To meet new emission standards, new diagnostic procedures require fixing the root cause instead of fixing the symptom. Technicians must understand how powerplant processes create emissions, and how vehicle systems affect emission control.
Some Emissions Inspection and Maintenance (I&M) programs involve tailpipe measurements under load using a dynamometer, and EVAP testing. But where I/M was previously considered as a quasi-national standard (IM240), I/M is likely to vary among the states, and indeed within states.
Effective technician training concentrates on need-to-know, considering two factors:
-
1)
Baseline skills and knowledge define entry-level pre-training competencies;
-
2)
Performance-based training is expressed in objectives--as a result of the training, what can the technician do?
The purpose of this paper is to define performance objectives for I/M training as objectives may differ according to different levels of pollution, and according to different infrastructures for test and repair among states and areas.
