Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/0218/02 – InstrumentationInstrumentation) 20062006

I, JAMES ERIC LLOYD, Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads, determine this vehicle standard under subsection 7 (1) of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989.

Dated  10 August 2006

[SIGNED]

James Eric Lloyd

Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads

CONTENTS

A. legislative provisions..............................................

A.1. NAME OF STANDARD...........................................

A.2. COMMENCEMENT..............................................

A.3. REPEAL.......................................................

B. function and SCOPE..............................................

C. APPLICABILITY AND IMPLeMENTATION.........................

C.1. Applicability Summary

C.2. Applicability Table

18.1. DEFINITIONS...................................................

18.2. VISUAL INDICATORS FOR MA and LEP  VEHICLES  ONLY..........

18.3. LOCATION OF VISUAL INDICATORS FOR  MA and  LEP  VEHICLES ONLY 

18.4. VISIBILITY OF VISUAL INDICATORS FOR  MA  and  LEP  VEHICLES ONLY 

18.5. SPEEDOMETERS AND ODOMETERS  (ALL  VEHICLES).............

A. legislative provisions

A.1. NAME OF STANDARD

A.1.1. This Standard is the Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/02 –Instrumentation) 2006.

A.1.2. This Standard may also be cited as Australian Design Rule 18/02 —Instrumentation.

A.2. COMMENCEMENT

A.2.1. This Standard commences on the day after it is registered.

A.3. REPEAL

A.3.1. This Standard repeals each vehicle standard with the name Australian Design Rule 18/02 — Instrumentation that is:

 (a) made under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989; and

 (b) in force at the commencement of this Standard.

A.3.2. This Standard also repeals each instrument made under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standard Acts 1989 that creates a vehicle standard with the name Australian Design Rule 18/02 — Instrumentation, if there are no other vehicle standards created by that instrument, or amendments to vehicle standards made by that instrument, that are still in force at the commencement of this Standard.

B.                                         function and SCOPE

B.1.                                   The function of this national standard is to specify requirements for the provision and location of certain ‘Visual Indicators’.

B.2.                                   It also specifies requirements for speedometers and odometers.

C.                                         APPLICABILITY AND IMPLeMENTATION

C.1.                                  Applicability Summary

C.1.1.                             This national standard applies to the design and construction of vehicles as set out in the table below.

C.1.2.                             MA vehicle models first approved after 1 July 1995 must comply with this national standard.

C.1.3.                             Existing MA vehicle models need not comply with this national standard until
1 January 1996.

C.2.                                  Applicability Table

18.1.                                DEFINITIONS

Refer to Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule Definitions and Vehicle Categories) 2005.

18.2.                                VISUAL INDICATORS FOR MA and LEP  VEHICLES  ONLY

18.2.1.                          The display of information presented by the following ‘Visual Indicators’, if fitted, must be subject to control under this rule:

Group I

(a) Speedometer
(b) Direction indicator “tell-tale” lamp or lamps
(c) High beam indicator

Group II

(d) Tachometer
(e) Odometer
(f) Service brake failure indicator lamp
(g) Parking brake indicator lamp
(h) Stop lamp failure indicator
(i) Oil temperature indicator
(j) Pressure indicator

(k) Water temperature indicator
(l) Battery charge failure indicator
(m) Fuel level indicator

(n) Seatbelt warning lamp

18.2.2.                          In cases where more than one ‘Visual Indicator’ is provided for any one of the functions covered by (h) to (m) above, and are not located as specified in clause 18.3.2 a common indicator which could be either visual or an audible signal may be used to draw attention to the need to refer to a group of indicators located elsewhere.

18.2.2.1.                    In such cases the common indicator, if visual, must be totally located within the area specified in clause 18.3.2.

18.3.                                LOCATION OF VISUAL INDICATORS FOR  MA and  LEP  VEHICLES ONLY

18.3.1.                          All “Visual Indicators” specified as Group I in clause 18.2 must be located between 2 vertical planes inclined at 30o left and 20o right of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and passing through the foremost points of the left and right ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’ respectively.  Such indicators must be totally located above a plane inclined downwards at 35° from the horizontal and including a horizontal transverse line through the foremost points of each of the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’ and below a plane tangential to the bottom of the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’ which includes a line at ground level transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle 11 m forward of the rearmost eye ellipse point.

