Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024
(a)
Reciprocating Compressor Discharge Line--Every part of the first 24-inch length
of a reciprocating air compressor discharge line, measured from the compressor
discharge port, shall be designed to withstand at least 450 degrees Fahrenheit
for continuous service and, if flexible hose, shall be reinforced by at least
one layer of wire braid. The entire air discharge line and its couplings shall
show no leakage under a pressure of 200 pounds per square inch for 5 minutes.
This provision does not apply to school buses manufactured prior to January 1,
1968, or to vehicles manufactured on and after March 1, 1975, in compliance
with FMVSS 121 (49 CFR
571.121).
(b) Check Valves--Motor vehicles equipped
with a check valve in compliance with Vehicle Code Sections 26507 and 26522
shall have a readily accessible means for testing proper operation of the
valve, and tools needed for the test shall be carried in the vehicle. The means
shall not consist of loosening any connection between the source of compressed
air or vacuum and the check valve. This provision does not apply to Type 1
school buses manufactured prior to January 2, 1968.
(1) In air brake systems, the means shall be
a manually operated drain cock or other device between the check valve and the
compressor.
(2) In vacuum systems,
the means may be the stopping of the engine.
(c) Air Reservoirs--Property-carrying
vehicles first sold and registered after January 1, 1967, school buses, farm
labor vehicles, and Type 1 buses, equipped with air or vacuum brakes, shall
have a reserve capacity sufficient to ensure a full service brake application
with the engine stopped without depleting the air pressure or vacuum below 70
percent of that indicated by a gauge immediately before the brake application.
Such vehicles manufactured on and after March 1, 1975, and equipped with air
brakes shall have a reserve capacity sufficient to ensure a full brake
application with the engine stopped without depleting the air pressure below 85
percent of that indicated by a gauge immediately before the application.
(1) Air Reservoir Specifications--Air brake
reservoirs installed as original equipment on vehicles manufactured in
compliance with FMVSS 121 (49 CFR 571.121) are not required
to be marked. Replacement air brake reservoirs shall met SAE J10 in the 1965 or
later edition of the SAE Handbook and be marked with the manufacturer's
initials followed by "SAE J10 150 psi Rated Working Pressure" and the date of
manufacture. Auxiliary air tanks shall meet the requirements of Section
1252 of this title.
(2) Air Reservoir Drains--Air reservoirs used
in brake systems shall have means other than a plug for draining water and
contaminants from the lowest portion of the reservoir. Multicompartment air
brake reservoirs shall provide such means for draining each
compartment.
(d) Air Flow
Restriction--Any valve or other mechanism of an air brake system that restricts
the free flow of compressed air between the brake application control and the
brake actuators at application pressures above 10 pounds per square inch under
normal operating conditions shall comply with the brake equipment requirements
in Article 12, Chapter 4, of this title, beginning with Section
1061, except as provided in
Vehicle Code Section 26311(b) governing reduced braking effort on front
wheels.
(e) Detachable
Connections--Detachable air or vacuum connections shall be constructed,
installed, and maintained to ensure against accidental disconnection. When
connections at the end of flexible air lines are left detached, they shall be
adequately protected against the entrance of dirt.
(f) Brake Tubing and Hose
Requirements--Tubing, pipe, and hose used in air, vacuum, or hydraulic brake
systems shall be:
(1) designed and constructed
in a manner that ensures proper, adequate, and continued functioning,
(2) sufficiently long and flexible to
accommodate without damage all normal motions of the parts to which it is
attached,
(3) suitably secured
against chafing, kinking, or other mechanical damage,
(4) installed in a manner that prevents
contact with the vehicle's exhaust system or other source of high temperature,
and
(5) installed in a manner that
ensures proper continued functioning and that is free of leaks, constrictions,
or other defects.
(A) Tubing or pipe shall be
supported to minimize fatigue.
(B)
Metal-to-metal contact shall be avoided by the use of soft nonmetallic cushions
at points of support.
(C) Tubing or
pipe shall be protected against road hazards either by a protected location or
adequate shielding at exposed areas.
(D) Protective loom, where used, shall be
both water and acid resistant.
(E)
Vacuum brake systems shall be connected to the engine manifold with fittings at
least 3/8 inch in inside diameter.
(g) Brake Tubing and Hose
Connections--Connections for air, vacuum or hydraulic brake systems shall:
(1) be adequate in material and construction
to ensure proper continued functioning,
(2) be designed, constructed, and installed
to ensure an attachment free of leaks, constrictions, or other defects when
properly connected, and
(3) use
fittings that meet SAE J512 OCT 80, Automotive Tube Fittings, or SAE J246 MAR
81, Spherical and Flanged Sleeve (Compression) Tube Fittings, for tubing
splices made on a vehicle on or after July 1, 1992.
(h) Brake Tubing--Metallic tubing shall only
be used where relative movement in the line does not occur.
(1) On vehicles manufactured after July 1,
1992, and on any replacements made to the brake line on any vehicle after this
date, nonmetallic (plastic) brake tubing shall only be used where relative
movement does not occur or through an articulation point provided movement is
less than 4.5 degrees in a vertical plane and 7.4 degrees in a transverse
horizontal plane. Plastic tubing shall not touch or be attached to leaf, coil,
or air suspension springs.
(2)
Brake Hose and Coiled Nonmetallic Tubing--Brake hose and coiled nonmetallic
brake tubing is for use where substantial relative movement in the line occurs
or the line is exposed to potential tension or impact such as between the frame
and axle in a conventional suspension system. Only coiled nonmetallic brake
tubing or brake hose may be used for connections between towed and towing
vehicles or between the frame of a towed vehicle and the sliding subframe of an
adjustable axle of that vehicle. If coiled nonmetallic brake tubing is used in
these locations it shall be encased in a spring guard or similar device which
resists kinking of the tubing at the fittings to which it is
attached.
