Title 40

SECTION 80.176

80.176 Alternative certification test procedures and standards.

§ 80.176 Alternative certification test procedures and standards.

This section specifies the deposit control test requirements and performance standards which must be met in order to certify detergent additives for use in unleaded gasoline pursuant to § 80.161(b)(1)(ii)(A)(2). These standards must be met in the context of the specific test procedures identified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section. Testing must be conducted and the performance standards met when the subject detergent additive is mixed in a test fuels meeting all relevant requirements of § 80.177. Complete test documentation must be submitted by the certifying party within 30 days of receipt of a written request from EPA for such records.

(a) Fuel injector deposit control testing. The required test fuel must produce no more than one inoperative injector when tested in accordance with the fuel injector deposit test procedure specified in paragraph (c) of this section.

(b) Intake valve deposit control testing. The required test fuel must produce the accumulation of less than 50 mg of intake valve deposits on average when tested in accordance with ASTM D6201. ASTM D6201-04 (Reapproved 2009), “Standard Test Method for Dynamometer Evaluation of Unleaded Spark-Ignition Engine Fuel for Intake Valve Deposit Formation,” approved June 1, 2009, is incorporated by reference into this section with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. To enforce any edition other than that specified in this section, a document must be published in the Federal Register and the material must be available to the public. Copies are available from ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Dr., P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, (877) 909-ASTM, http://www.astm.org. The document is also available for inspection at the Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (Air Docket) in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC) at Rm. 3334, EPA West Bldg., 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number of the EPA/DC Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Air Docket is (202) 566-1742. The document is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030 or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.

(1) Tests conducted for the intake valve deposit demonstration test pursuant to § 80.177(b)(4) and to demonstrate compliance with the intake valve deposit control standards in this section must be conducted using the same engine block and cylinder head.

(2) All results must be derived from operationally valid tests in accordance with the test validation criteria of ASTM D6201.

(3) Test results shall be reported for individual intake valves and as an average of all intake valves.

(c) Fuel injector deposit test procedure - (1) Summary of test procedure. After flushing the vehicle fuel system with the fuel to be tested and installing new injectors, an automatic starter control system starts the vehicle and lets it idle for five minutes. The engine is then shut off and allowed to soak for 25 minutes. This cycle is repeated for a total of 192 cycles (96 hours). During this time, the engine is kept at operating temperature with block heaters. After the 96 hours of start/soak cycles, the engine is allowed to hot-soak for 48 hours, during which time the engine is not started but is maintained at operating temperature. At the end of the 48-hour hot soak, the block heaters are turned off and the engine is allowed to cool naturally to room temperature. At the end of this 48-hour ambient temperature soak, an injector balance test is conducted to determine whether any poppet nozzles are stuck closed.

(2) Facilities and equipment - (i) Location. A temperature-controlled garage or large room is needed. A dynamometer is not needed, since this test is an idle test. The room temperature shall be maintained in the range of 68-75 °F. The room shall be equipped with an exhaust system that connects to the vehicle tail pipe to remove the exhaust gases from the building. It is recommended that an interlock be provided so that if the building exhaust system fails, the vehicle test will shut down.

(ii) Electrical power. Two 110-volt, 15-amp circuits are needed (20-amp circuits are recommended) to operate the four block heaters and a battery charger.

(iii) Fuel drain facility. A facility is required to drain the fuel from the vehicle between tests. The fuel is drained from the service port on the fuel rail, near the back of the engine. A commercial cart equipped with a tank and a suction pump is recommended for this operation.

(iv) Vehicle. A Chevrolet Astro or GMC Safari van, model year 1998-2001, shall be used for the test. Either two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive is satisfactory, although the former allows easier installation of the block heaters.

(v) Injectors. New injectors, General Motors part number 17091432, shall be used for each test.

(vi) Block heaters. Four block heaters, General Motors part number 12371293, are needed for each vehicle. Two heaters shall be installed on each side of the engine, in the freeze plug locations.

(vii) Battery charger. Because of the large number of starts and the very short engine running time, a battery charger is needed. It is recommended that the charger be installed permanently on the vehicle and remain plugged in while the test is in progress.

(viii) Starter controller. A system is needed to start the engine automatically and then shut it off after exactly five minutes of running. A commercial after-market remote starting system connected to a timer or computer can be used, or a one-of-a-kind system can be designed and built.

(ix) Tech 2 analyzer. A General Motors Tech 2 analyzer, part number GM3000094, available from Kent-Moore, shall be used to conduct the injector balance test.

(x) Fuel pressure gauge. A fuel pressure gauge capable of measuring fuel system pressure to the nearest 1 psi over the range of 45 to 65 psi, shall be used with the Tech 2 analyzer when conducting the injector balance test. A pressure transducer shall not be used.

(xi) Gaskets. The upper intake manifold gasket and injector body gasket will need to be replaced from time to time as they crack, tear, or wear out from frequent handling during injector replacement.

(3) Initial vehicle preparation - (i) Diagnostics. To help determine whether a vehicle is satisfactory for use in this injector test procedure, a thorough inspection and engine diagnostic test shall be conducted as described in the service manual. Check the cooling system to be sure the coolant looks clean and there are no signs of rust.

