Hey, well, I need some help guys.

I got pulled over for my exhaust being louder then stock.

I have a presilencer, and what I thought was a pretty quiet exhaust. It is a dynomax, and I kept the duals because I heard that it kept the sound down.

Any way I can get out of this ticket? I am going to contest it, and I will probably just tell them that it isn't louder then stock...... because I don't think they have records of the stock dB of the exhaust.

Anyone else had to fight this dumb rule? Or, any way that I can make my exhaust quieter? I thought I had done all I can to make it quiet.

Bleh. It's annoying. Tips, ideas, help... I know that if I don't get it fixed, or learn how to fight it, I will get it again.

Thanks guys.

 

well first off, is fine the vehicle code that states the max allowable decibels for exhaust in your state. Once you have that number...

go to a radio shack or any electronics place and pick up a cheap $30 decibel meter.

and literally go out and check it. If you are indeed UNDER the allowable video it..and take pics of the reading and then go to court and fight it.

Send in a discovery letter and get a court date and show the video you shot and pics of the meter any info from Dynamax etc.

the cops are "trained" to use their ears and heck...they dont know crap. Its his word...so he can ticket you for loud exhaust and it is up to you to fight it. Big hassle.

Also check the Dynomax website, they may have info on the sound levels of their mufflers especially if its a "universal" one and NOT an off road muffler.

good luck...

 

^ not a bad approach, but you also need to know how far away from the exhaust tip to place the decibel meter, and at what angle behind the car that the testing is specified/required. Has to be a procedure in place to ensure consistency

Info from the dynomax website on the muffler will always help in court, but as the previous poster touched on, they don't have to "prove you were louder" - the officers testimony will suffice for "reasonable suspicion" and a conviction - you will need to "prove its within legal limits" to have the charges dismissed.

Presilencer = catless? Or is the stock main catalyst in place?

 

Depends on the exact code/violation he wrote up...


RCW 46.37.390
Mufflers required — Smoke and air contaminant standards — Definitions — Penalty, exception.

(1) Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and no person shall use a muffler cut-out, bypass, or similar device upon a motor vehicle on a highway.

IRRELEVANT SMOKE/EMISSIONS COLOR SECTION OMITTED

(3) No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the engine of such vehicle above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle, and it shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle not equipped as required by this subsection, or which has been amplified as prohibited by this subsection. A court may dismiss an infraction notice for a violation of this subsection if there is reasonable grounds to believe that the vehicle was not operated in violation of this subsection.

This subsection (3) does not apply to vehicles twenty-five or more years old or to passenger vehicles being operated off the highways in an organized racing or competitive event conducted by a recognized sanctioning body.


[2006 c 306 § 4; 2001 c 293 § 1; 1977 ex.s. c 355 § 33; 1972 ex.s. c 135 § 1; 1967 c 232 § 3; 1961 c 12 § 46.37.390. Prior: 1955 c 269 § 39; prior: 1937 c 189 § 36; RRS § 6360-36; RCW 46.36.050; 1927 c 309 § 17; 1921 c 96 § 21; 1915 c 142 § 20; RRS § 6362-17.]




^^^ If its that one, then it says you cant change the muffler AT ALL for anything louder than stock unless the car is 25+ years old...You need the exhaust noise permissible standards from the RCW and match or go lower than that...

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=173-62-030
^^^RCW Vehicle Exhaust Noise Standards

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=173-58-080
^^^ Testing Procedure


^^^ If you document all that and actually pass then your golden - keep copies of the court paperwork in the car for future encounters and have fun..... or maybe change out with a friends stock muffler, take pics with a full stock exhaust and play dumb (How can it be louder than stock it IS stock?) and hope they don't inspect your car in the parking lot =P

G/L!

 

Never really heard of a louder than stock ticket, that's pretty ridiculous. I like the approach AsianImage posted. Get all the information you need and take steps to fight it.


And yes, Presilencer = catless.

