(a) After a review of the application for certification and any other information which the Administrator may require, the Administrator may approve the application and select a test fleet in accordance with §86.094-24.

(b) Disapproval of application.

(1) The Administrator may disapprove in whole or in part an application for certification for reasons including incompleteness, inaccuracy, inappropriate proposed mileage (or service) accumulation procedures, test equipment, or fuel; or incorporation of defeat devices in vehicles (or on engines) described by the application.

(2) The issuance of a certificate of conformity does not exempt the covered vehicles from further evaluation or testing for defeat device purposes as described in §86.094-16.

(c) Where any part of an application is rejected, the Administrator shall notify the manufacturer in writing and set forth the reasons for such rejection. Within 30 days following receipt of such notification, the manufacturer may request a hearing on the Administrator's determination. The request shall be in writing, signed by an authorized representative of the manufacturer and shall include a statement specifying the manufacturer's objections to the Administrator's determinations, and data in support of such objections. If, after the review of the request and supporting data, the Administrator finds that the request raises a substantial factual issue, he shall provide the manufacturer a hearing in accordance with §86.078-6 with respect to such issue.

(d) Approval of test procedures.

(1) [Reserved]

(2) Light-duty trucks using the Standard Self-Approval durability Program and heavy-duty engines only. The Administrator does not approve the test procedures for establishing exhaust emission deterioration factors for light-duty trucks using the Standard Self-Approval Durability Program described in §86.094-13(f) nor for heavy-duty engines. The manufacturer shall submit these procedures and determinations as required in §86.094-21(b)(5)(i) prior to determining the deterioration factors.

(3) Heavy-duty vehicles equipped with gasoline-fueled or methanol-fueled engines only. The Administrator does not approve the test procedures for establishing the evaporative emission deterioration factors. The test procedure will conform to the requirements in §86.094-23(b)(3).

(e) Parameter adjustment requirements. When the Administrator selects emission data vehicles for the test fleet, he will at the same time determine those vehicle or engine parameters which will be subject to adjustment for certification, Selective Enforcement Audit and Production Compliance Audit testing, the adequacy of the limits, stops, seals, or other means used to inhibit adjustment, and the resulting physically adjustable ranges for each such parameter and will then notify the manufacturer of his determinations.

(1) Determining parameters subject to adjustment.

(i) Except as noted in paragraph (e)(1)(iv) of this section, the Administrator may determine to be subject to adjustment the idle fuel-air mixture parameter on Otto-cycle vehicles (or engines) (carbureted or fuel-injected); the choke valve action parameter(s) on carbureted, Otto-cycle vehicles (or engines); or any parameter on any vehicle (or engine) (Otto-cycle or diesel) which is physically capable of being adjusted, may significantly affect emissions, and was not present on the manufacturer's vehicles (or engines) in the previous model year in the same form and function.

(ii) The Administrator may, in addition, determine to be subject to adjustment any other parameters on any vehicle or engine which is physically capable of being adjusted and which may significantly affect emissions. However, the Administrator may do so only if he has previously notified the manufacturer that he might do so and has found, at the time he gave this notice, that the intervening period would be adequate to permit the development and application of the requisite technology, giving appropriate consideration to the cost of compliance within such period. In no event will this notification be given later than September 1 of the calendar year two years prior to the model year.

(iii) In determining the parameters subject to adjustment, the Administrator will consider the likelihood that, for each of the parameters listed in paragraphs (e)(1) (i) and (ii) of this section, settings other than the manufacturer's recommended setting will occur on in-use vehicles (or engines). In determining likelihood, the Administrator may consider such factors as, but not limited to, information contained in the preliminary application, surveillance information from similar in-use vehicles (or engines), the difficulty and cost of gaining access to an adjustment, damage to the vehicle (or engine) if an attempt is made to gain such access and the need to replace parts following such attempt, and the effect of settings other than the manufacturer's recommended setting on vehicle (or engine) performance characteristics including emission characteristics.

(iv) Manual chokes of heavy-duty engines only will not be considered a parameter subject to adjustment under the parameter adjustment requirements.

