We want to ensure vehicle owners know the importance of emission labels. We have noticed that some manufacturers, like Detroit engines, often have labels that have deteriorated, where they are unreadable. An opacity test for instance cannot be conducted without this information and we urge owners to inspect their vehicles prior to testers coming out to administer tests
Visible engine labels are essential for emissions testing, providing critical information about a vehicle's engine specifications and compliance with emissions standards. Several CARB diesel regulations require specific engine information, such as engine model year (MY) and engine family name, available from the emission control label (ECL) attached to your vehicle. Existing California law (AB 1009 of 2004) mandates that vehicles operating in the state must have engines meeting emissions standards at least as stringent as U.S. federal standards for the engine's model year. All heavy-duty vehicles must have the manufacturer ECL properly affixed on the engine, which must be legible, maintained at the original location, and correspond to the engine serial number stamped on the engine. CARB's Enforcement Division has an advisory regarding ECL requirements.
Vehicles with unreadable or missing engine labels will automatically fail the California Clean Truck Check. This automatic failure prevents non-compliant vehicles from passing emissions tests and underscores the importance of maintaining visible and intact labels. Vehicle owners must ensure that their engine labels are legible and present to avoid penalties and contribute to California's efforts to improve air quality and protect public health. For detailed guidance, including photos and information about these labels, owners can refer to resources provided by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). This ensures that all required information is available and understood, facilitating smoother inspections and compliance with state regulations.
Below is a photo of an unreadable label, Where the owner had to go to the dealer and order a new one.
Below is a photo of a clean label.
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