 

BicuspiD found the RCW that i was hit with. Subsection 3.


It's really dumb. I will check the dynomax and stuff.

When I bought the car, it had the dynomax on there. The previous owner said that the old exhaust system rusted out. And the dynomax was the quiets system he could find.

You think that will play? I might be able to tell them I am looking for a quieter one, but I don't know if there is one. Maybe RB. I don't want to have to drop the $600 for the RB one, but, if it will keep me from getting pulled over I will.

Hmm, thanks for the ideas guys. Keep the ideas coming.

 

Ok.... i have read that the dynomax might be fiberglass packed. Is this true?

Could there be a chance that the glass has melted and has made the exhaust louder?

Maybe time for RB?

 

that is a dumb law.....especially if they were tagging you just cruising...i could understand if you were being a jacka## and rodding around everywhere.....

I really don't care about any of those laws though.....I work for the sheriff's office and noone messes w/ me....city or county....

...pays to be on the dark side

 

you could just see if anyone has a stock system for sale for cheap and slap that on there, and when you go to court just tell them you have the stock muffler system on there. Pain to swap them out and swap it back in but it will work. They cant really ticket you for having a ' louder than stock' ticket when it IS the stock system. Well I mean they could ticket you if they want to be dicks about it

 

I've gotten that ticket before. I simply changed everything back to stock and took it to court that way. I didn't even get that far though because the ticket was thrown out at the start because the cop did something wrong when writing it up.

 

You can't fight a modified exhaust ticket in washington. How many times do I have to say it? Unless its 25 yeard or more old or a race car off the road BY OUR LAW IF IT'S NOT A STOCK EXHAUST IT'S ILLEGAL. The only way to beat it is to commit purgery and put the stock exhaust back on and lie under oath. Good luck. Purgery is a felony by the way... Better hope the prosicutor isn't a good one who suppenas the officers vehicle camera.

 

Man I wish exhaust makers and aftermarket car part manufacturers would stand up for us like the cigarette companies stand behind they're customers...

Plead not guilty. Whats the most they can get you for? Citizens, mayors, and congressman always lie under oath. Just don't say much. Plead the fifth amendment. And don't bring the car... But you'll need some evidence to prove you had a stock exhaust, or at least nearly stock... I mean you replace your catalytic converter when it goes bad right? Of course you do...

 

LoL....

I am not going to lie. Also not going to get a stock exhaust. I am going to force them to prove to me that it is louder then stock. Innocent until proven guilty right?

Just because the "cop" thinks that the exhaust is louder then stock. I will ask, how loud was MY CAR out of the factory..... what was the dB level of MY exhaust?

Also, I noticed in the law, it said that the exhaust can't be modified to "amplify" sound. In which, mine was modified for better performance, not sound....

So, from what I can tell, I should be able to play it. Dunno. I e-mailed Mazda, and asked for official documentation of my cars dB level from the factory. Also, when I bought this car, it already had the dynomax system on it. So, I have only added a few things to make it a little quieter..... presilencer.

Still trying to get everything built up. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

 

Stick It To The Man!! Yeah!

 

If it's under sub section 3 of above, all you have to do is go in and ask what the stock db limit of your car is and how it was tested. Then you ask the court to prove that the same test was done to your car and that you also failed. Failure of the court to provide the results should exonerate you.

They used to have a SAE test listed on the books, but they took that off like a year or two ago. It used to be easier because you'd just ask if that test was done when the ticket was given.

 

I have been reading up.

2005-2006 Bill #2465. They removed the 95 dB limit.

But, talking to people online.... they say....

You can't "modify" your exhaust system. I am wondering if replacing, is the same as modifying. With the wording... modify, that means that I can't put holes in the exhaust right? Or, anything like that.

I can claim the car to be no louder then stock right? They will have to prove me otherwise? And, I really wonder if I say that if there were no specific readings for my car when it came out of the factory, then there is a chance that it has always sounded like it does.

