 Air Care News
October 1998
Appealing your repair score
by Gary Cagle, Ph.D.
Did you know that Colorado is the only state in the U.S. to have a
true industry report card on the repair effectiveness? The
Emissions Repair Guide rates the performance of more than 550 repair facilities registered
with the state that perform emissions-related repairs.
A good repair report card can translate into additional business
for your facility. But what if it's wrong? If you believe that the repair score for your facility does
not reflect your work accurately, there is an appeal process.
However, before you file an appeal, let's look at what could drive
the repair score down. A repair facility receives demerits for vehicles that undergo multiple
after-repair tests and/or secure waivers.
Also, your repair score may be lower if your facility does not
submit repair data. The index is weighted more toward recent repair data so that improvements can be
rewarded.
The bottom line is that repair technicians must fill out the
Vehicle Repair Forms, keep track of their emissions-related repairs and good repair data paperwork.
Get the credit you deserve for good repairs.
Paperwork is the key to appealing a repair score you believe is
inaccurate. Many repair facilities take vehicles back for the re-inspection process and keep copies of
the final I/M test results for their shop records. Without repair and test data, the appeal process is
nearly impossible.
To appeal your score, you must:
1. Contact Repair Industry
Coordinator Mike Knarr at Envirotest Systems (303-456-7021) to request an appeal form.
2. Fill out the appeal form
and identify the VIN numbers for the reported month. Other information needed includes license plate
numbers, the dates and times of the repairs, and emissions-related repair information.
3. A detailed repair order
can be used to document either the repair process or the repair advice given to but refused by the
customer.
Your facility should not be penalized if the customer does not
approve the proper repair!
4. Mail the documents to:
Repair Coordinator
Envirotest Systems Corp.
5175 Marshall St.
Arvada, CO 80002
You have 10 days after receipt of your Report
Card to appeal an incorrect REI.
Your report card score can be a valuable marketing tool for you
and your business. Surveys have shown a direct relationship between a high score and increased emissions
repair business.
Conversely, a low score may not attract new customers and may even
hurt repair business.
It is in your best interest to be sure that the score listed for
your facility is complete and accurate. An accurate score is essential for us all.
Gary Cagle is with the Colorado Public Health & Environment,
Air Pollution Control Division, Mobile Sources Section.
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An OBD II system monitors all emissions control systems on a
particular vehicle. Each emissions control system has specific and unique evaluation or diagnostic
criteria. It is the manufacturer's driving cycle (sometimes referred to as the "trip") that
evaluates the operational status of each emissions control system.
Once the evaluation criteria are met and no malfunctions are
detected, a Readiness/Function code ("READY/YES") is displayed on a scanner. If a
"READY/YES" is displayed, system diagnostics have been run.
In theory, a generic OBD II driving cycle would evaluate a
vehicle's emissions control systems and enable "Readiness/Function" status conditions.
There are a number of generic driving cycles being proposed. A
recent Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment study on a few in-use vehicles found that
a generic driving cycle does not always perform the proper diagnostic evaluation criteria. Therefore, it
may not trigger the "Ready/Yes" display.
Early evaluations of OBD II systems by CDPHE staff indicated that
manufacturers have developed unique, manufacturer-specific driving evaluation criteria that a generic
driving cycle cannot perform.
More research in needed. Look for further discussion of OBD
II systems in future issues of Air Care News.
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