Section 276.102  Definitions

 

a)         Except as hereinafter stated and unless a different meaning of a term  is clear from its context, the definitions of terms used in this Part shall be the same as those used in the Environmental Protection Act [415 ILCS 5] and the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Law of 1995 [625 ILCS 5/Ch. 13B].

 

b)         The following definitions apply to this Part:

 

            "Accuracy" means the combination of bias and precision errors, technically defined as uncertainty, that quantifies the differences between a measured and true value.

 

            "Adjusted loaded vehicle weight (ALVW)" means the vehicle curb weight plus the gross vehicle weight rating divided by two.

 

            "Affected county" means any county or portion thereof, as defined in Section 13B-5 of the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Law of 1995.

 

            "Assigned test month" means the month and year allocated by the Agency for testing a vehicle. The first day of the Assigned Test Month shall be 4 months prior to the sticker or certificate Expiration Date.

 

            "Calibration gas" means a gas of known concentration used to establish the response curve of the exhaust gas analyzer.

 

            "Corrected or interim emissions inspection sticker or certificate" means a sticker or certificate issued in accordance with Section 276.308 of this Part that contains a reassigned vehicle test month issued to the owner(s) of a vehicle subject to emissions inspection who has petitioned the Agency for a change in Assigned Test Month, and whose vehicle has previously been issued an Initial Emissions Inspection Sticker or Certificate with an Assigned Test Month.

 

            "Diagnostic trouble code (DTC)" means an alphanumeric code that is set in a vehicle's onboard computer when a monitor detects a condition likely to indicate the existence of an emission related malfunction of the vehicle.

 

            "Drift" means the amount of change in analyzer reading over a period of time.  Zero drift refers to the change of zero reading.  Span drift refers to a change in the reading at a specified span gas calibration point.

 

            "Economic hardship extension" means a time extension of one year that may be granted to the owner(s) of a vehicle in order for the owner(s) to comply with the requirements of the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Law of 1995.

 

            "Emission control devices" means those components of a vehicle which were designed and are used to control vehicle exhaust and evaporative system emissions.  For the purpose of this Part, this term refers to components with which the vehicle was originally equipped or direct replacements.

 

            "Equivalent test weight" means the loaded vehicle weight for light duty vehicles and light duty trucks 1, and the adjusted loaded vehicle weight for light duty trucks 2 and heavy duty trucks.

 

            "Evaporative system integrity test" means a test of the fuel cap portion of a vehicle's evaporative system, which consists of either a fuel cap leak flow test, a fuel cap pressure decay test, or a fuel cap visual functional test, as applicable.

 

            "Exempt emissions inspection sticker or certificate" means a sticker or certificate issued in accordance with Section 276.305 of this Part to the owner(s) of a vehicle registered in an Affected County which is exempt from emissions inspection pursuant to Section 13B-15(f) or 13B-15(g) of the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Law of 1995, and the requirements of this Part.

 

            "Exhaust gas analyzer" means a device that has the capability to identify unknown concentrations of particular constituents in motor vehicle exhaust gases by comparison with known concentrations of analytical gases.

 

            "Expiration date" means the deadline for having a vehicle inspected and obtaining the appropriate sticker or certificate.

 

            "Fleet inspection permit" means a permit issued to fleet self-testers in accordance with Subpart G.

 

            "Fleet inventory" means those vehicles which have been registered with the Agency for the purpose of fleet self-testing and which have been assigned a test month.

 

            "Fleet vehicle" means any non-exempt vehicle registered with the Agency for the purpose of fleet self-testing.

 

            "Fuel cap" means a device used to seal a vehicle's fuel inlet.

 

            "Fuel cap leak flow test" means a test performed in accordance with this Part on a vehicle's fuel cap using a fuel cap leak flow tester to determine whether the vehicle complies with the evaporative system emission standards of 35 Ill. Adm. Code 240.

 

            "Fuel cap leak flow tester (fuel cap tester)" means a device used to determine the leak flow integrity of a vehicle's fuel cap by comparing the measured leak flow of the fuel cap with an established fuel cap leak flow standard.

 

            "Fuel cap pressure decay test" means the test performed in accordance with this Part on a vehicle's fuel cap using a fuel cap pressure decay tester to determine whether the vehicle complies with the evaporative system emission standards of 35 Ill. Adm. Code 240.

