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January 29, 2007
ESC OPERATION THREATENED BY ADD-ON PARTS?
An article in the Detroit News reports that a trade association has warned NHTSA that aftermarket auto parts could affect the operation of newly required Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems meant to reduce the likelihood of vehicle rollover. The Speciality Equipment Market Association reportedly says that NHTSA’s proposed ESC mandate “could prevent owners from customizing their cars and trucks or make the stability system inoperative… The association worries that the rule will not ensure that the safety systems are compatible when other equipment is added before or after a vehicle is sold.”
Association members met with NHTSA recently to discuss the problem. One big issue is whether modifying a vehicle will activate the ESC warning light on the dashboard, the report says. “NHTSA wants ‘more evidence this is actually a problem,’ according to the federal agency's summary of the Jan. 10 meeting. But if a dealer installed equipment on a new car that made ESC inoperative, the vehicle would not meet safety standards, according to the summary.”
Posted by MVHAP at January 29, 2007 03:43 PM