(ii) Block heaters. Install four electric block heaters, General Motors part number 12371293, in the coolant passages of the engine block, two on each side of the block. The heaters will be plugged into a heater control unit. Two of the heaters will remain on at all times during the first 144 hours of the injector fouling test, while the other two heaters will be turned on and off by the controller as needed to maintain an engine temperature of about 100-102 °C during the soak periods of the test. (The temperature will drop while the engine is running, as the coolant from the radiator circulates through the engine. The temperature should recover to 100-102 °C within about 20 minutes after the engine shuts off.)

(iii) Thermocouples. Install a 1/16-inch Type K thermocouple in a threaded bolt hole on the rear of the right cylinder head. This thermocouple provides the feedback signal to the controller to turn two block heaters on and off. Install another thermocouple in the other hole near the first thermocouple. This second thermocouple provides a signal to an over-temperature safety shut-off on the heater controller. If the engine temperature reaches the set point (110 °C recommended), the heater controller will signal the starter controller to shut down the test.

(iv) Fuel system flush. Drain the fuel from the fuel system through the service port on the fuel rail at the back of the engine. Refuel with a non-detergent gasoline containing between 5 and 10 percent ethanol. Drive the vehicle for approximately 100 miles to thoroughly expose all parts of the fuel system to the fuel. The fuel pump and fuel filters should not be replaced unless there is a problem with them or if the vehicle history suggests that replacement would be prudent. If replacement is necessary, the new parts should first be conditioned by recirculating a 10% ethanol-gasoline blend (without deposit control additive) through them for one week.

(v) Oil change. Change the engine oil and oil filter, using oil that meets the manufacturer's recommended service classification and viscosity grade.

(vi) Battery charger. Install a battery charger in the vehicle so that it can be plugged in during the test and keep the battery at full charge.

(vii) Radiator. Install cardboard or other suitable material on the front of the radiator to block the flow of air through the radiator while the engine is running. This will help minimize the drop in coolant temperature.

(viii) Starter controller. Make the necessary changes to the vehicle electrical system so that the engine can be started and stopped automatically on a programmed schedule. Install a starter controller or computer and program it to do the following:

(A) Start the engine and let it run for 5 minutes, and then shut it off and let it hot-soak for 25 minutes.

(B) Repeat the 5/25 cycle for a total of 192 cycles.

(D) Turn off the heaters for 48 hours.

(E) Continuously count and display the number of cycles that have been completed throughout the test.

(4) Test procedure. The steps described in paragraphs (c)(3)(i) though (vi) of this section must be performed by the action described in paragraph (c)(3)(vii) of this section so that the new injectors are exposed only to the new test fuel. Take the following additional steps:

(i) Drain the fuel from the vehicle.

(ii) Add approximately 2 gallons of the fuel to be tested.

(iii) Drive the vehicle for approximately 20 miles at speeds up to approximately 50-60 mph. Approximately every 5 miles, stop the vehicle and moderately accelerate. If the radiator covering is still in place, watch the temperature gauge during the driving and avoid overheating the engine. This step not only flushes the fuel system but also helps remove carbon (if any) from the spark plugs and water from the exhaust system.

(iv) Drain the fuel from the vehicle and add approximately 1 to 2 gallons of the fuel to be tested.

(v) Drive the vehicle for approximately 5 miles. Watch the temperature gauge and avoid overheating the engine.

(vi) Drain the fuel from the vehicle and add approximately 10 gallons of the fuel to be tested. (The test consumes about 7.5 gallons of fuel.)

(vii) Remove the fuel injectors and install new injectors. Run the engine for a few minutes to be sure it runs properly.

(viii) Park the vehicle in the location where the test will be run.

(ix) Connect the vehicle tail pipe to the building exhaust system.

(x) Depending on the design of the starter control system, remove fuses and relays as necessary and connect the wires from the controller to the vehicle fuse box. Close the hood.

(xi) Turn on the vehicle ignition switch and the security bypass switch if so equipped.

(xii) Turn on the heater controller and be sure that it is working.

(xiii) Turn on the starter controller and the vehicle should start.

(xiv) Monitor the engine temperature for the first few cycles to be sure it is increasing.

(xv) At the end of the 192-hour (8-day) test, turn off the ignition switch, starter controller, and heater controller. Return the fuses, relays, and wires to their standard configuration for normal operation of the vehicle.

(xvi) Connect the Tech 2 analyzer to the ALDL connector under the instrument panel, and connect the fuel pressure gauge to the service port on the fuel rail at the back of the engine.

(xvii) Conduct the injector balance test by following the instructions on the Tech 2. The injector balance test checks each injector individually to determine whether the poppet nozzle is stuck closed. First, the Tech 2 turns on the fuel pump momentarily to pressurize the fuel system. Then it pulses the injector for a preset interval. If the injector and poppet nozzle are working properly, the fuel system pressure will decrease gradually and smoothly by about 8 to 10 psi during the pulsing. If the pressure does not decrease, or decreases very suddenly but then stops decreasing before the pulsing is done, the poppet is stuck closed. This procedure, beginning with pressurizing the fuel system, is carried out for each injector.

[79 FR 23649, Apr. 28, 2014]