This is the yellow (public consultation) draft of Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Equipment (Noise) Amendment [2009] (Rule 32017/4). Submissions have now closed.

Note: This Rule should be read in conjunction with Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Equipment 2004, Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Equipment Amendment 2005 and Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Equipment Amendment 2007.

Contents

Section 1     Application

• 1.1     Title
• 1.2     Date when Rule comes into force

Section 2     Amendments relating to equipment requirements

• 2.1     Exhaust systems
• 2.2     Blow-off valves

Section 3     Amendments to definitions

• 3.1     Insertion of definition

Section 4     Amendments to Schedules

• 4.1     New Schedule 2

Section 1     Application

1.1      Title

1.1(1)   This Rule is Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Equipment (Noise) Amendment [2009].

1.1(2)   This Rule amends Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Equipment 2004.

1.2      Date when Rule comes into force

This Rule comes into force on [1 May 2009].

Section 2     Amendments relating to equipment requirements

2.1      Exhaust systems

2.1(1)   Clause 2.7 is amended by substituting the following subclauses for subclauses 2.7(4) to 2.7(7):

• “Noise output of vehicles entering service
• “2.7(4) A Class LC, LD, LE, Group M or Group N motor vehicle that was manufactured on or after 1 January 1985 and enters into service in New Zealand on or after 1 May 2009:
1. “(a)     must have been manufactured to comply with a vehicle noise standard or vehicle exhaust noise standard that applied to the vehicle at the time of its manufacture in order for the vehicle to be operated on the road in Australia, the European Union, Japan or the United States of America; or
2. “(b)     must have been manufactured so as not to exceed the maximum decibel level prescribed in Schedule 2 when tested in accordance with the vehicle drive-by test prescribed in:
1. (i)     ISO 362, Measurement of Noise Emitted by Vehicles; or
2. (ii)    BS 3425, Method for the Measurement of Noise Emitted by Motor Vehicles; or
3. (iii)   SAE J1470, Measurement of Noise Emitted by Accelerating Highway Vehicles; or
4. (iv)   ADR 28, External Noise of Motor Vehicles; or
5. (v)   TRIAS 20, Noise test procedure for motor vehicles (measurement procedure for acceleration running noise level); or
6. (vi)   ADR 83/00, External Noise; or
7. (vii)    ADR 39/00, External Noise of Motor Cycles; or
3. “(c)     if the vehicle is a Class LC, LD, LE, MA, MB, MC, MD1, MD2 or NA vehicle, must not exceed the maximum decibel level prescribed in Schedule 3 when tested in accordance with the Low Volume Vehicle Code.
• “Noise output of vehicles operated in service
• “2.7(5) The noise output from a Class LC, LD, LE, MA, MB, MC, MD1, MD2 or NA vehicle that is operated in service must:
1. “(a)     be less than or similar to the noise output from the vehicle’s original exhaust system at the time of the vehicle’s manufacture; or
2. “(b)     not exceed the maximum decibel level prescribed in Schedule 3 when tested in accordance with the Low Volume Vehicle Code.
• “2.7(6) A vehicle with a modified exhaust system that does not meet the requirement in 2.7(5)(a) must be tested for compliance with 2.7(5)(b).”
• “2.7(7) The noise output from a motor vehicle that is operated in service, other than one in 2.7(5), must not be noticeably and significantly louder than the noise output from the vehicle’s original exhaust system at the time of the vehicle’s manufacture.”

2.1(2)   Subclause 2.7(8) is revoked.

2.1(3)   Subclause 2.7(9) is amended by substituting the words “Subclauses 2.7(5) to 2.7(7) do” for the words “Subclause 2.7(8) does”.

2.2      Blow-off valves

The Rule is amended by inserting the following clause:

• “2.10 Blow-off valves
• “(1) A blow-off valve must be either silenced effectively or not vented directly to the outside air.
• “(2) Subclause 2.10(1) does not apply if:
• “(a)     the blow-off valve is original equipment fitted by the vehicle manufacturer or is a replacement; and
• “(b)     the vehicle has not been modified such as to increase the noise output from the valve.”

Section 3     Amendments to definition

3.1      Insertion of definition

Part 2 is amended by inserting the following definition:

• “blow-off valve means a valve fitted to an engine to relieve excess pressure from the air intake system.”

Section 4     Amendments to Schedules

4.1      New Schedule 2

Part 3 is amended by substituting the following for Schedules 2 and 3:

• “Schedule 2     Maximum decibel levels – drive-by test
• (Ref. 2.7(4)(b))

Vehicle class	Maximum noise levels (dBA)
	Vehicles manufactured on or after 1 May 2009	Vehicles manufactured before 1 May 2009
LC, LD, LE (with engine capacity of 125 cm3 or less)	75	82
LC, LD, LE (with engine capacity of more than 125 cm3)	77	86
MA	74	81
MB, MC	76	81
MD1, MD2 and NA	79	81
MD3, MD4, ME, NB, and NC (with power output of 150 kW or less)	79	86
MD3, MD4, ME, NB, and NC (with power output of more than 150 kW)	83	88

• “Schedule 3     Maximum decibel levels – stationary test
• (Ref. 2.7(4)(c))

Vehicle class	Maximum noise levels (dBA)
LC, LD, LE (with engine capacity of 125 cm3 or less)	96
LC, LD, LE (with engine capacity of more than 125 cm3)	100
MA, MB, MC, MD1, MD2, and NA (a) manufactured* before 1 January 1985 (b) manufactured* on or after 1 January 1985 and first registered in New Zealand on or after 1 June 2008 (c) manufactured* on or after 1 January 1985 and first registered in New Zealand before 1 June 2008: (i) not a vehicle in paragraph (ii) below (ii) vehicle, with a modified exhaust system, that has either exceeded 95dBA when tested in accordance with subclause 3.1(3), or been prohibited from driving in accordance with a direction under section 115 of the Act regarding compliance with subclause 2.7(5)	95 90 95 90

• * If the date of manufacture cannot be ascertained, the date of first registration (outside New Zealand) is deemed to be the date of manufacture.”