Still talking to some lawyer friends, they think I will be able to get out of it. I can't wait till I hit that 25 mark.... then I am going to rev my car next to cops and tell them they can go to hell.

Washington state = crap. Thinking about moving. haha. we are getting some lame laws. And, Washington state moto..... "Washington, it's not where you come to live, it's where you come to die." LoL.

I need a state packed with car enthusiasts. Not a bunch of uptight ^%@$#%@#$ ...... anywho. This is all a big headache.

 

You are going about this with the wrong attitude/frame of mind.. think of the law as guidelines as to what you CAN do instead of cannot if it makes it easier.. You CAN replace the muffler on your car, as long as it does not make it louder.... you can't, however, remove the catalytic converters from the exhaust .... I live in a no-emissions zip code, so no smog checks for my car - but by the letter of the law I still have to have the catalysts on it. You got lucky, a loud exhaust ticket is cheap and easy compared to a no-catalyst equipment ticket, I'd wager...

 

It's modify to amplify sound that you can't do, i.e. straight pipes or something. It doesn't mean you can't replace the stock exhaust if it gets rusted out or whatever.

Yes you can claim your car is no louder than stock and ask the court to prove you wrong. I would put the burden of proof on them asking them for the documents pertaining to the stock db level of your car as it came out of the factory, asking how those results were achieved, and asking if your car was put through the same tests in the same environment as the original.

Washington laws aren't that bad, in California they pop hoods and check engines if you don't have a carb sticker for every modification then you'll get a ticket.

-B

 

Please let us all know how this works out!!

 

Just change the vin to a 1982 and you're good! I love my 82 GSL....

 

Ahhh, Finally went to court!

So, went into court, got the cops statement, his written statement literally said...

"I pulled up behind the suspects vehicle, and when he accelerated, his car made a low tone."

That was it.

Hahaha. So, I told the judge that I didn't modify the stock system, I replaced it with a newer higher performing system.

Then I told him that I contacted Mazda and they told me they didn't keep records of what the dB level of my car was coming out of the factory.

The judge said.... "Well, I don't know what a rotary engine is, and I don't know what stock means, so, I can reduce the ticket to $75 right now, or you can come back in a month and we will have a prosecutor handle the case. I said ok, I will see you in a month then."

Main reason I did this is because. First off, low tone means nothing. How many dB is low tone? Is low tone a higher dB then stock? What is stock? If Mazda can't say what stock is, how is the cop supposed to know what stock is? Does the cop know better then Mazda? LoL.

They have to prove that my car is louder then stock at that time. The cops statement gave know measurements, just a general term, "low tone". So, I am pretty sure I can fight that. If that fails. I am going to shoot for saying that I didn't modify, and the RCW states that the exhaust cannot be modified. It was replaced for a newer system that wasn't rusted out.

Eh, Jan. 29th is my next date.

My exhaust is actually really quiet. But, the cop was being a *****. I have had tons of cops behind me since then, and not one has stopped me.

 

huh..wierd..i thought that you couldnt have a muffler other than stock unless it was for the purpose of performance and not noise. am i right? because thats what i heard. you can have a loud (but not ricer loud) exhaust and you cant really get fined for it if its for performance. but if its for just noise, yea then you fined

 

Where were you pulled over for starters and was it a Bremerton cop, sherrif, or state patrol? Im curious cause i live in the same area and work in bremerton. I got pulled over for the same thing about 6months back in poulsbo. He said it sounded too loud and it was in fact the stock exhaust and i pointed that out and he wasnt happy. He then asked me how much alcohol i had consumed that night when i was on my way home from work. Drug me outta the car and passed the breathalizer and let me go. Cops around here suck plain and simple. Just curious where you had your altercation.

 

oh it wasnt me..my friend told me it. so i was just wondering..i have yet to be pulled over =)

 

How bad are the cops here? I just moved here from Va.