The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has come out with regulations mandating emissions control systems of diesel engines used in highway vehicles. These regulations require that these systems be monitored similarly to passenger cars via onboard diagnostic (OBD) systems. This was the subject of another TMC technical section.
These regulations, which apply to vehicles more than 14,000 pounds, begin in 2010 and will be phased in over a number of years due to the development effort required and to provide the trucking industry with a learning period.
Participating in the session were Caterpillar's Jim Roal, Cummins' Ben Zwissler, Detroit Diesel's Greg Gillham, International Truck & Engine's Tim Gundrum, and Kenworth Truck's Keith Doorenbos.
The panelists explained that the regulations require engine manufacturers to install OBD systems that monitor the function of specific major emission control systems and components. These OBD systems must alert the vehicle operator, through indicator lamps, to any detected need for emission related repair.?
All emissions-related electronic sensors and actuators will have to be monitored for proper operation.
Furthermore, when a malfunction occurs, diagnostic information must be stored in the engine's computer to assist in diagnosis and repair of the problem, condition, or malfunction.?The regulations define a “failure” as any change from as-built conditions that can raise the engine emissions beyond the regulated level.
Beginning in 2010, one engine family per manufacturer must be certified to the EPA's OBD requirements. By 2013, engine manufacturers must have every horsepower rating in that engine family in full compliance. By 2016, all ratings of all engine families need to be certified.
The new OBD systems must be in compliance during a truck's warranty period, which the EPA defines as five years or 100,000. The system must continue to function during a truck's “useful life,” considered to be 10 years or 435,000 miles.
The 2010 heavy duty diesel onboard diagnostics requirements call for engine manufacturers to make available to personnel involved in truck repair and service, information necessary to perform repair and maintenance service on the OBD systems and other emissions-related engine components.
The 2010 OBD regulations will introduce more complexity, as well as cost, to vehicles, each of the panelists noted.