18 AAC 52.530. Preliminary inspection

(a) Unless provided otherwise in this section, and after a motorist accepts a certified station's cost quotation, the station shall inspect all vehicles subject to inspection under this chapter.

(b) A certified station shall first determine whether a vehicle is subject to this chapter. The owner or operator of the certified station, or a certified mechanic employed by the station, shall inform the motorist that an inspection is not required for a vehicle

(1) that is exempt under 18 AAC 52.005(f) ;

(2) with a registration renewal date more than 90 days in the future;

(3) Repealed 1/1/98; and

(4) with a registration renewal due the next year, unless the renewal date is 90 days or less in the future.

(c) Unless the implementing agency provides otherwise, the owner or operator of the station, or a certified mechanic employed by the station, shall refer the following vehicles to the referee facility or the implementing agency for an I/M test, or to verify qualification for a waiver under 18 AAC 52.060:

(1) a diesel-fueled vehicle;

(2) a grey market vehicle;

(3) a vehicle designed or modified to run on an alternate fuel; the referee facility or a certified station that has been approved by the department to test dual-fuel vehicles will inspect a dual-fuel vehicle in this category to ensure that all required equipment is present and operable; the referee facility or a certified station that has been approved by the department to test dual-fuel vehicles will perform one I/M test on the vehicle in the gasoline mode and one I/M test while the vehicle is in the alternate-fuel mode to ensure that tailpipe emission levels that are measured by both tests meet the standards in 18 AAC 52.050; a vehicle using an oxygenated fuel blend approved for use under 18 AAC 53 may be tested at any certified station;

(4) a vehicle equipped with an engine other than the engine originally installed in the vehicle, except that

(A) a vehicle with a label affixed to it by the referee facility may be I/M-tested to the specifications stipulated on the label;

(B) an engine of the same size remanufactured for the correct application is not considered a different engine for purposes of this paragraph, and a vehicle containing such an engine may be I/M-tested; and

(5) a vehicle with its odometer reading obscured or unreadable for any reason, unless the motorist authorizes its repair;

(6) a used vehicle that was purchased from a person engaged in the business of selling used vehicles and that requires a transfer of ownership under AS 45.45.400 (a); for a vehicle described in this paragraph, the certified mechanic or station shall refer the motorist to the dealer who sold the vehicle; and

(7) a vehicle that causes the EIS to abort the I/M test due to an incompatibility between the vehicle and the EIS.

(d) After determining that a vehicle is subject to an I/M test, a certified mechanic or station shall conduct, at no charge to the motorist, a preliminary safety inspection before testing. With the implementing agency's approval, the preliminary inspection may be included as part of the I/M test. The mechanic or station shall reject for testing, or abort the test on, any vehicle found to be unsafe. The following are examples of situations that could preclude proper completion of an inspection or test:

(1) major oil system leak;

(2) major transmission leak;

(3) major coolant system leak;

(4) fuel system leak;

(5) excessive exhaust system leak;

(6) unable to hold steady engine RPM;

(7) unusual engine noises;

(8) engine warning light on;

(9) Repealed 1/1/98; and

(10) any other safety problem on the vehicle that makes the vehicle unsafe for testing.

(e) After a certified mechanic determines that a vehicle needs an I/M test and that any defect listed in (d) of this section has been repaired as required by 18 AAC 52.060, the certified mechanic shall perform a complete I/M test

(1) as required by this chapter; or

(2) if requested by the motorist.

History: Eff. 2/1/94, Register 129; am 6/24/94, Register 130; am 1/4/95, Register 133; am 1/1/97, Register 140; am 1/1/98, Register 144; am 1/1/2000, Register 152

Authority: AS 46.03.020

AS 46.14.030

AS 46.14.510

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