Starting on Sept. 1, tire dealerships and auto service providers in the State of California will be required to check and inflate the tires on every vehicle that rolls into their shops, according to a final regulation order from the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
Also starting on that date, all tire dealerships and other auto service providers will be required to:
* Indicate on the vehicle service invoice that a tire inflation service was completed and tire pressure measurements were performed post-service;
* Perform the tire pressure service using a tire pressure gauge with a total permissible error of no greater than above or below two lbs. per square inch;
* Have access to a "tire inflation reference" that is current within three years of publication;
* Keep a copy of the vehicle service invoice for at least three years and make the invoice available to CARB or an authorized representative of CARB, upon request.
"Penalties may be assessed for any violation" of the requirement, according to CARB officials, who add that tire dealers and auto service providers will be exempt from fulfilling the requirement if:
* The tires are on a vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 lbs.;
* The tires "are determined by the automotive service provider to be unsafe;"
* The customer declines the check-and-inflate service.
A customer may decline if he or she affirms one of the following:
* He or she has performed (or had performed) a tire pressure check-and-inflate service within the last 30 days;
* He or she will perform (or will have someone else perform) a tire pressure check and inflation within the next seven days.
"If a tire inflation service was not performed... the automotive service provider must indicate on the vehicle service notice why the service was not completed."
For more information, see CARB reg to force dealers to check tire pressure.