18.3.2.                          All ‘Visual Indicators’ specified as Group II in clause 18.2 must be totally located between 2 vertical planes inclined at 40° left and 25° right of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and passing through the foremost points of the left and right ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’ respectively.  Such indicators must be totally located above a plane inclined downwards at 35° from the horizontal and including a horizontal transverse line through the foremost points of each of the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’ and below a plane tangential to the bottom of the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’ which includes a line at ground level transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle ll m forward of the rearmost eye ellipse point.

18.4.                                VISIBILITY OF VISUAL INDICATORS FOR  MA  and  LEP  VEHICLES ONLY

18.4.1.                          The requirements of clauses 18.4.1.1 and 18.4.1.2 must be met when:

(a) the steering wheel is in the straight ahead position;

(b) the direction indicator lever is in the “Neutral” position;

(c) in the case of column change automatic transmission vehicles the gear selector is in the “Drive” position;

(d) in the case of column change manual transmission vehicles with 2 or 3 forward gear ratios, the gear selector is in “Top” gear position;

(e) in the case of column change manual transmission vehicles with more than 3 forward gear ratios, the gear selector is in “Top” gear position or the next lower gear position whichever is the more critical in terms of obscuration of ‘Visual Indicators’.

18.4.1.1.                    All ‘Visual Indicators’ other than indicator lamps must be ‘Totally Visible’ when viewed from each pair of eye positions located by the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’ except that:

18.4.1.1.1.              in the case of Group I ‘Visual Indicators’, the portion of the steering wheel rim including its supporting arms that is below a plane tangential to the top of the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’ and the underside of the highest rim cross-section cut normal to the rim, must not constitute an obstruction;

18.4.1.1.2.              in the case of Group II ‘Visual Indicators’ the steering wheel rim and its supporting arms and attachments thereto must not constitute obstructions.

18.4.1.2.                    Any object which represents an obstruction to any single eye position within the terms of clause 18.4.1.1 must have no surfaces, in the line of sight to the ‘Visual Indicator’, which present a metal finish with a ‘Specular Gloss’ exceeding 40 units when measured by the 20 degree geometry method of ASTM Standard D523-62T-"Specular Gloss" June 1962 or ASTM Standard D523-85T-"Specular Gloss", September 1985.

18.4.1.3.                    All indicator lamp ‘Visual Indicators’ must either be ‘Totally Visible’, or an area of not less than 18 square millimetres with dimensions such that a 2 mm diameter circle is totally enclosed within the area, must be ‘Totally Visible’ when viewed from each single eye position located by the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’.  The obstruction exemptions provided for in clause 18.4.1.1 must also be applicable to this clause.

18.4.1.4.                    In the case of a motor vehicle provided with a steering wheel capable of axial and vertical adjustments, it must be demonstrated that for any eye position located by the ‘95th Percentile Eye Ellipses’, there is at least one steering wheel position where the requirements of clauses 18.4.1.1 to 18.4.1.3 are complied with.

18.4.2.                          The vehicle speed indicating element must be of such colour or contrast as to differentiate it from the viewed background.

18.4.3.                          Deleted.

18.5.                                SPEEDOMETERS AND ODOMETERS  (ALL  VEHICLES)

18.5.1.                          Speedometers

18.5.1.1.                    Unless otherwise ‘Approved’, every vehicle must be fitted with a speedometer which must:

18.5.1.1.1.              indicate vehicle speed only in kilometres per hour; and

18.5.1.1.2.              indicate the actual vehicle speed, for all speeds above 40 km/h, to an accuracy of ± 10 per cent.

18.5.1.2.                    The speedometer must be installed so that its indication is readily visible to the driver when seated in the normal driving position.

18.5.2.                          Odometers

18.5.2.1.                    Every vehicle other than LA, LB and LEM group vehicles must be fitted with an odometer which must:

18.5.2.1.1.              indicate distance travelled in one kilometre units (or less) at least from 1 to 600,000 kilometres (for MA, MB and MC category vehicles) and from 1 to 999,999 kilometres for all other category vehicles; and

18.5.2.1.2.              indicate the actual distance travelled by the vehicle to an accuracy of ± 4 per cent.

18.5.2.2.                    Every vehicle of category LC, LD and LEM must be fitted with an odometer which must:

18.5.2.2.1.              indicate distance travelled in one kilometre units from 1 to 99,999 kilometres; and

18.5.2.2.2.              indicate the actual distance travelled by the vehicle to an accuracy of ± 4 per cent.