(a) [Reserved]

(b) This section specifies emission-related scheduled maintenance for purposes of obtaining durability data and for inclusion in maintenance instructions furnished to purchasers of new motor vehicles and new motor vehicles engines under §86.087-38.

(1) All emission-related scheduled maintenance for purposes of obtaining durability data must occur at the same mileage intervals (or equivalent intervals if engines, subsystems, or components are used) that will be specified in the manufacturer's maintenance instructions furnished to the ultimate purchaser of the motor vehicle or engine under §86.094-35. This maintenance schedule may be updated as necessary throughout the testing of the vehicle/engine, provided that no maintenance operation is deleted from the maintenance schedule after the operation has been performed on the test vehicle or engine.

(2) Any emission-related maintenance which is performed on vehicles, engines, subsystems, or components must be technologically necessary to assure in-use compliance with the emission standards. The manufacturer must submit data which demonstrate to the Administrator that all of the emission-related scheduled maintenance which is to be performed is technologically necessary. Scheduled maintenance must be approved by the Administrator prior to being performed or being included in the maintenance instructions provided to purchasers under §86.010-38.

(3) For Otto-cycle light-duty vehicles, light-duty trucks and heavy duty engines, emission-related maintenance in addition to, or at shorter intervals than, that listed in paragraphs (b)(3) (i) through (vii) of this section will not be accepted as technologically necessary, except as provided in paragraph (b)(7) of this section.

(i)

(A) [Reserved]

(B) The cleaning or replacement of Otto-cycle heavy duty engine spark plugs shall occur at 25,000 miles (or 750 hours) of use and at 25,000-mile (or 750-hour) intervals thereafter, for engines certified for use with unleaded fuel only.

(ii) [Reserved]

(4)-(6) [Reserved]

(7) Changes to scheduled maintenance.

(i) For maintenance practices that existed prior to the 1980 model year, only the maintenance items listed in paragraphs (b) (3) and (4) of this section are currently considered by EPA to be emission-related. The Administrator may, however, determine additional scheduled maintenance items that existed prior to the 1980 model year to be emission-related by announcement in a Federal Register Notice. In no event may this notification occur later than September 1 of the calendar year two years prior to the affected model year.

(ii) In the case of any new scheduled maintenance, the manufacturer must submit a request for approval to the Administrator for any maintenance that it wishes to recommend to purchasers and perform during durability determination. New scheduled maintenance is that maintenance which did not exist prior to the 1980 model year, including that which is a direct result of the implementation of new technology not found in production prior to the 1980 model year. The manufacturer must also include its recommendations as to the category (i.e., emission-related or non-emission-related, critical or non-critical) of the subject maintenance and, for suggested emission-related maintenance, the maximum feasible maintenance interval. Such requests must include detailed evidence supporting the need for the maintenance requested, and supporting data or other substantiation for the recommended maintenance category and for the interval suggested for emission-related maintenance. Requests for new scheduled maintenance must be approved prior to the introduction of the new maintenance. The Administrator will then designate the maintenance as emission-related or non-emission-related. For maintenance items established as emission-related, the Administrator will further designate the maintenance as critical if the component which receives the maintenance is a critical component under paragraph (b)(6) of this section. For each maintenance item designated as emission-related, the Administrator will also establish a technologically necessary maintenance interval, based on industry data and any other information available to EPA. Designations of emission-related maintenance items, along with their identification as critical or non-critical, and establishment of technologically necessary maintenance intervals, will be announced in the Federal Register.

(iii) Any manufacturer may request a hearing on the Administrator's determinations in this paragraph (b)(7). The request shall be in writing 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 as described in 40 CFR part 1068, subpart G.

(c) Non-emission-related scheduled maintenance which is reasonable and technologically necessary (e.g., oil change, oil filter change, fuel filter change, air filter change, cooling system maintenance, adjustment of idle speed, governor, engine bolt torque, valve lash, injector lash, timing, adjustment of air pump drive belt tension, lubrication of the exhaust manifold heat control valve, lubrication of carburetor choke linkage, retorqueing carburetor mounting bolts, etc.) may be performed on durability data vehicles at the least frequent intervals recommended by the manufacturer to the ultimate purchaser, (e.g., not at the intervals recommended for severe service).

(d) [Reserved]

(e) Maintenance on emission data vehicles and engines.

(1) Adjustment of engine idle speed on emission data vehicles may be performed once before the low-mileage/low-hour emission test point. Any other engine, emission control system, or fuel system adjustment, repair, removal, disassembly, cleaning, or replacement on emission data vehicles shall be performed only with the advance approval of the Administrator.

(2)-(3) [Reserved]

(4) Repairs to vehicle components of an emission data vehicle other than the engine, emission control system, or fuel system, shall be performed only as a result of part failure, vehicle system malfunction, or with the advance approval of the Administrator.

(f) Equipment, instruments, or tools may not be used to identify malfunctioning, maladjusted, or defective engine components unless the same or equivalent equipment, instruments, or tools will be available to dealerships and other service outlets and:

(1) Are used in conjunction with scheduled maintenance on such components; or

(2) Are used subsequent to the identification of a vehicle or engine malfunction, as provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section for durability data vehicles or in paragraph (e)(1) of this section for emission data vehicles; or

(3) Unless specifically authorized by the Administrator.

(g) [Reserved]

(h) All test data, maintenance reports, and required engineering reports shall be compiled and provided to the Administrator in accordance with §86.090-23.

[58 FR 4018, Jan. 12, 1993, as amended at 58 FR 9487, Feb. 19, 1993; 79 FR 23691, Apr. 28, 2014; 81 FR 73978, Oct. 25, 2016]