(1) Initial tests (i.e., those occurring for the first time in a test cycle) shall be performed without repair or adjustment at the inspection facility, prior to the test, except as provided in paragraph (a)(10)(i) of this section.

(2) The vehicle owner or driver shall have access to the test area such that observation of the entire official inspection process on the vehicle is permitted. Such access may be limited but shall in no way prevent full observation.

(3) An official test, once initiated, shall be performed in its entirety regardless of intermediate outcomes except in the case of invalid test condition, unsafe conditions, fast pass/fail algorithms, or, in the case of the on-board diagnostic (OBD) system check, unset readiness codes.

(4) Tests involving measurement shall be performed with program-approved equipment that has been calibrated according to the quality procedures contained in appendix A to this subpart.

(5) Vehicles shall be rejected from testing if the exhaust system is missing or leaking, or if the vehicle is in an unsafe condition for testing. Coincident with mandatory OBD-I/M testing and repair of vehicles so equipped, MY 1996 and newer vehicles shall be rejected from testing if a scan of the OBD system reveals a “not ready” code for any component of the OBD system. At a state's option it may choose alternatively to reject MY 1996-2000 vehicles only if three or more “not ready” codes are present and to reject MY 2001 and later model years only if two or more “not ready” codes are present. This provision does not release manufacturers from the obligations regarding readiness status set forth in 40 CFR 86.094-17(e)(1): “Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles and New Motor Vehicle Engines: Regulations RequiringOn-Board Diagnostic Systems on 1994 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicles and Light-Duty Trucks.” Once the cause for rejection has been corrected, the vehicle must return for testing to continue the testing process. Failure to return for testing in a timely manner after rejection shall be considered non-compliance with the program, unless the motorist can prove that the vehicle has been sold, scrapped, or is otherwise no longer in operation within the program area.

(6) Vehicles shall be retested after repair for any portion of the inspection that is failed on the previous test to determine if repairs were effective. To the extent that repair to correct a previous failure could lead to failure of another portion of the test, that portion shall also be retested. Evaporative system repairs shall trigger an exhaust emissions retest (in programs which conduct an exhaust emission test as part of the initial inspection).

(7) Steady-state testing. Steady-state tests shall be performed in accordance with the procedures contained in appendix B to this subpart.

(8) Emission control device inspection. Visual emission control device checks shall be performed through direct observation or through indirect observation using a mirror, video camera or other visual aid. These inspections shall include a determination as to whether each subject device is present and appears to be properly connected and appears to be the correct type for the certified vehicle configuration.

(9) Evaporative system purge test procedure. The purge test procedure shall consist of measuring the total purge flow (in standard liters) occurring in the vehicle's evaporative system during the transient dynamometer emission test specified in paragraph (a)(11) of this section. The purge flow measurement system shall be connected to the purge portion of the evaporative system in series between the canister and the engine, preferably near the canister. The inspector shall be responsible for ensuring that all items that are disconnected in the conduct of the test procedure are properly re-connected at the conclusion of the test procedure. Alternative procedures may be used if they are shown to be equivalent or better to the satisfaction of the Administrator. Except in the case of government-run test facilities claiming sovereign immunity, any damage done to the evaporative emission control system during this test shall be repaired at the expense of the inspection facility.

(10) Evaporative system integrity test procedure. The test sequence shall consist of the following steps:

(11) Transient emission test. The transient emission test shall consist of mass emission measurement using a constant volume sampler (or an Administrator-approved alternative methodology for accounting for exhaust volume) while the vehicle is driven through a computer-monitored driving cycle on a dynamometer. The driving cycle shall include acceleration, deceleration, and idle operating modes as specified in appendix E to this subpart (or an approved alternative). The driving cycle may be ended earlier using approved fast pass or fast fail algorithms and multiple pass/fail algorithms may be used during the test cycle to eliminate false failures. The transient test procedure, including algorithms and other procedural details, shall be approved by the Administrator prior to use in an I/M program.