 

            "Fuel cap pressure decay tester" means a device used to determine the pressure decay integrity of a vehicle's fuel cap by monitoring the pressure behind the fuel cap for a 10 second period and comparing the measured pressure decay of the fuel cap to an established fuel cap pressure decay standard.

 

            "Fuel cap visual functional test" means the test performed in accordance with this Part on a vehicle's fuel cap using visual analysis to determine whether the vehicle complies with the evaporative system emission standards of 35 Ill. Adm. Code 240.

 

            "Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)" means the value specified by the manufacturer as the maximum design loaded weight of a single vehicle.

 

            "HC hangup" means hydrocarbons which cling to the surface of the analyzer gas sampling stream causing errors in hydrocarbon readings.

 

            "Heavy duty vehicle (HDV)" means a motor vehicle rated at more than 8500 pounds GVWR or that has a vehicle curb weight of more than 6000 pounds or that has a basic vehicle frontal area in excess of 45 square feet.

 

            "High idle" means a vehicle operating condition with engine disconnected from an external load (placed in either neutral or park) and operating at a speed of 2500 + 300 RPM.

 

            "Household income" means the gross income of all household members, except wage or salary income earned by dependent minors under 18 years of age.  A head of household and his or her spouse are not considered as minors.  Gross income includes wages, interest, annuities, pensions, social security, retirement, disability, public aid, alimony, child support, unemployment benefits, workers' compensation, and any other indirect income such as utility allowances.

 

            "Idle mode" means that portion of a vehicle emission test procedure conducted with the engine disconnected from an external load and operating at minimum throttle.

 

            "Initial emissions inspection sticker or certificate" means a sticker or certificate issued in accordance with Section 276.304 of this Part to the owner(s) of a vehicle that has not been tested because such vehicle was not previously subject to inspection, but has become subject to inspection in accordance with the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Law of 1995.

 

            "Initial idle mode" means the first of up to two idle mode sampling periods during a steady-state idle mode test, during which exhaust emission measurements are made with the vehicle in "as-received" condition.

 

            "Interference" means those exhaust gas analyzer read-out errors caused by instrument response to non-interest gases typically occurring in vehicle exhaust.

 

            "Light duty truck 1 (LDT1)" means a motor vehicle rated at 6,000 pounds maximum GVWR or less and which has a vehicle frontal area of 45 square feet or less, and which is designed primarily for purposes of transportation of property or is a derivation of such a vehicle, or is designed primarily for transportation of persons and has a capacity of more than 12 persons, or is available with special features enabling off-street or off-highway operation and use.

 

            "Light duty truck 2 (LDT2)" means a motor vehicle rated between 6,001 and 8,500 pounds maximum GVWR and which has a vehicle frontal area of 45 square feet or less, and which is designed primarily for purposes of transportation of property or is a derivation of such a vehicle, or is designed primarily for transportation of persons and has a capacity of more than 12 persons, or is available with special features enabling off-street or off-highway operation and use.

 

            "Light duty vehicle (LDV)" means a passenger car or passenger car derivative capable of seating 12 passengers or fewer.

 

            "Loaded vehicle weight" means the vehicle curb weight plus 300 pounds.

 

            "Low income" means the household income during the preceding 12 month period was not more than 150 percent of the latest available poverty guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the contiguous United States and the District of Columbia.

 

            "Malfunction indicator light (MIL)" means the light found on the dashboard of OBD-equipped vehicles that is required to be illuminated when the OBD system detects malfunctions likely to result in emissions exceeding applicable emission standards. The MIL must display the phrase "Check Engine" or "Service Engine Soon". The word "Powertrain" may be substituted for "Engine". Alternatively, the ISO engine symbol may be substituted.

 

            "National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) gas" means a standard gas maintained or made available by the National Institute of Standards and Technology for the purpose of determining the accuracy of calibration gases.

 

            "Non-exempt vehicle" means any vehicle subject to emission inspections, regardless of whether the vehicle is in a certified configuration, under the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Law of 1995.

 

            "Non-fleet vehicle" means any non-exempt vehicle except for vehicles registered with the Agency for the purpose of fleet self-testing.

