Notice of Meeting, 20572 [2015-08608]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 73 / Thursday, April 16, 2015 / Notices
V. Summary of MBUSA’s Analyses:
Mercedes stated its belief that the
subject noncompliance is
inconsequential to motor vehicle safety
for the following reasons:
customers brought their vehicles in for
service by Mercedes repair shops, who know
how to perform a headlamp readjustment
properly, without using the horizontal
adjustment screw.
(C) Mercedes’ says they provide service
instructions to U.S. repair shops that specify
that horizontal headlamp adjustment is not
permitted and do not even mention that a
horizontal headlamp adjustment screw even
exists. Similarly, the vehicle owner’s manual
does not include information about
performing headlamp illumination
adjustment. Thus, since the horizontal
headlamp screw’s existence is not mentioned
in any sales or service instructions or
manuals, use of the screw by the customer or
repair facilities would be extremely unlikely.
(D) Mercedes also stated that even if the
screw were to be used, such adjustment
would result in only minimal differences in
illumination levels compared to the original
levels because it provides only a minimal
range of adjustment. Mercedes elaborated by
stating that when the horizontal adjustment
screw is turned to the far left or far right endposition, only a few measuring points are
slightly above or below the FMVSS No. 108
required levels. Specifically, when the
horizontal adjustment screw is turned to the
maximum left end-position (¥2.8°), only 4
out of 24 measuring points are above (3) or
under (1) the required illumination levels.
And when the horizontal adjustment screw is
turned to the maximum right end-position
(+3.2°), only 2 out of 24 measuring points are
under the required illumination levels. Thus,
the difference between these worst-case
levels and the required minimum or
maximum levels are very small. According to
Mercedes’ headlamp development engineers,
a difference of 300 cd [candela] is unlikely
to be noticed by a driver and would not affect
oncoming traffic or visibility in any material
way. In addition, the subject headlamps rely
on a reflection-based system which
Mercedes’ believes leads to less glare then
projection-based system.
(A) Mercedes believes that new
manufacturing methods, including the use of
optical image processing to adjust the
horizontal and the vertical illumination
levels of headlamps in addition to the
reduction in assembly tolerances for
headlamp assemblies has resulted in optimal
headlamp adjustments on vehicles leaving
their manufacturing plants. As a result, onvehicle aiming devices are no longer
common in the industry. Mercedes believes
that this has led to the elimination of the
need for horizontal headlamp adjustment on
in-use vehicles. Regarding the subject
vehicles, Mercedes says there is generally no
need for customers or repair shops to adjust
the horizontal aim of headlamps.
(B) Mercedes states that they have only
received five customer complaints in the
United States, relating to alleged headlamp
mis-aiming in the subject vehicles. None of
the complaints relate to horizontal misaiming of the headlamps. In all instances
Mercedes has additionally informed
NHTSA that it has corrected the subject
noncompliance.
In summation, Mercedes believes that
the described noncompliance of the
subject vehicles is inconsequential to
motor vehicle safety, and that its
petition, to exempt Mercedes from
providing recall notification of
noncompliance as required by 49 U.S.C.
30118 and remedying the recall
noncompliance as required by 49 U.S.C.
30120 should be granted.
NHTSA notes that the statutory
provisions (49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and
30120(h)) that permit manufacturers to
file petitions for a determination of
inconsequentiality allow NHTSA to
exempt manufacturers only from the
duties found in sections 30118 and
30120, respectively, to notify owners,
Chapter 301 on the basis that this
noncompliance is inconsequential to
motor vehicle safety.
This notice of receipt of MBUSA’s
petition is published under 49 U.S.C.
30118 and 30120 and does not represent
any agency decision or other exercise of
judgment concerning the merits of the
petition.
II. Vehicles Involved: Affected are
approximately 9,137 MY 2015
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (205 Platform)
passenger cars manufactured between
June 18, 2014 through September 5,
2015 at Mercedes’ Tuscaloosa, Alabama
plant.
III. Noncompliance: Mercedes
explains that the subject vehicles were
manufactured with horizontal
adjustment-visually aimed headlamps
that have a lower beam and a horizontal
adjustment mechanism that was not
made inoperative at the factory.
Specifically, the horizontal adjustment
screw was not properly sealed off with
non-removable sealing caps as necessary
to fully meet the requirements of
paragraph S10.18.4 of FMVSS No. 108.
Rule Text: Paragraph S10.18.4 of
FMVSS No. 108 requires in pertinent
part:
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
S10.18.4 Horizontal adjustment-visually
aimed headlamp. A visually/optically
amiable headlamp that has a lower beam
must not have a horizontal adjustment
mechanism unless such mechanism meets
the requirements of this standard for on
vehicle aiming as specified in S10.18.8.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:48 Apr 15, 2015
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purchasers, and dealers of a defect or
noncompliance and to remedy the
defect or noncompliance. Therefore, any
decision on this petition only applies to
the subject vehicles that Mercedes no
longer controlled at the time it
determined that the noncompliance
existed. However, any decision on this
petition does not relieve vehicle
distributors and dealers of the
prohibitions on the sale, offer for sale,
or introduction or delivery for
introduction into interstate commerce of
the noncompliant vehicles under their
control after Mercedes notified them
that the subject noncompliance existed.
Authority: (49 U.S.C. 30118, 30120:
delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.95 and
501.8).
Jeffrey Giuseppe,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2015–08691 Filed 4–15–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–59–P
UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF
PEACE
Notice of Meeting
Friday, April 24, 2015 (10:00
a.m.–1:45 p.m.)
LOCATION: 2301 Constitution Avenue
NW., Washington, DC 20037.
STATUS: Open Session—Portions may
be closed pursuant to Subsection (c) of
Section 552(b) of Title 5, United States
Code, as provided in subsection
1706(h)(3) of the United States Institute
of Peace Act, Public Law 98–525.
AGENDA: April 24, 2015 Board Meeting;
Approval of Minutes of the One
Hundred Fifty-Fourth Meeting (January
23, 2015) of the Board of Directors;
Chairman’s Report; Vice Chairman’s
Report; President’s Report; Reports from
USIP Board Committees; Update on
Afghanistan and Pakistan; Countering
Violent Extremism Review; Other
General Issues.
CONTACT: Denson Staples, Assistant to
the Board Liaison Email: dstaples@
usip.org.
DATE/TIME:
Dated: April 9, 2015.
Michael Graham,
Senior Vice President for Management and
Chief Financial Officer, United States
Institute of Peace.
[FR Doc. 2015–08608 Filed 4–15–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–AR–M
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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 73 (Thursday, April 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 20572]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08608]
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UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE
Notice of Meeting
Date/Time: Friday, April 24, 2015 (10:00 a.m.-1:45 p.m.)
Location: 2301 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20037.
Status: Open Session--Portions may be closed pursuant to Subsection
(c) of Section 552(b) of Title 5, United States Code, as provided in
subsection 1706(h)(3) of the United States Institute of Peace Act,
Public Law 98-525.
Agenda: April 24, 2015 Board Meeting; Approval of Minutes of the One
Hundred Fifty-Fourth Meeting (January 23, 2015) of the Board of
Directors; Chairman's Report; Vice Chairman's Report; President's
Report; Reports from USIP Board Committees; Update on Afghanistan and
Pakistan; Countering Violent Extremism Review; Other General Issues.
Contact: Denson Staples, Assistant to the Board Liaison Email:
dstaples@usip.org.
Dated: April 9, 2015.
Michael Graham,
Senior Vice President for Management and Chief Financial Officer,
United States Institute of Peace.
[FR Doc. 2015-08608 Filed 4-15-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-AR-M