(i) Air Brake
Tubing Standards--Air brake tubing that is original equipment on a vehicle at
time of manufacture is not required by FMVSS to meet any requirement but is
subject to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall if it
become a safety defect. Replacement brake tubing installed on or after July 1,
1992, shall meet the following Society of Automotive Engineers Standards:
(1) Metallic Tubing--Metallic tubing shall be
copper tubing or galvanized steel pipe meeting SAE J1149, Metallic Air Brake
System Tubing and Pipe. Copper tubing shall be permanently and legibly marked
"Air Brake."
(2) Nonmetallic
Tubing--Nonmetallic tubing shall meet SAE J844, Nonmetallic Air Brake System
Tubing, Type B (reinforced). Such tubing shall be identified in contrasting
color with the markings "Airbrake, SAE J844 Type B," the nominal outside
diameter of the tubing in inches, and the tubing manufacturer's name or
symbol.
(j) Brake Hose
Standards--Air, hydraulic, and vacuum brake hoses installed on and after
September 1, 1974, shall comply with FMVSS 106, Brake Hoses (49 CFR
571.106), except S 12 and S 13.
(1) Original Equipment Components--Components
that are original equipment on a vehicle at time of manufacture are not
required by FMVSS to be identified in any manner but are subject to NHTSA
recall for noncompliance with the performance requirements of the
standards.
(2) Brake Hose--Air,
hydraulic, and vacuum brake hose manufactured on or after September 1, 1974,
shall be marked in letters at least 1/8 inch high with "DOT", the hose
manufacturer's designation, the month and year of manufacture, and the nominal
inside diameter of the hose. FMVSS 106 does not require these markings to be
visible on a completed brake hose assembly.
(3) Replacement Air Brake Hose
Assemblies--Replacement air brake hose assemblies manufactured on or after
September 1, 1974, with end fittings attached to the hose by crimping or
swaging shall have at least one end fitting etched, stamped, or embossed with a
designation at least
1/16 inch high
that identifies the hose assembly manufacturer.
(4) Air Brake Hose Fittings--Air brake hose
fittings manufactured on or after September 1, 1974, that are not crimped or
swaged shall have at least one component etched, stamped, or embossed in block
capital letters, numerals, or symbols at least
1/16 inch high
with "DOT", a designation that identifies the manufacturer of that component of
the fittings, "A" for nonreusable fittings at "AI" or "AII" for reusable
fittings, and the nominal inside diameter in inches or millimeters (or outside
diameter of plastic tubing) to which the fitting is properly
attached.
(5) Hydraulic Brake Hose
Assemblies--Hydraulic brake hose assemblies manufactured on and after September
1, 1974, shall have at least one end fitting etched, stamped, or embossed with
a designation at least
1/16 inch high
that identifies the manufacturer of the assembly. Each hose shall have at least
two clearly identifiable stripes at least
1/16 inch wide
placed on opposite sides of the hose parallel to its longitudinal axis, except
where the end fittings prevent its installation in a twisted orientation on
either side of the vehicle.
(6)
Vacuum Brake Hose Assemblies--Vacuum brake hose assemblies manufactured on or
after September 1, 1974, with end fittings that are attached to the hose by
crimping or swaging, or to plastic tubing by heat shrinking or interference
fit, shall have at least one end fitting etched, stamped, or embossed with a
designation at least
1/16 inch high
that identifies the manufacturer of the assembly.
(7) Manufacturer's Option--At the
manufacturer's option, brake hose assemblies may instead be marked by a band
around the assembly with the letters "DOT" and with a designation that
identifies the hose assembly manufacturer, in letters, numerals, or symbols at
least
1/16 inch
high.
(k) Air Leakage
Rates--Air leakage with the engine stopped and the air reservoir pressure at
governor cutout as specified in Section
1061(b) of this
title shall not exceed the following rates.
(1) With service brake released and air or
spring parking brakes applied:
2 pounds per square inch per minute for single
vehicles,
3 pounds per square inch per minute for combinations of two
vehicles, and
5 pounds per square inch per minute for combinations of
three or more vehicles.
(2)
With service brakes applied and air or spring parking brakes released:
3 pounds per square inch per minute for single
vehicles,
4 pounds per square inch per minute for combinations of two
vehicles, and
6 pounds per square inch per minute for combinations of
three or more vehicles.
(3)
No leakage shall occur in tubing or hose even if the overall leakage is less
than the specified limit.
(l) Hydraulic Brakes--The pressure of
hydraulic brakes shall not be higher than the manufacturer's rated capacity of
the hose assemblies.
1. Amendment
of subsection (c)(4) filed 10-22-81; effective thirtieth day thereafter
(Register 81, No. 43).
2. Amendment filed 8-31-83; effective
thirtieth day thereafter (Register 83, No. 36).
3. Change without
regulatory effect of subsection (e) (Register 86, No. 48).
4.
Repealer and new section filed 5-14-92; operative 6-15-92 (Register 92, No.
20).
5. Editorial correction of printing error in subsection (i)(2)
(Register 94, No. 2).
6. Repealer of subsection (d), subsection
relettering, and amendment of newly designated subsection (j)(5) filed 9-6-95;
operative 10-6-95 (Register 95, No. 36).
Note: Authority cited: Sections 26502, 31401, 34501,
34501.5 and 34508, Vehicle Code. Reference: Sections 26502, 31401, 34501,
34501.5 and 34508, Vehicle Code.
