Interpretation ID: nht71-3.22
DATE: 06/30/71
FROM: AUTHOR UNAVAILABLE; Lawrence R. Schneider; NHTSA
TO: Fiat Motor Company, Inc.
TITLE: FMVSS INTERPRETATION
TEXT: Thank you for your letter of February 19, 1971, in which you request an interpretation of the applicability of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 206 to the right side door of the Fiat City Taxi Car. I apologize for the delay in responding to your letter.
Your questions and their answers are set forth below. Questions 1 and 2 have been reversed to facilitate discussion.
"Can this door be classified as a sliding door?" Yes, if, as it appears, the mechanism attaching the right side door to the vehicle is a sliding device rather than a hinge system.
"Can the outside door handle release control be inoperative and the door opened only from the inside." Yes, since the right side door is a sliding door, rather than a hinged door, it is not subject to the door lock requirements specified in S4.1.3 of the Standard.
"Which are the loads, the direction and location of the load, and the test procedures to be followed to demonstrate that this door conforms to the Standard 206." The performance requirements and demonstration procedures which apply to sliding doors are specified in S4.3 and S5.3, respectively. S4.3 requires that the track and slide combination or other supporting means for the right side door not separate when a total transverse load of 4,000 pounds is applied, with the door in the closed position. Compliance of the right side door with S4.3 is required by S5.3 to be tested by applying an outward transverse load of 2,000 pounds to the load bearing members at the opposite edges of the door. The total force applied would be 4,000 pounds. S5.3 requires that the testing be done either in the vehicle or with the door retention components in a bench test fixture.
"Can this door have only a fully latched position?" Yes. Standard No. 206 does not specify any requirements for latches on sliding doors.
Please write if I can be of any further assistance.