(12) On-board diagnostic checks. Beginning January 1, 2002, inspection of the on-board diagnostic (OBD) system on MY 1996 and newer light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks shall be conducted according to the procedure described in 40 CFR 85.2222, at a minimum. This inspection may be used in lieu of tailpipe, purge, and fill-neck pressure testing. Alternatively, states may elect to phase-in OBD-I/M testing for one test cycle by using the OBD-I/M check to screen clean vehicles from tailpipe testing and require repair and retest for only those vehicles which proceed to fail the tailpipe test. An additional alternative is also available to states with regard to the deadline for mandatory testing, repair, and retesting of vehicles based upon the OBD-I/M check. Under this third option, if a state can show good cause (and the Administrator takes notice-and-comment action to approve this good cause showing as a revision to the State's Implementation Plan), up to an additional 12 months' extensionmay be granted, establishing an alternative start date for such states of no later than January 1, 2003. States choosing to make this showing will also have available to them the phase-in approach described in this section, with the one-cycle time limit to begin coincident with the alternative start date established by Administrator approval of the showing, but no later than January 1, 2003. The showing of good cause (and its approval or disapproval) will be addressed on a case-by-case basis by the Administrator.

(13) Approval of alternative tests. Alternative test procedures may be approved if the Administrator finds that such procedures show a reasonable correlation with the Federal Test Procedure and are capable of identifying comparable emission reductions from the I/M program as a whole, in combination with other program elements, as would be identified by the test(s) which they are intended to replace.

(1) Emissions standards. HC, CO, and CO + CO₂ (or CO₂ alone) emission standards shall be applicable to all vehicles subject to the program with the exception of MY 1996 and newer OBD-equipped light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks, which will be held to the requirements of 40 CFR 85.2207, at a minimum. Repairs shall be required for failure of any standard regardless of the attainment status of the area. NO_X emission standards shall be applied to vehicles subject to a loaded mode test in ozone nonattainment areas and in an ozone transport region, unless a waiver of NO_X controls is provided to the State under § 51.351(d).

(2) Visual equipment inspection standards.

(3) Functional test standards -

(4) On-board diagnostic test standards. Vehicles shall fail the on-board diagnostic test if they fail to meet the requirements of 40 CFR 85.2207, at a minimum. Failure of the on-board diagnostic test need not result in failure of the vehicle inspection/maintenance test until January 1, 2002. Alternatively, states may elect to phase-in OBD-I/M testing for one test cycle by using the OBD- I/M check to screen clean vehicles from tailpipe testing and require repair and retest for only those vehicles which proceed to fail the tailpipe test. An additional alternative is also available to states with regard to the deadline for mandatory testing, repair, and retesting of vehicles based upon the OBD-I/M check. Under this third option, if a state can show good cause (and the Administrator takes notice-and-comment action to approve this good cause showing), up to an additional 12 months' extension may be granted, establishing an alternative start date for such states of no later than January 1, 2003. States choosing to make this showing will also have available to them the phase-in approach described in this section, with the one-cycle time limit to begin coincident with the alternative start date established by Administrator approval of the showing, but no later than January 1, 2003. The showing of good cause (and its approval or disapproval) will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

(1) Vehicles with engines other than the engine originally installed by the manufacturer or an identical replacement of such engine shall be subject to the test procedures and standards for the chassis type and model year including visual equipment inspections for all parts that are part of the original or now-applicable certified configuration and part of the normal inspection. States may choose to require vehicles with such engines to be subject to the test procedures and standards for the engine model year if it is newer than the chassis model year.

(2) Vehicles that have been switched from an engine of one fuel type to another fuel type that is subject to the program (e.g., from a diesel engine to a gasoline engine) shall be subject to the test procedures and standards for the current fuel type, and to the requirements of paragraph (d)(1) of this section.

(3) Vehicles that are switched to a fuel type for which there is no certified configuration shall be tested according to the most stringent emission standards established for that vehicle type and model year. Emission control device requirements may be waived if the program determines that the alternatively fueled vehicle configuration would meet the new vehicle standards for that model year without such devices.

(4) Mixing vehicle classes (e.g., light-duty with heavy-duty) and certification types (e.g., California with Federal) within a single vehicle configuration shall be considered tampering.