container.
- Ongoing monitering and documentation of Notices of Compliance and training certificates
This development is significant in that car owners may be charged more for repair work in the short run: The capital cost of adjustments is estimated at $20 million. In the long run, this cost is predicted to be offset by savings from streamlined use of labor or materials. In the interim, The Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP) is available to provide assistance to facilities working towards complying with this new rule. This service is confidential and free of charge.
The good news is that most paint stripping facilitates already meet these requirements, but if you have noticed a rise in prices in your local auto shop, it just may be part of the 1,000 that have yet to meet the new regulations.
A Notice of Compliance from these facilities is due by March 11, 2011.
Those not effected by the new regulations include: Armed Forces of the United States, those parties associated with military munitions and their transport,researchers working on surface coating in laboratories,and most importantly:
Individual car-owners, provided that they do not coat more than two cars a year.
Car enthusiasts and technicians who prefer to make their own adjustments are released from purchasing equipment to meet these regulations.
(Surface coating or paint stripping is also allowed if it meets the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of “quality control activities” or are covered under another section of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.)
More information on these regulations can be found on the official Summary of Regulations Controlling Air Emissions from Paint Stripping And Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operation pamphlet and in more detail in the EPA’s Subpart HHHHHH.
Summary of Regulations Controlling Air Emissions from Paint Stripping And Miscellaneous Surface Coating Operation
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