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Letter to the Editor

EPA Administrator Signs Service Information Final Rule

Whitman's action amends and finalizes the 1995 regulations requiring the availability of emissions-related service information for the automotive aftermarket industry. The amendments will provide access to this information by making it publicly available via the Internet.

"The Automotive Service Association (ASA) is pleased to see the revisions to the Service Information Rule finalized and signed by Administrator Whitman," said Bob Redding, ASA's Washington, D.C., representative. The final rule bolsters ASA's 2002 agreement with automobile manufacturers calling for the release of all service information, both emissions and non-emissions, to the aftermarket.

In 2001, the EPA proposed changes to the 1995 Service Information Rule to ensure the aftermarket had all the necessary service information and diagnostic equipment needed to perform emissions-related repairs on vehicles with On-Board Diagnostics (OBD).

All 1996 and newer vehicles are equipped with OBD systems to alert drivers if an emissions control component is not working properly.

According to the EPA, the final rule will:

• Make the full text of emissions-related service and training information available via the Internet.
• Provide aftermarket equipment and tool companies with the information necessary to develop equipment with vehicle reprogramming capabilities.
• Make enhanced diagnostic information available to the aftermarket scan tool manufacturers. This will result in an increased supply of scan tools available to the aftermarket at a reasonable cost.
• Make manufacturer-specific diagnostic tools available for sale.
• Require manufacturers to provide any supplemental OBD technical information necessary to perform emissions-related repairs.
• Require service information from heavy-duty vehicle and engine manufacturers. OBD systems will be required on heavy-duty vehicles and engines by 2005.

"ASA has supported, for some time, the ASA-Automaker Agreement, the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) and the EPA working together to ensure independent repairers have the same service information as new car dealers," Redding said. "This final emissions regulation should be the last piece of the information availability puzzle."

As a result of last year's agreement between ASA and automobile manufacturers, independent repair professionals have access to service information, tools and training for both emissions and non-emissions issues. ASA, EPA and NASTF will continue working with automakers to resolve any information availability concerns that might arise in the future.

"Although the EPA rules-making process has taken a great deal of time to finalize, its results, as well as those of the ASA-Automaker agreement, are of historic significance for the aftermarket," Redding said.

The EPA's final regulation documents can be found under "Information Availability" in the Legislation section of the ASA Web site (http://www.asashop.org/legis/infoavailability.htm).

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