Subpart E - Testing In-use Engines

§1048.401 What testing requirements apply to my engines that have gone into service?

(a) If you produce engines that are subject to the requirements of this part, you must test them as described in this subpart. This generally involves testing engines in the field or removing them for measurement in a laboratory.

(b) We may approve an alternate plan for showing that in-use engines comply with the requirements of this part if one of the following is true:

§1048.405 How does this program work?

(a) You must test in-use engines, for exhaust emissions, from the families we select. We may select up to 25 percent of your engine families in any model year - or one engine family if you have three or fewer families. We will select engine families for testing before the end of the model year. When we select an engine family for testing, we may specify that you preferentially test engines based on fuel type or equipment type. In addition, we may identify specific modes of operation or sampling times. You may choose to test additional engine families that we do not select.

(b) Send us an in-use testing plan within six months after we direct you to test a particular engine family. If we request additional information or require you to modify your plan to meet the requirements of this subpart, you must provide the information or the modified plan within 30 days of our request. Complete the testing within 36 months after we direct you to test a particular engine family.

(c) You may need to test engines from more than one model year at a given time.

(d) In appropriate extreme and unusual circumstances that are clearly outside your control and could not have been avoided by the exercise of prudence, diligence, and due care, we may allow more time to complete testing or we may waive the in-use testing requirement for an engine family. For example, if your test fleet is destroyed by severe weather during service accumulation and we agree that completion of testing is not possible, we would generally waive testing requirements for that engine family.

[67 FR 68347, Nov. 8, 2002, as amended at 73 FR 59239, Oct. 8, 2008; 75 FR 23022, Apr. 30, 2010]

§1048.410 How must I select, prepare, and test my in-use engines?

(a) You may make arrangements to select representative test engines from your own fleet or from other independent sources.

(b) For the selected engine families, select engines that you or your customers have -

(1) Operated for at least 50 percent of the engine family's useful life (see §1048.101(d));

(2) Not maintained or used in an abnormal way; and

(3) Documented in terms of total hours of operation, maintenance, operating conditions, and storage.

(c) Use the following methods to determine the number of engines you must test in each engine family:

(1) Test at least two engines if you produce 2,000 or fewer engines in the model year from all engine families, or if you produce 500 or fewer engines from the selected engine family. Otherwise, test at least four engines.

(2) If you successfully complete an in-use test program on an engine family and later certify an equivalent engine family with carryover emission data, as described in §1048.235(c), then test at least one engine instead of the testing rates in paragraph (c)(1) of this section.

(3) If you test the minimum required number of engines and all comply fully with emission standards, you may stop testing.

(4) For each engine that fails any applicable standard, test two more. Regardless of measured emission levels, you do not have to test more than ten engines in an engine family. You may do more tests than we require.

(5) You may concede that the engine family does not comply before testing a total of ten engines.

(d) You may do minimal maintenance to set components of a test engine to specifications for anything we do not consider an adjustable parameter (see §1048.205(p)). Limit maintenance to what is in the owner's instructions for engines with that amount of service and age. Document all maintenance and adjustments.

(e) You may do repeat measurements with a test engine; however, you must conduct the same number of tests on each engine.

(f) For a test program on an engine family, choose one of the following methods to test your engines:

(1) Remove the selected engines for testing in a laboratory. Use the applicable steady-state and transient procedures in subpart F of this part to show compliance with the duty-cycle standards in §1048.101(a) and (b). We may direct you to measure emissions on the dynamometer using the supplemental test procedures in §1048.515 to show compliance with the field-testing standards in §1048.101(c).

(2) Test the selected engines while they remain installed in the equipment. Use the field testing procedures in subpart F of this part. Measure emissions during normal operation of the equipment to show compliance with the field-testing standards in §1048.101(c). We may direct you to include specific areas of normal operation.

(g) You may ask us to waive parts of the prescribed test procedures if they are not necessary to determine in-use compliance.

(h) Calculate the average emission levels for an engine family from the results for the set of tested engines. Round them to the number of decimal places in the emission standards expressed to one more decimal place.

[67 FR 68347, Nov. 8, 2002, as amended at 73 FR 59239, Oct. 8, 2008]

§1048.415 What happens if in-use engines do not meet requirements?

(a) Determine the reason each in-use engine exceeds the emission standards.

(b) If the average emission levels calculated in §1048.410(h) exceed any of the emission standards that apply, notify us within fifteen days of completing testing on this family. Otherwise follow the reporting instructions in §1048.420.

(c) We will consider failure rates, average emission levels, and any defects - among other things - to decide on taking remedial action under this subpart (see 40 CFR 1068.505). We may consider the results from any voluntary additional testing you perform. We may also consider information related to testing from other engine families showing that you designed them to exceed the minimum requirements for controlling emissions. We may order a recall before or after you complete testing of an engine family if we determine a substantial number of engines do not conform to section 213 of the Act or to this part. The scope of the recall may include other engine families in the same or different model years if the cause of the problem identified in paragraph (a) of this section applies more broadly than the tested engine family, as allowed by the Act.

(d) If in-use testing reveals a design or manufacturing defect that prevents engines from meeting the requirements of this part, you must correct the defect as soon as possible for any future production for engines in every family affected by the defect. See 40 CFR 1068.501 for additional requirements related to defect reporting.

(e) You may voluntarily recall an engine family for emission failures, as described in 40 CFR 1068.535, unless we have ordered a recall for that family under 40 CFR 1068.505.

(f) You have the right to a hearing before we order you to recall your engines or implement an alternative remedy (see §1048.820).

[67 FR 68347, Nov. 8, 2002, as amended at 73 FR 59239, Oct. 8, 2008]

§1048.420 What in-use testing information must I report to EPA?

(a) In a report to us within three months after you finish testing an engine family, do all the following:

(1) Identify the engine family, model, serial number, and date of manufacture.

(2) For each engine inspected or considered for testing, identify whether the diagnostic system was functioning.

(3) Describe the specific reasons for disqualifying any engines for not being properly maintained or used.

(4) For each engine selected for testing, include the following information:

(i) Estimate the hours each engine was used before testing.

(ii) Describe all maintenance, adjustments, modifications, and repairs to each test engine.

(5) State the date and time of each test attempt.

(6) Include the results of all emission testing, including incomplete or invalidated tests, if any.

(b) Send electronic reports of in-use testing to the Designated Compliance Officer using an approved information format. If you want to use a different format, send us a written request with justification for a waiver.

(c) We will send copies of your reports to anyone from the public who asks for them. See §1048.815 for information on how we treat information you consider confidential.

(d) We may ask for more information.

[67 FR 68347, Nov. 8, 2002, as amended at 70 FR 40476, July 13, 2005]

§1048.425 What records must I keep?

(a) Organize and maintain your records as described in this section. We may review your records at any time.

(b) Keep paper records of your in-use testing for one full year after you complete all the testing required for an engine family in a model year. You may use any additional storage formats or media if you like.

(c) Keep a copy of the written reports described in §1048.420.

(d) Keep any additional records related to the procurement process.

[67 FR 68347, Nov. 8, 2002, as amended at 70 FR 40476, July 13, 2005]