TongMan

Well, 11-something p.m. and I decided to drive over to my girl's place. It was quiet and there wasn't any other cars around. So around the turn from my house, I decided to gun my car. Wanted to hear the Intake and Exhaust combo...well, turns out it was a bad idea. About 2 blocks ahead of me there was two patrol cars that was in the process of pulling someone over. They probably heard my exhaust cause it was pretty loud too. One of them walked to his car as I drove past them. I knew that he was coming for me. I saw him drove up to the light and made a U-turn. Yep he was coming for me.

I was stopped at the light and he pulled up behind me. Light turns green and I go and then he turned on his lights. Damn! I pulled over and turned off my car. He came up and said that my exhaust was too loud. I said, I bought it knowing it was street legal. He asked for a referee number. I don't have one. He took my license and went back to his car.

A couple minutes later he came back and gave me back my licence and told me to call the number on the back of the ticket. It was only a fix it ticket, so all I gotta do was call the number and have my exhaust checked out and get a referee number. I guess I'll have to do that. He told me that there may be a $5 fee and thats all.

Well, my question for you guys is: The HKS Hi-Power Exhaust is street legal right?

I remember it rated at 89 decibels and the legal limit was like 92-96 decibels. Well wish me good luck on this.

OldYeller

You are lucky he did not have you pop your hood for a look see............

TongMan

Yeah that intake is scaring the crap out of me recently. So far I've been pulled over twice and they don't care to look under my hood.

06CStC

If they see the CAI, it'll b just another fix-it ticket rite?
________
HONDA VTR250

TongMan

I believe so, but it'll be harder to get it signed off than an exhaust or front licence plate.

BuddhasTC

depends on the cop. Now regarding your exhaust ticket, the officer is required by law to TEST the exhaust on site. They carry a decibel meter with them. If not you can contest it and have it thrown out...not really worth it though cuz a fix it ticket is cheaper than court fees anyway. But next time, tell the officer to do that and it can be proven legal on the spot and he won't give u a ticket. That's what i did and got away with it. I think he just wanted to get you for gettin on it in his presence...a cop ego is worse than our male egos.

2fast4you

That's not true anymore. From the CHP website...

FWIW you can't accurately measure how loud an exhaust is without being in a controlled environment like a referee station. Besides, if they pulled you over for your exhaust being too loud at 11-something in the evening, I doubt they want to further disturb the neighborhood by having you gun your engine so they can measure the noise.

For the testing at the referee station, they should have you run your engine at nominal operating RPM (in our case 2500-3500 RPM) and take a measurement using a calibrated microphone 20 inches from the exhaust exit. Your exhaust is "legal" if it is under 95 dB A-weighted in accordance with SAE Standard J1169 May 1998.

BTW you are going to have to remove your CAI before testing, they will do a visual inspection to make sure your car is CARB legal.

TongMan

yep i guess i have to remove my CAI.

hPower

Thanks for the good information, it will probably come in handy for some of the rest of us at some point. CA cops are some of the worst

TongMan

So i'll take out my CAI and keep my Exhaust on to see if i pass the decibel test.

flintgauge86

that sucks. CAI's are a pain to take off and put back on. You need to carry that number with you so it doesn't happen again.

TongMan

I'm pretty much done with the CAi anyways. Gettin the Supercharger, so no more need for the CAI. I was gonna take it off but since I'm getting the S/C installed next week, I'll just let the dealership do it.

After I get the S/C installed I'll take my car to the referee place to get that ticket signed off. They aren't going to give me some ____ about the supercharger are they?

It won't make my exhaust even louder would it?

Papispico

ill buy that CAI

peteyd

all i can say is im glad i dont live in CA!

HOLLYWD69

I'll second that! It must be a pain in the butt to deal with!

2fast4you

It's really not that bad, you just have to be smart about not bringing attention to yourself. Remember, a majority of aftermarket parts come from CA... we have to test them somehow.

