Auto Emissions Standards Revisited
In a recent article, I described the various types of pollutants that are found in your car’s exhaust. You might remember that there are several components, including your catalytic converter, which help control the level of those pollutants. When those components fail to do their job, the amount of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and other particulates within your vehicle’s exhaust rises.
If you live in a state that doesn’t require periodic exhaust testing, there’s little need for concern. After all, compliance with existing standards isn’t enforced. However, if you live in California or any other state that forces regular testing, you’ll need to know how to comply with the regulations imposed by your state. Below, I’ll briefly review how emissions testing started. Then, I’ll explain the different tiers of standards used and pollutants that are commonly regulated.
How It Started
A long time ago, a growing avalanche of research data began pointing to the problem of vehicle exhaust. In essence, researchers discovered that the materials billowing from our cars’ tailpipes were beginning to have an adverse effect upon the environment. They further argued that those same materials were having a health-related impact on people.
In response, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drafted recommendations and sent them to Congress. Many of the EPA’s recommendations were passed into law. Today, automakers are forced to produce vehicles that comply with existing regulations.
2 Tiers Of Emissions Standards
In the mid-1990′s, the emissions standards were far less stringent than they are today. They’re now considered “Tier 1″ standards. While they were a step in the right direction, they fell short of delivering the results needed to sufficiently clean the environment.
Beginning in 2004, Tier 2 standards went into effect. Among the many changes, 2 were especially noteworthy. First, there was a dramatic reduction in the level of pollutants that cars could emit. Second, large vehicles (for example, SUVs) were now being forced to comply with emissions regulations that were already enforced upon smaller cars.
Types Of Emissions
The Tier 2 regulations that went into effect in 2004 focus upon 5 main contaminants. They include non-methane organic gases, formaldehyde, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and various particulates. None of the 5 will be unfamiliar to those who have read my other columns. The important thing to realize is that emissions testing is a developing area. Last year, Congress determined that greenhouse gases that are produced as a result of an engine’s combustion should be controlled. As a result, the EPA is expected to add greenhouse gases to a Tier 3 list of standards.
New cars are already equipped with the means to comply with the Tier 2 rules. If you’re thinking about purchasing an early-model used vehicle, you may need to invest in a new catalytic converter or similar components. Check with your state’s regulations to be certain, and check for used car parts if you are required to make changes
