State of California
AIR RESOURCES BOARD

State Office Building
1350 Front Street
San Diego, CA

July 10, 1974
9:00 a.m.

AGENDA

Page

74-13-1 Approval of Minutes of June 12, 1974 Meeting.

74-13-2 Report on Procedures and Program for Testing 1
Motor Vehicle Fuel Additives.

74-13-3 Report on Feasibility of Controlling Emissions 26
from Used Heavy-Duty Vehicles (SR 69).

74-13-4 Report of Survey of Manufacturers' Emission 51
Control Systems Warranties.

74-13-5 Summary Report of Assembly-Line Plant Inspections. 82

74-13-6 Report on Evaluation of Inspection and Diagnostic 99
Methods for Vehicles Using Catalytic Converters.

74-13-7 Report on Consideration of Highway and Inspection 116
Exhaust Emission Standards.

74-13-8 Report of Supreme Court Decision on 1966-70 NOx 117
Retrofit Program.

74-13-9 Other Business - 153

a. Executive Session - Personnel and Litigation
b. Board Committee Reports and Assignments
c. Research Proposals

74-13-10 Remarks from Audience - End of Morning and Afternoon
Session.

ITEM NO.: 74-13-2

Procedures and program for Testing Motor Vehicle Fuel Additives.

RECOMMENDATION

Adopt Resolution 74-39.

SUMMARY

Assembly Bill 1279 directs the Board to conduct tests of any
motor vehicle fuel additives sold or proposed to be sold in
California. A test program and a procedure are proposed.

Test program: Fuel additives submitted for testing must be
preregistered with EPA. A "Submission Period" of four months
will be allowed for the review and analysis of the submitted
information by a screening committee.

The committee may initiate evaluation of selected commercial
additives. The committee will periodically report to the Board
the progress of the program. This report will include
legislative proposals, if warranted. A fee schedule will be set
up to cover the cost of the tests as the program develops.

Test procedure: The procedure consists of: (1) an initial
evaluation of the submitted data, (2) a preliminary test to
determine the immediate effect of the additive on exhaust
emissions from a test engine, and (3) a fleet test to obtain
information which is statistically significant in assessing the
merits of the fuel additive.

The necessary test instruments and equipment have been ordered
and the funds to carry out the program have been budgeted. The
Staff recommends that the procedure and program be approved for
implementation.

ITEM NO.: 74-13-3

Feasibility of Controlling Emissions from Used Heavy-Duty
Vehicles.

RECOMMENDATION

Approve Report for Submission to Legislature.

SUMMARY

On September 11, 1973, the State Senate adopted Resolution 69
directing the Air Resources Board (ARB) to study the
possibilities of establishing a program to substantially reduce
the hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and oxides of nitrogen
(NOx) emissions from used motor vehicles having a gross vehicle
weight of 6,001 to 20,000 pounds, and to report to the Senate by
September 15, 1974.

The Staff has reviewed the City of New York evaluation program
for retrofitting in-use heavy-duty gasoline-fueled vehicles. The
data show an approximate 40-45% NOx reduction using NOx retrofit
systems. The catalytic converter investigations (for HC and CO)
indicate that a 50% reduction in HC and CO could be expected for
these vehicles.

Cost/effective studies show that it costs less to control the
same amount of contaminant by retrofitting gasoline-powered
trucks than passenger cars. Catalytic retrofitting is not
recommended until the problems of sulfates and nobel metal
compounds is resolved. The NOx retrofit of heavy-duty
gasoline-powered trucks of 6,001 to 20,000 pounds gross vehicle
weight is recommended.

ITEM NO.: 74-13-4

Survey of Manufacturers' Emission Control System Warranties.

RECOMMENDATION

None. Informational item.

SUMMARY

Section 39156 and 39157 of the Health and Safety Code and Section
207 of the Federal 1970 Clean Air Act stipulate the warranty
requirements for emission control systems to be assumed by the
vehicle manufacturers. Relevant to these statutes, the Staff is
conducting a survey to identify emission control system
maintenance and replacement field problems, and to determine
warranty policy practices of the various vehicle manufacturers.
The study is also intended to correlate new car certification
emission control systems durability data with actual failures
that are occurring in service. Information gained in this study
will also be used to improve the effectiveness of other exhaust
emission control programs.

The study to date indicates the warranty policy practices of the
vehicle manufacturers vary. In some cases, the owner is required
to participate in the repair costs of emission related items that
are still under the initial vehicle warranty. It is also evident
that the specific vehicle components that are subject to the
provisions of Sections 39156 and 39157 of the Health and Safety
Code have not been clearly defined. This survey is discussed in
the attached, preliminary report.

ITEM NO.: 74-13-5

Summary of Assembly-Line Plant Inspections.

RECOMMENDATION

Drop further action on proposed adoption of Sections 2151 and
2152 to Chapter 3, Title 13, California Administrative Code.

SUMMARY

This report summarizes the assembly-line inspections conducted
from October 1973 through June 1974. A total of 21 different
corporations, 62 vehicle assembly plants, 34 engine plants, 2
centralized quality audit CVS test facilities and 3 research and
development centers were visited.

ITEM NO.: 74-13-6

Evaluation of Inspection and Diagnostic Methods for Vehicles
Using Catalytic Converters.

RECOMMENDATION

None. Informational Item.

SUMMARY

The ARB is evaluating different test methods to determine their
usefulness as inspection and/or diagnostic tests for catalyst
equipped vehicles. These methods include idle, and low and high
cruise mode tests at normal engine operating conditions and with
an induced spark plug misfire. In addition, measurements of
tailpipe carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations were made at idle
with and without the secondary air supply deactivated.

Tests have been completed on 16 vehicles which are part of a
fleet of State-owned 1969-71 vehicles retrofitted with catalytic
converters. All of the vehicles had V-8 engines and were
equipped with a UOP catalytic converter system, including an air
pump.

Preliminary results indicate that the normal idle hydrocarbon
(HC) emissions test would effectively detect malfunctioning
catalyst equipped vehicles. The HC emission measurement at idle
with induced spark plug misfire could provide sufficient
information in most instances to distinguish between converter
failures and engine malfunctions. The high and low cruise tests
were not as effective as the idle tests for inspection or
diagnosis. The measurement of tailpipe CO concentration with the
secondary air supply deactivated could be used as an effective
inspection/diagnostic test and for adjustment of the air-fuel
system by the service industry.

ITEM NO.: 74-13-7

Consideration of Highway and Inspection Exhaust Emission
Standards.

To Be Presented At The Meeting.

ITEM NO.: 74-13-8

Supreme Court Decision on 1966-70 NOx Retrofit Program.

RECOMMENDATION

The Executive Interagency Enforcement Committee urges an eleven
month installation schedule, commencing August 1, 1974. The
staff recommends adoption of emergency regulations adopting this
schedule.

SUMMARY

The Supreme Court held that the ARB exceeded its authority when,
in December 1973, it delayed the license plate phase of the
program one year because of the energy crisis. Therefore, the
ARB must implement this phase of the program as soon as
practicable.

Attachment: Opinion of the Supreme Court.