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OAR Box 1830 

Prepped by Ollie Stewart 

Document Number: 

152) IV-C-119 

Docket Number: 

A-87-11 

Printed 11/13/2008 7:20:59 AM Sheet 152 of 232 
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> 4- 87-^1 

> A * UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

* \sVVtr-I AN N AR BOR MICHIGAN 48105 

OFFCEOF 

AIR AND RADIATION 

JUN 2 8 1988 

James Britell 

Federal Highway Administration 

Office of Motor Carrier Safety (HCS-10) 

400 Seventh St., S.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Dear Mr. Britell: 

This is a response to your request at the NHTSA briefing 

on April 12, 1988 for information on the field durability of 

the Chrysler Fuel Filler Check Valve which is used on EPA's 

simplified onboard control system. 

Enclosed is a letter from Chrysler which responds to your 

question. We feel this information should answer your concerns 

about the durability and safety of these valves based on 

considerable in-use experience. 

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please 

feel free to contact John Anderson of my staff at FTS 374-8496. 

Chester Jy France, Chief 

Standards Development and Support Branch 

Enclosure 

A-87-11 

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•*4^ CHRYSLER 

W MOTORS 

Chrysldr Motor* Corporation 

May 11, 1988 

Charles L. Gray, Jr. 

Director, Emission Control Technology Division 

United States Environmental Protection Agency 

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105 

Subject: Chrysler Fuel Filler Check Valve - "Ball-in-Cage" Valve 

Dear Mr. Gray: 

Your letter dated April 20, 1988 inquired about Chrysler's fuel filler check 

valve which has been in production since the first Voyager/Caravan was launched 

in the 1984 model year. There have been over one million of these vehicles 

built to date yielding an approximate accumulation of at least thirty billion 

miles of real world durability testing. 

The durability of this valve is excellent and is impervious to repeated use and 

road vibration. There are no known field failures. As a result of the valve's 

success, the design was released on our full s. ie vans as a running change 

during the 1985 model year, and at the introduction of our Dakota trucks in the 

1986 model year and full size pick-ups in the 1987 model year. 

If the ball of this valve assembly should be dislodged, the customer may see 

increased instances of fuel spitback at the service station pump shutoff. 

There are no other implications, either safety-related or otherwise. 

There are no known failure modes other than in a few isolated cases of 

tampering from persons attempting to siphon the fuel tank via routing a hose 

down the filler tube. The check valve prohibits hose travel into the fuel 

tank. It is possible, however, to dislodge the valve by forcing a rigid tube 

down the filler tube and applying a very substantial amount of force against 

the ball. For those vehicles that utilize this check valve assembly, we have 

provided alternative methods of draining the fuel tank for service. 

If we can provide any further information, please let me know. 

Sincerely, 

£^«^2^vt 

Gordon E. Allardyce, Manager 

Certification & Regulatory Programs 

GEA/ja 

FL19-GRAY 

Oetroir-Ml 43233-1118