Federal Test Procedure (FTP)

The Federal Test Procedure, or FTP, is the series of stringent tests the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed to certify every automotive model sold in the United States. The FTP consists of programmed driving cycles for mileage accumulation, fueling, cold and hot soaks, and emissions tests as pictured.

Throughout the remainder of this book, references will be made to the FTP standard. Most of on-board diagnostics are designed to turn on the MIL when the vehicle exceeds the FTP standards by a certain amount (usually 1.5 times the FTP standard).