Got popped for exhaust-CHP
 

CHP pulled me over on the highway, going about 80 in a 65. Got a speeding ticket but he also cited me for aftermarket exhaust. He also inspected my engine bay (lol). Was like "sooo just a blowoff valve?" Engine is completely stock, dude didn't really know what he was talking about and tried to argue my intake was tampered with due to a (factory) clamp not looking stock.

ONLY mod is Corsa catback (pretty quiet as far as aftermarket exhausts go). Stock headers, stock tune, just corsa and coilovers (thankfully he didn't say anything about my ride height ~1" lower than stock).

Anyways, i know this is not a fix it ticket anymore since Jan 2019. Exhaust has to be below 95 db when the engine is revved at 75% full throttle. I will go get it certified at the test center but has anyone had any experience with this relatively new CA law? IF it is above 95 decibels do you have to tow the car home or some **** ? Not sure how loud the corsa exhausts get but i dont think its 95 db.

Im assuming in the future, carry the cert in the car and show it to CHP if they give me shit for it.

Fine is like $200ish, but if you have whistle tips (LMAO welcome to 2003, california) its like $1000. Im more worried about what happens at the smog center if i do not pass the audio inspection.

Which area of CA are you located?
put back stock before you go?

Im from East Bay but this happened in North Bay on the 101. I dont have stock exhaust anymore.

Well, sucks to be you.
Only thing I can say is do you have money for lawyer? If not maybe cheaper to buy an oem muffler.

Or roll the dice and see how loud it is. If it's just a cat back and everything else is stock you may squeak on by.

https://bar.ca.gov/Consumer/Referee_...ification.html

According to Bureau of Automotive Repair, its not like they impound your car or anything. Just can't get cert'd and have to eat the fine.

I think i'll probably give it a shot.

Be careful out there guys especially if you've a modded vehicle! I was an idiot, i know that area well (in between Cotati and Petaluma) and it can be quite a speed trap.

This state is a joke.

California needs to train CHP officers how to fill potholes and suspend any fines until there are some safe roads to drive.

Maybe they need to fine us to fix the road, obvious tax money is not enough XD

I constantly visit Rohnert Park. Thanks, I’ll keep taking Lakeville Hwy. and the back roads. Stay safe everyone.


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Wow, that’s unfortunate to hear. I remember when I got pulled over and the CHP officer was inspecting my engine bay, he saw my K&N sticker I have and almost tried telling me my K&N air filter was illegal. They really do have no clue what to look for, because you could clearly see my headers that say “JDL” on them but obviously he’s more interested in my air filter��

I'm fairly certain the Corsa is below 95DB. I run one as well and researched prior to buying. I've never actually tested it my self but I read it was around 87DB(don't quote me on this)

What was the exact CVC they cited the exhaust under?

I have a Corsa exhaust as well. I haven't measured the output myself but I read someone ran at Laguna Seca with a Corsa catback and stock everything else and was fine on a 91 dB day. Just as a comparison, my buddy's straight piped Evora got flagged when we were at Laguna Seca and I believe he was at ~94 dB at full throttle, and that thing was LOUD. I'm not sure how the noise check location at Laguna Seca compares with the audio test for California regulations, though.

I'm very positive you're well under 95 dB and will be fine.

1. You can drive the car. Its not a fix it, BUT if it were you can only drive it to the shop and home.

2. Test it yourself first, if you have to ask yourself the question, maybe swap it out. Not worth the risk.

I recently got state reffed so I had to deal with something similar.

What did you get a ticket for, exhaust as well?

I want to know this too. Any catback is legal if it is under 95db. It's post smog equipment so as long as it's not above the db limit technically its legal. Most of these tickets being written are by cops who know nothing and are citing you incorrectly.



If you do decide to BAR it, they should be able to give you a badge/label for the car for it as well if need be.



Even if the new law says its no longer a fix it ticket, if the officer was in the wrong, and you can prove it, the judge can throw it out.

Damn I actually was living in Rohnert Park bout a year ago (SSU student). Cops up there can either be super chill or .....

