Wednesday, September 1, 2010

CARB to Enact Tire Pressure Regulation

Falls Church, VA - The Automotive Maintenance and Repair Association (AMRA) has learned the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has proposed an effective date of September 1, 2010, for the adoption of Section 95550 in Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.

This regulation will require automotive service providers to check and inflate the tires of each passenger car brought in for service to its recommended tire pressure rating. This will be required in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from underinflated tires.

Among the requirements automotive service providers will be expected to meet are checking and inflating each vehicle’s tires to the recommended tire pressure rating at the time of performing any automotive maintenance or repair service, as well as indicating on the vehicle service invoice that a tire inflation service was completed.

On March 19, the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) disapproved the CARB’s proposed adoption of Section 95550. The OAL cited the CARB’s failure to comply with the clarity and necessity
standards of Government Code section 11349, a failure to follow the required procedure, and the fact the regulatory file did not contain all required documents. These requirements have since been met.

For questions related to the CARB regulation, please contact Theresa Anderson at 916-445-2159, or by e-mail at tmanders@arb.ca.gov.

The following is a summary of the requirements and compliance deadlines necessary for all automotive service providers in California. A full copy of the regulation can be obtained by contacting AMRA at amra@amra.org, or by calling 703-532-2027.

REGULATION TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM
VEHICLES OPERATING WITH UNDER INFLATED TIRES
Regulation for Under Inflated Vehicle Tires
(a) Purpose. The purpose of this regulation is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles operating with under
inflated tires by inflating them to the recommended tire pressure rating.
(b) Applicability.
(1) This regulation applies to all automotive service providers performing or offering to perform automotive maintenance or
repair services in California.
(2) This regulation does not apply to:
(A) auto body and paint facilities;
(B) auto glass installers;
(C) auto parts distributers or retailers; or
(D) auto wreckers or dismantlers.
Requirements and Compliance Deadlines.
Automotive service providers must meet the following requirements:
(1) By September 1, 2010, all automotive service providers are required to:
(A) check and inflate each vehicle’s tires to the recommended tire pressure rating, with air or nitrogen, as appropriate,
at the time of performing any automotive maintenance or repair service; and
(B) indicate on the vehicle service invoice that a tire inflation service was compYted aod the tire pressure
measurements after the services were performed; and
(C) perform the tire pressure service using a tire pressure gauge with a total permissible error no greater than ± two
(2) pounds per square inch (psi); and
(D) have access to a Tire Inflation Reference that is current within three years of publication; and
(E) keep a copy of the vehicle service invoice for a minimum of three years, and make the vehicle service invoice
available to ARB, or its authorized representative upon request.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (d)(1), an automotive service provider need not meet the requirements set out therein
if the automotive service provider is performing only a free check and inflate service at the customer’s request.
(3) Notwithstanding subsection (d)(1)(A), an automotive service provider need not perform the check and inflate service if:
(A) the tires are on a vehicle with a GVWR over 10,000 lbs.; or
(B) the tires are determined by the automotive service provider to be unsafe, as defined in subsection (c)(14); or
(C) the customer declines the check and inflate service pursuant to subsection (d)(5).
(3) Customers with vehicle tires inflated with nitrogen gas are subject to the requirements in subsection (d)(1)(A-E),
but may refuse the inflation portion of the service if a nitrogen inflation system is not available at the time of the
service.
(5) A customer may decline the check and inflate service if the customer affirms one of the following:
(A) He or she has performed (or had performed) a tire pressure check and inflate service within the last 30 days, or
(B) He or she will perform (or will have performed) a tire pressure check and inflate service within the n*t 7 d`ys.
(6) If a tire inflation service was not performed as provided in subsections (d)(2-4), the automotive service provider must
indicate on the vehicle service invoice why the service was not completed.

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