Massachusetts Vehicle Check - Mass08 Management Module ...

Non-Commercial
System variations and lack of standardization diminished the benefits of OBD to
motorists and repair technicians. It was very difficult for repair technicians to be
knowledgeable in all the various OBD systems, and obtain all the various scan tool/scanners,
connectors, or programs for all the different OBD systems. This meant motorists’ choices of
auto maintenance and repair facilities became more limited. In addition, many auto
manufacturers had proprietary access to OBD and would not share information or knowledge
with independent repair technicians. Motorists’ choices were even more limited and the
independent repair technician’s ability to properly diagnose and repair problems diminished
further due to the lack of available OBD information.
Realizing that OBD technology had reached a point where it could provide continuous
monitoring of a vehicle’s emissions performance, the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (U.S. EPA) recommended that regulations be added to the Federal Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1990 to require auto manufacturers to standardize OBD systems.
The History Behind It All
The U.S. Congress signed into law the Federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990,
requiring auto manufacturers to standardize OBD systems and to provide all pertinent
information needed for proper maintenance of vehicle emissions performance to all
technicians. The act dictated that all auto manufacturers must meet this requirement by the
1994 model year. For various reasons, the deadline was extended to 1996 model year.
Additionally, the act directed the U.S. EPA to set regulations and timelines for non-attainment
states to implement emission OBD II testing as part of their existing Basic and Enhanced
Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) programs.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) drafted several documents and guidelines
for standardization of the OBD systems. Auto manufacturers, along with equipment
manufacturers and SAE, worked on standardization of OBD. The result of their efforts was
the On Board Diagnostics – 2nd Generation (OBD II) system.
Massachusetts Vehicle Check
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