I was planning on getting an axle back muffler delete (probably FT-86SF). I’m assuming that should be state legal noise-wise and smog-wise?

A muffler delete wouldn't be legal since you have to have an adequate muffler in good working condition. But a catback with a muffler would

Has to have a muffler! Most catbacks have a muffler of some sort.




https://www.instagram.com/p/BsUiEeYFnD8/


https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/f...ctionNum=27151




If your catback is legal, fight the ticket, than file a complaint against the officer.

Ill check tomorrow.

The problem is the cops are given a lot of discretion in citing this. if it sounds different than stock youre gonna get a ticket. Like many tickets they hope you wont take time out of your day to go fight it in court. revenue generation 101

27150vc is what I was cited for.

Get it tested by a regulated test station. If it passes take it to court and fight it. In fact just fight it either way. It is possible to fight a speeding ticket and win. https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123703

Such a BS law, I mean while they never seem to cite crazy loud bro dozers trucks or god damn bikes that make my ears ring.

Funny story a dude at my work got hit in south bay for a speeding ticket and loud exhaust on a totally bone stock hellcat. He took it to court and let his lawyer fight it and won because the car was not modified in anyway. Stock hellcat is just crazy loud and the cop was being a dingle-berry.


I think that every loud exhaust ticket that is borderline should be fought. Especially when there are much louder vehicles making more noise and pollution and coal rolling not getting these tickets.

Should be easy to get this thrown out. This is usually what they cite people with straight pipes and no mufflers for. If your catback has a muffler, you're good.



http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/fa...ctionNum=27150.


27150.

(a) Every motor vehicle subject to registration shall at all times be equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise, and no muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass, or similar device.
(b) Except as provided in Division 16.5 (commencing with Section 38000) with respect to off-highway motor vehicles subject to identification, every passenger vehicle operated off the highways shall at all times be equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained so as to meet the requirements of Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 27200), and no muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass, or similar device.
(c) The provisions of subdivision (b) shall not be applicable to passenger vehicles being operated off the highways in an organized racing or competitive event conducted under the auspices of a recognized sanctioning body or by permit issued by the local governmental authority having jurisdiction.
(Amended by Stats. 1977, Ch. 558.)

I was given a state referee ticket;I was hit for non-correctable emissions and obviously forced to get a state ref to prove the car is smog legal.

I was given a verbal on exhaust.

The manufacturers have to comply with noise regulations, even with motorcycles. Even my two valve/cylinder Ducati Monster 796 came with an exhaust servo motor that limits exhaust flow in the last 500-1000 rpms, so dbs are under 95. Hellcat should be no different. I know the Mustangs have a servo motor for the exhaust depending on the mode; maybe the Hellcat does too. Just because it is stock doesn’t mean driving in any mode like track mode/loudness is legal.

The problem is that you have cars like the Fiat Abarth that comes from factory with a muffler delete and is around 102db. Sports mode in that car doesnt make the exhaust louder, thats just what it is.
A 2005 STI tests at 92 db which is damn close to the limit
Also a 1998 RS measures at around 98 which is above the limit.

Theres a lot of cars out there that dont comply with the 95db law and they dont have active exhausts.

Also, we actually dont even have the strictest noise level laws. Plenty of other states have the 95 db limit. But heres a surprising one.

Oregon has an 88 db limit for vehicles manufactured after 1976 and motorcycles and mopeds have a 91db limit.

I think the difference is just that we have more people in CA and so it seems like we get pinged for it more.

I have the 2.5 perrin catback and I know that can be over the limit (98db) at like 7k rpm. However from what I understand for the db test they do not redline the car. They take it to around 4k or something in which it would still comply with the law.

Where did you get that number?

How far away from the exhaust are people doing these DB readings?

My buddy’s 2015 stock Z/28 blew sound at Laguna Seca @ 93db, but that’s also like 40 feet away from the sound booth.

The inverse square law states that the decibels will drop by 6 for every doubling of the distance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse-square_law

This would suggest that an exhaust has to be pretty loud at distance to catch the attention of a cop, and that the distance measured from the tailpipe would matter too. The measurement goes like this:

https://itstillruns.com/tell-exhaust-loud-7658380.html

Theres a bunch of youtube videos of people doing a db test and showing the Abarth showing a range of between 98-110 db depending on the video and equipment used.

