A STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MECHANIC TRAINING FOR VEHICLE EMISSIONS INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS

This report describes a study to determine if a short, practical training course for emissions repairs has a supplementary emission reduction and fuel economy benefit to an inspection and maintenance program. The study was performed in the early part of 1980 in Portland, Oregon. Two matched samples of 21 vehicles each were sent to ten repair facilities before and after the facilities received training. The experiment was blind in that the ten repair facilities did not know that the study was in progress or that the 42 vehicles were in any way connected with EPA. The training course used was a 16 hour course in repairing vehicles which fail an idle emissions test. Vehicles were tested before and after repairs on the Federal Test Procedure and various short tests for emissions and fuel economy. Contractor laboratory personnel then attempted to restore the vehicles to their specifications and vehicles were retested.

• Corporate Authors:

  Environmental Protection Agency

  Inspection and Maintenance Staff, 2565 Plymouth Road
  Ann Arbor, MI  United States  48105
• Authors:
  • Michael, R B
• Publication Date: 1981-4

Media Info

• Pagination: 35 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Education; Exhaust gases; Inspection; Learning; Maintenance; Maintenance personnel; Measures of effectiveness; Mechanics; Motor vehicles; Performance evaluations; Specialized training; Training; Vehicle maintenance
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Old TRIS Terms: Learning curve
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Education and Training; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Vehicles and Equipment; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00344081
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: EPA-AA-IMS-81-11 Tech Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 23 1982 12:00AM