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OBD and Inspection and Maintenance
Regulatory and Technical Resources
This page provides regulatory and technical information on OBD and inspection and maintenance checks, including archives of past documents. The Clean Air Act requires 33 state and local areas to conduct vehicle inspection and maintenance programs to control vehicle emissions and help meet national air quality standards. A majority of these state and local areas have already incorporated the use of OBD technology into vehicle inspections, and more are planning to do so in the future.
NOTE: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, available as a free download, to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Acrobat Reader.
Regulations
Primary Contact:
Holly Pugliese
Phone: 734-214-4288
E-mail: pugliese.holly@epa.gov
Final Implementation Guidance: Performing On-Board Diagnostic
System Checks as Part of a Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program (PDF) (37 pp, 320K, EPA420-R-01-015, June 2001)
The final guidance document entitled, "Performing On-Board Diagnostic
System Checks as Part of a Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program,"
contains EPA's recommendations regarding the effective implementation
of OBD-I/M checks in I/M programs. The recommendations contained in this
guidance are consistent with EPA's amended OBD-I/M requirements, published
April 5, 2001 (66 FR 18156).
Contact:
Dave Sosnowski
Phone: 734-214-4823
E-mail: sosnowski.dave@epa.gov
Final Rulemaking: Amendment to Vehicle Inspection
Maintenance Program Requirements Incorporating the On-Board Diagnostic
Check (March 2001) (also available as PDF file, 25 pp, 210K)
The Final Rulemaking document entitled, "Amendment to Vehicle Inspection
Maintenance Program Requirements Incorporating the On-Board Diagnostic
Check", was signed March 28, 2001, and published in the Federal Register
on April 5, 2001. It provides several options for extending the deadline
for implementing OBD checks in I/M programs. The rule also revises failure
and rejection criteria and provides the interim method for estimating
OBD check credit under the MOBILE5 model.
Contact:
Dave Sosnowski
Phone: 734-214-4823
E-mail: sosnowski.dave@epa.gov
Inspection Maintenance Program Requirements Incorporating the
Onboard Diagnostic Check: Response to Comments (PDF) (50 pp, 80K, EPA420-R-01-003,
January 2001)
Provides EPA's response to comments received on the September 20, 2000,
notice of proposed rulemaking entitled, "Amendments to Vehicle Inspection
Maintenance Program Requirements Incorporating the On-Board Diagnostic
Check," not otherwise addressed in the final rulemaking action associated
with that proposal.
Contact:
Dave Sosnowski
Phone: 734-214-4823
E-mail: sosnowski.dave@epa.gov
Effectiveness of OBD II Evaporative Emission Monitors - 30 Vehicle
Study (PDF) (50 pp, 100K, EPA420-R-00-012, Revised October 2000) (or, September 2000, 62 pp, 1MB)
A technical report containing analysis of evaporative emission data on
induced failures and subsequent repairs on 30 OBD vehicles of 1996 - 2000
model years. Both the original study and a revised version with new data
from a follow-up test that Ford Motor Company conducted in September 2000
are available.
Contact:
Dave Sosnowski
Phone: 734-214-4823
E-mail: sosnowski.dave@epa.gov
Evaluation of On-Board Diagnostics For Use in Detecting Malfunctioning
and High Emitting Vehicles (PDF) (38 pg, 120K, EPA420-R-00-013, September 2000)
A technical report providing comparative test results on over 200 model
year 1995+ vehicles, including OBD, IM240, and FTP results.
Contact:
Dave Sosnowski
Phone: 734-214-4823
E-mail: sosnowski.dave@epa.gov
Analyses of the OBD II Data Collected from the Wisconsin I/M
Lanes (PDF) (30 pp, 170K, EPA420-R-00-014, September 2000)
A technical report analyzing the lane-reported IM240 and OBD test results
on over 116,000 vehicles participating in Wisconsin's current I/M program.
Contact:
Dave Sosnowski
Phone: 734-214-4823
E-mail: sosnowski.dave@epa.gov
Policy Documents
OBD Policy Workgroup, Findings and Recommendations (PDF) (25 pp, 240K, November, 2002)
This document is the final report of the OBD Policy Workgroup, established
under the Mobile Source Technical Review Subcommittee, of the Clean Air
Act Advisory Committee (a Federal Advisory Committee).
Contact:
Dave Sosnowski
Phone: 734-214-4823
E-mail: sosnowski.dave@epa.gov
OBD Policy Workgroup, Technical Appendix (PDF) (219 pp, 1.5MB, November,
2002)
This document is a compilation of the presentations to the OBD Policy
Workgroup between December, 2001 and the Workgroup's last meeting in October,
2002.
Contact:
Dave Sosnowski
Phone: 734-214-4823
E-mail: sosnowski.dave@epa.gov
Technical Documents
Improving I/M Performance and OBD Monitor Readiness Memo (PDF) (2 pp, 31K, May 2011)
OBD Readiness Testability Issues (PDF) (7 pp, 125K, EPA420-F-11-022, May 2011)
This memo and accompanying document update the I/M OBD Vehicles Readiness Exception List (EPA420-F-08-009, January 2008) to list specific vehicle makes and models with OBD readiness issues and make suggestions for how I/M programs can improve operational performance by addressing monitor readiness.
Contact:
Gene Tierney
Phone: 202-343-9267
E-mail: tierney.gene@epa.gov
I/M OBD Vehicles Readiness Exception List (PDF) (6 pp, 190K, EPA420-F-08-009, January 2008)
This document lists vehicles that appear to be “Not Ready” for testing using the onboard diagnostic (OBD) system found on 1996 and newer vehicles.
Contact:
Gene Tierney
Phone: 202-343-9267
E-mail: tierney.gene@epa.gov
On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Program Implementation for Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) (PDF) (22 pp, 270K, EPA420-B-07-022, May 2007)
Contact:
Arvon Mitcham
Phone: 734-214-4522
E-mail: mitcham.arvon@epa.gov
On-Board Diagnostic Hand-Held Scan Tool Technology: Adherence to the Society of Automotive Engineers Requirements for Scan Tools and an Evaluation of Overall Scan Tool Capability (PDF) (27 pp, 70K, EPA420-R-00-017, October 2000)
Contact:
Arvon Mitcham
Phone: 734-214-4522
E-mail: mitcham.arvon@epa.gov
Revised Diagnostic Link Connector (DLC) Database (with mapping
diagram and diagram explanation)
December 2001
DLC spreadsheet with mapping diagram and explanation: 100K
XLS
DLC spreadsheet only 70K
XLS
Contact:
Arvon Mitcham
Phone: 734-214-4522
E-mail: mitcham.arvon@epa.gov