Interpretation ID: aiam2924
Director
Automotive Safety Office
Ford Motor Company
The American Road
Dearborn
MI 48121;
Dear Mr. Eckhold:#This is in response to your letter of August 29 1978, requesting an interpretation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 101-80. The answers to your specific questions are as follows:#(1) You requested an interpretation that a single telltale which monitors both the oil pressure and coolant temperature gauges could be identified by the word 'Engine.' You indicated that it has been Ford's practice to combine the monitoring of these two functions into a single telltale because the response by the driver to either malfunction is the same. The standard does not require that any of the displays listed in S5.1 be provided or that two or more displays, if provided, be provided separately. It is the interpretation of the NHTSA that the multipurpose telltale which monitors the two functions specified above may be identified by the word 'Engine.'#(2) You asked whether the NHTSA intended that the display identification requirements of FMVSS 208 would be met by use of the symbol required by FMVSS 101-80. The answer is no. However, the agency will issue shortly a notice which will provide for the use of the FMVSS 101-80 symbol for the purposes of that standard and those of FMVSS 208.#(3) You asked that the identification requirements of FMVSS 105-75 be deleted from that standard and those in FMVSS 101-80 be retained. No conflict exists between the two standards. Nevertheless, we will address this issue in the same notice mentioned in the immediately preceding paragraph.#Sincerely, Joseph J. Levin, Jr., Chief Counsel;