(a)
(1) Each test vehicle shall be driven with all emission control systems installed and operating for the following total test distances, or for such lesser distances as the Administrator may agree to as meeting the objectives of this procedure. (See § 86.419 for class explanation.)
Table 1 to § 86.427-78 - Test Specifications by Displacement Class
| Displacement class | Total test distance (kilometers) |
Minimum test distance (kilometers) |
Minimum number of tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-A | 6,000 | 2,500 | 4 |
| I-B | 6,000 | 2,500 | 4 |
| II | 9,000 | 2,500 | 4 |
| III | 15,000 | 3,500 | 4 |
(2) A zero kilometer emission test may be performed prior to the beginning of service accumulation.
(b) All vehicles shall undergo at least four emission tests; one at the minimum test distance, one before and one after periodic maintenance, and one at the total test distance. If no maintenance is scheduled, then at least two tests will be performed, at equal intervals, between the minimum and total test distances. Additional tests may be performed; such tests must be at equal intervals and approved by the Administrator prior to starting service accumulation.
(c) Where the Administrator agrees to a lesser distance for service accumulation, he may modify the maintenance provisions of this subpart.
(d) All tests required by this subpart must be conducted at an accumulated distance within 250 kilometers (155 mi) of the nominal distance at each test point.
(e)
(1) If a manufacturer conducts multiple tests at any test point at which the data are intended to be used in the calculation of the deterioration factor, the number of tests must be the same at each point and may not exceed three valid tests unless the manufacturer chooses to average the test results.
(2) If the manufacturer chooses to average the test results at a test point, he may conduct more tests than the minimum number of tests conducted at any other test point.
The results of the multiple tests shall be averaged to create a single value which is the test point value used in the deterioration factor calculation specified in § 86.432-78.
(3) When using this option to generate data for a particular test point, the manufacturer must include in the average all valid test data generated at that test point.
(4) The manufacturer shall follow the same procedure for all exhaust pollutants.
(5) The test results obtained from the emission tests performed before and after maintenance affecting emissions shall not be averaged.
(f) The Administrator may require that any one or more of the test vehicles be submitted to him, at such places as he may designate, for the purpose of conducting emissions tests. The Administrator may specify that he will conduct such testing at the manufacturer's facility, in which case instrumentation and equipment specified by the Administrator shall be made available by the manufacturer for test operations. Any testing conducted at a manufacturer's facility pursuant to this paragraph shall be scheduled by the manufacturer as promptly as possible.
(g) Whenever the Administrator conducts a test on a test vehicle, the results of that test, unless subsequently invalidated by the Administrator, shall comprise the data for the vehicle at that prescribed test point and the manufacturer's data for that prescribed test point shall not be used in determining compliance with emission standards.
[42 FR 1126, Jan. 5, 1977, as amended at 49 FR 48139, Dec. 10, 1984; 86 FR 34366, June 29, 2021]