Donut Media also did a video on the exhaust law and test one of their employees stock Fiat Abarth and they got around the number i mentioned. So yes while these arent official numbers, Donut Media did follow the exact procedure when doing the test (compared to someone standing behind with an iphone) and so i'm inclined to think they were pretty accurate on their findings.

https://youtu.be/xUa1jIVlQ_o?t=383

Thats the video with a timestamp where they test the stock Abarth. Actual number they got was 100db and some change so i was off by two, but fact of the matter is thats still illegal.


The thing is, there isnt a universal sound compliance level. Not really. While most cars stay around the 90db range, a lot of manufactures dont make their cars to apply to this standard because it changes per state and per country. As i stated above, Oregon has a DB limit of 88. And since CA has a noise limit of 95db...who do car manufactures listen to? Thats usually why a lot of these laws come with modifiers. For example, one of the modifiers say that your car MUST have a working muffler. Which again the stock Abarth actually fails because it literally comes from the factory with a muffler delete. And now you begin to see the issue. Because a fully stock Fiat Abarth which can legally be sold in California by Fiat dealers, is immediately not compliant with noise AND exhaust laws in California on the showroom floor.

We have the exact same wording in our laws here. What I have found is that people get so focused on the decibels that they ignore the part of the law that says "unusual noise". Droning fart cans, pops and crackles, whistles and throbbing bass notes can all attract attention no matter how loud they actually are. The point being that it doesn't take volume to attract attention.

Yeah, while DB is a measurment of volume, its acutally more a measurement of the generated energy of sound waves. Perceived volume is what really needs to be focused on here. For a long time i was running UEL catless headers with the Nameless Axelback. 100% over the DB limit, however i never got pulled (and my car was pretty heavily modded too) and i largley think its because the perceived volume of my car was a lot lower than the actual reading.

Point being, even if you are under the db limit, if your car has a ton of pops and rasp and makes a ton of noise that most exhausts dont make, you'll be pulled almost guaranteed.

There might be a db difference between reving a motor and holding the motor at a given rpm. There is also a difference between having the motor rev and having the motor under load because the turbo will be spooling under load and change the note.

It definitely sounds loud (see video below for awesome sounds). Just like how the Euro model has a muffler, I thought the California model might come with a muffler. They obviously make Federal and California emission vehicles, so I figured there might also be different versions too or an exhaust valve like what Mustangs have.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfQ73shGGoc[/ame]

I got pulled over the other night on 101 South in SouthSF by CHP. He said he pulled me over for exhaust and made me pop my hood. He didnt find anything. Also mentioned that my car is too low and mentioned something about headlight height from the ground, which i knew about. Didn’t cite me for anything, just gave me a verbal warning and let me off.

Maybe the law has changed since last I looked. The law on lowering used to be that no part of the car can extend below the rims.


Are your rear windows tinted? Cops hate tinted windows, monster chrome exhaust tips and big subwoofers.


The MR2 in my sig was low and loud. I got away with it due to: luck, no window tint, boring looking exhaust tip, but mostly because I look like an old white dentist. :)

Here you go for the headlight law: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/f...ctionNum=24400


No more than 54" high or 22" low.


iirc, Nick has a Tomei type-80. Not the best exhaust in terms of loudness (at 4.5k rpm it's def over 100 db w/o silencer). I have had mine on for about 5 years (catback only and 90% of the time w/o silencer) and have not been pulled over at all for it. I think it really depends on how you are driving and whether or not the LEO is looking for a target.

Im running 5% tint all around and rolled them down once i saw the cop put his lights on. Wasnt speeding at all, i was in the slow lane passing 280 on 101 exiting Paul Ave.

While there definitely is a difference, the problem is that the test for noise compliance is the car stationary and holding revs at the RPMs the car would be at for cruising. Which means the turbo isnt adding any sort of muffler effect which means its louder.

Exactly