WASHINGTON — Earlier this month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to conduct an audit of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Web sites to gather feedback from the technician community on their experiences accessing repair information.
As part of the program, a steering committee comprised of 15 industry representatives from OEMs, tool companies, repair facilities and aftermarket associations, was formed to oversee the evaluation process, including providing updates via the OEM Audit Web site www.oemaudit.com.
The EPA announced this week the site is now up and running. The site features information about the project, including an overview of the audit process and contact information for committee members. The group will add updates throughout the year. The audit is expected to be complete by September.
On June 27, 2003, the EPA finalized its regulations requiring OEMs to make available all information necessary to use onboard diagnostic (OBD) systems. The regulations required any information for making automotive emissions-related repairs, including any emissions-related information provided by the OEMs, be made available to franchised dealers. The ruling required each OEM to develop a Web site by the end of 2003 containing the service information for all 1996 and later model year vehicles and light-duty trucks.
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