(2)

(i) The Administrator shall determine a parameter to be adequately inaccessible or sealed if:

(A) In the case of an idle mixture screw, the screw is recessed within the carburetor casting and sealed with lead, thermosetting plastic, or an inverted elliptical spacer or sheared off after adjustment at the factory, and the inaccessibility is such that the screw cannot be accessed and/or adjusted with simple tools in one-half hour or for $20 (1978 dollars) or less;

(B) In the case of a choke bimetal spring, the plate covering the bimetal spring is riveted or welded in place, or held in place with nonreversible screws;

(C) In the case of a parameter which may be adjusted by elongating or bending adjustable members (e.g., the choke vacuum break), the elongation of the adjustable member is limited by design or, in the case of a bendable member, the member is constructed of a material which when bent would return to its original shape after the force is removed (plastic or spring steel materials);

(D) In the case of any parameter, the manufacturer demonstrates that adjusting the parameter to settings other than the manufacturer's recommended setting takes more than one-half hour or costs more than $20 (1978 dollars).

(ii) The Administrator shall determine a physical limit or stop to be an adequate restraint on adjustability if:

(A) In the case of a threaded adjustment, the threads are terminated, pinned, or crimped so as to prevent additional travel without breakage or need for repairs which take more than one-half hour or cost more than $20 (1978 dollars);

(B) The adjustment is ineffective at the end of the limits of travel regardless of additional forces or torques applied to the adjustment;

(C) The manufacturer demonstrates that travel or rotation limits cannot be exceeded with the use of simple and inexpensive tools (screwdriver, pliers, open-end or box wrenches, etc.) without incurring significant and costly damage to the vehicle (or engine) or control system or without taking more than one-half hour or costing more than $20 (1978 dollars).

(iii) If manufacturer service manuals or bulletins describe routine procedures for gaining access to a parameter or for removing or exceeding a physical limit, stop, seal or other means used to inhibit adjustment, or if surveillance data indicate that gaining access, removing, or exceeding is likely, paragraphs (e)(2)(i) and (ii) of this section shall not apply for that parameter.

(iv) In determining the adequacy of a physical limit, stop, seal, or other means used to inhibit adjustment of a parameter not covered by paragraph (e)(2)(i) or (ii) of this section, the Administrator will consider the likelihood that it will be circumvented, removed, or exceeded on in-use vehicles. In determining likelihood, the Administrator may consider such factors as, but not limited to, information contained in the preliminary application; surveillance information from similar in-use vehicles (or engines); the difficulty and cost of circumventing, removing, or exceeding the limit, stop, seal, or other means; damage to the vehicle (or engine) if an attempt is made to circumvent, remove, or exceed it and the need to replace parts following such attempt; and the effect of settings beyond the limit, stop, seal, or other means on vehicle (or engine) performance characteristics other than emission characteristics.

(3) The Administrator shall determine two physically adjustable ranges for each parameter subject to adjustment:

(i)

(A) In the case of a parameter determined to be adequately inaccessible or sealed, the Administrator may include within the physically adjustable range applicable to testing under this subpart (certification testing) all settings within the production tolerance associated with the nominal setting for that parameter, as specified by the manufacturer in the preliminary application for certification; or

(B) In the case of other parameters, the Administrator shall include within this range all settings within physical limits or stops determined to be adequate restraints on adjustability. The Administrator may also include the production tolerances on the location of these limits or stops when determining the physically adjustable range.

(ii)

(A) In the case of a parameter determined to be adequately inaccessible or sealed, the Administrator shall include within the physically adjustable range applicable to testing under subparts G or K (Selective Enforcement Audit and Production Compliance Audit) only the actual settings to which the parameter is adjusted during production; or

(B) In the case of other parameters, the Administrator shall include within this range all settings within physical limits or stops determined to be adequate restraints on adjustability, as they are actually located on the test vehicle (or engine).

(f) Submittal of advance information.

(1) If the manufacturer submits the information specified in §86.094-21(b)(1)(ii) in advance of its full preliminary application for certification, the Administrator shall review the information and make the determinations required in paragraph (e) of this section within 90 days of the manufacturer's submittal.

(2) The 90-day decision period is exclusive of the elapsed time during which EPA may request additional information from manufacturers regarding an adjustable parameter and the receipt of the manufacturers' response(s).

(g) Within 30 days following receipt of notification of the Administrator's determinations made under paragraph (e) of this section, the manufacturer may request a hearing on the Administrator's determinations. The request shall be in writing, signed by an authorized representative of the manufacturer, and shall include a statement specifying the manufacturer's objections to the Administrator's determinations, and data in support of such objections. If, after review of the request and supporting data, the Administrator finds that the request raises a substantial factual issue, he shall provide the manufacturer a hearing in accordance with §86.078-6 with respect to such issue.

[48 FR 4010, Jan. 12, 1993, as amended at 75 FR 22978, Apr. 30, 2010]