 

            "Official inspection station" means a vehicle emission inspection facility operated by the Agency or the Agency's Contractor for the purpose of conducting emission inspections on non-fleet vehicles.

 

            "On-board diagnostic data link connector (DLC)" means the interface between a vehicle's OBD system and the OBD scan equipment.

 

            "On-board diagnostic readiness code" means a status flag stored by a vehicle's onboard computer that indicates whether a given monitor has been run (i.e., whether the component or system in question has been checked to determine if it is functioning properly).

 

            "On-board diagnostic (OBD) system" means equipment designed to monitor the performance of emission control equipment, fuel metering systems, ignition systems and other equipment and operating parameters for the purpose of detecting malfunctions or deterioration in performance that would be expected to cause the vehicle to exceed federal emission standards.

 

            "On-board diagnostic test" means the electronic retrieval of stored readiness status, diagnostic trouble codes, and MIL illumination status from a vehicle's OBD system to determine if any emission related trouble codes are present and if the MIL is commanded to be on, which would indicate the existence of an emission related malfunction with the vehicle.

 

            "On-road remote sensing test" means the observation, measurement, and recording of vehicle exhaust emission concentrations of hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) present in each in-use vehicle while traveling on roadways or in specified areas by equipment that is not connected to the vehicle.

 

            "Preconditioning mode" means a period of steady-state loaded mode or high-idle operation conducted to ensure that the engine and emissions control system components are operating at normal operating temperatures, thus minimizing false failure caused by improper or insufficient warm-up.

 

            "Private official inspection station" means a vehicle emission inspection facility operated by a registered owner or lessee of 15 or more non-exempt fleet vehicles.

 

            "Recognized repair technician" means a person professionally engaged in vehicle repair, employed by a going concern whose purpose is vehicle repair, or possessing nationally recognized certification for emission related diagnosis and repair.

 

            "Renewal emissions inspection sticker or certificate" means a sticker or certificate issued in accordance with Section 276.306 of this Part to an owner of a vehicle which successfully passes a vehicle emissions test in accordance with the provisions of this Part.

 

            "Second-chance idle mode" means the second of two idle mode sampling periods during a steady-state idle mode test, preceded by a preconditioning mode and utilized as a second chance to pass idle exhaust emission standards immediately following an initial idle mode failure.

 

            "Span gas" means a gas of known concentrations which is used to check or adjust the analyzer response characteristics to those determined by the calibration gases.

 

            "Steady-state idle test" means a vehicle emission test procedure consisting of an initial idle mode measurement of exhaust emissions followed, if necessary, by a loaded or high idle preconditioning mode and a second-chance idle mode.

 

            "Temporary emissions inspection sticker or certificate" means a sticker or certificate issued in accordance with Section 276.307 of this Part to an owner of a vehicle subject to inspection which currently has a valid initial or renewal emission inspection sticker or certificate, and which has met the requirements of this Part.

 

            "Test cycle" means the two-year period between a vehicle's Assigned Test Months.

 

            "Vehicle curb weight" means the actual vehicle weight plus standard equipment and a full fuel tank.

 

            "Vehicle inspection report" means a report issued to the motorist indicating the results of an emission inspection or waiver determination.

 

            "Visual functional test" means a visual examination of a vehicle's fuel cap for any readily apparent wear, tampering, or defects which would prevent the fuel cap from operating properly.

 

            "Waiver" means a suspension of the requirement that a non-exempt vehicle comply with exhaust emission standards after two or more attempts to do so, as provided for in this Part.

 

            "Waiver emissions inspection sticker or certificate" means a sticker or certificate issued in accordance with Section 276.309 of this Part to the owner(s) of a vehicle which has failed a vehicle emissions test and at least one retest, but successfully complies with the applicable waiver requirements of this Part.

 

            "Waiver inspection" means an inspection conducted by a waiver inspector to determine waiver eligibility.

 

            "Waiver inspector" means a person authorized by the Agency to conduct waiver inspections and to approve or disapprove applications for a waiver.

 

            "Waiver inspection report" means a form containing waiver eligibility requirements which is completed by a waiver inspector to determine whether a vehicle is eligible for a waiver.

 

(Source:  Amended at 26 Ill. Reg. 8113, effective May 17, 2002)