Nick06tC

I got pulled over and got a warning for my HKS exhuast as well. The cop let me go on that and just told me to change it out. Best of luck.

fairladyz541

My budding got pulled over for his HKS exhaust as well. He has a fix-it ticket too, but his car is not in a good fix-it condition. He now has a turbo and a full exhaust with no cats or anything.....

beckham388

Ohio is worse...

[§ 4513.22.1] § 4513.221. Regulation of vehicle and engine noise in unincorporated areas.

(A) The board of county commissioners of any county, and the board of township trustees of any township subject to section 505.17 of the Revised Code, may regulate passenger car and motorcycle noise on streets and highways under their jurisdiction. Such regulations shall include maximum permissible noise limits measured in decibels, subject to the requirements of this section.

(B) Regulations establishing maximum permissible noise limits measured in decibels shall prohibit the operation, within the speed limits specified herein, of a passenger car or motorcycle of a type subject to registration at any time or under any condition of load, acceleration, or deceleration in such manner as to exceed the following maximum noise limits, based on a distance of not less than fifty feet from the center of the line of travel:

(1) For passenger cars:

(a) When operated at a speed of thirty-five miles per hour or less, a maximum noise limit of seventy decibels;

(b) When operated at a speed of more than thirty-five miles per hour, a maximum noise limit of seventy-nine decibels.

(2) For motorcycles:

(a) When operated at a speed of thirty-five miles per hour or less, a maximum noise limit of eighty-two decibels;

(b) When operated at a speed of more than thirty-five miles per hour, a maximum noise limit of eighty-six decibels.

(C) Maximum noise limits established pursuant to division (B) of this section shall be measured on the "A" scale of a standard sound level meter meeting the applicable requirements for a type 2 sound level meter as defined in American national standards institute standard S1.4 - 1983, or the most recent revision thereof. Measurement practices shall be in substantial conformity with standards and recommended practice established by the society of automotive engineers, including SAE standard J 986 A NOV81, SAE standard J 366 MAR85, SAE standard J 331 A, and such other standards and practices as may be approved by the federal government.

(D) No regulation enacted under division (B) of this section shall be effective until signs giving notice of the regulation are posted upon or at the entrance to the highway or part thereof affected, as may be most appropriate.

(E) A board of county commissioners of any county may regulate noise from passenger cars, motorcycles, or other devices using internal combustion engines in the unincorporated area of the county, and a board of township trustees may regulate such noise in the unincorporated area of the township, in any of the following ways:

(1) By prohibiting operating or causing to be operated any motor vehicle, agricultural tractor, motorcycle, all-purpose vehicle, or snowmobile not equipped with a factory-installed muffler or equivalent muffler in good working order and in constant operation;

(2) By prohibiting the removing or rendering inoperative, or causing to be removed or rendered inoperative, other than for purposes of maintenance, repair, or replacement, of any muffler;

(3) By prohibiting the discharge into the open air of exhaust of any stationary or portable internal combustion engine except through a factory-installed muffler or equivalent muffler in good working order and in constant operation;

(4) By prohibiting racing the motor of any vehicle described in division (E)(1) of this section in such a manner that the exhaust system emits a loud, cracking, or chattering noise unusual to its normal operation.

(F) Whoever violates any maximum noise limit established as provided in division (B) of this section or any of the prohibitions authorized in division (E) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. Fines collected under this section by the county shall be paid into the county general fund, and such fines collected by the township shall be paid into the township general fund.

No regulation adopted under this section shall apply to commercial racetrack operations.

tc2nut4

no to rain on anyones parade but I know in PA they can pull you over for just having an aftermarket exhaust, the exhaust has to be OEM or OEM quality, fit, size, and volume... Pennsylvania has some stupid laws but on the same token they rarely enforce them

But yeah I say that because some of you might want to look into what your state laws, it MIGHT me be the sound requirements but thats not ALL that makes the car "street legal" if you run into a @sshole of a cop he can nail you for an inspection violation in some states..