i got pulled the other night and luckily got a warning but the cop gave me the law code for the exhaust stuff. here it is :
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp...+cod+46.2-1049

§ 46.2-1049. Exhaust system in good working order.

No person shall drive and no owner of a motor vehicle shall permit or allow the operation of any vehicle on a highway unless it is equipped with an exhaust system of a type installed as standard factory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use on the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment, in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise. An exhaust system shall not be deemed to prevent excessive or unusual noise if it permits the escape of noise in excess of that permitted by the standard factory equipment exhaust system of private passenger motor vehicles or trucks of standard make.

The term "exhaust system," as used in this section, means all the parts of a motor vehicle through which the exhaust passes after leaving the engine block.

Chambered pipes are not an effective muffling device to prevent excessive or unusual noise.

(Code 1950, § 46-305; 1952, c. 455; 1956, c. 651; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-301; 1960, c. 120; 1970, c. 266; 1972, c. 66; 1989, c. 727.)

 

gotta love it.

I'm thinking it's not too long before it will be illegal for us to modify our cars.

 

I think that's pretty common. iirc, in Colorado, you are required to have a muffler, it does not have to be stock, but it cannot emit more noise than the stock muffler. It also defines what a "muffler" is in somewhat technical detail and specifically says that it cannot amplify the noise from the engine (ie no ricer coffee can exhausts). But, it's rarely enforced here... unless you come across State Patrol, Westminster PD, etc.

I decided to go with a ITR exhaust... it performs a lot better, looks almost stock, and is only slightly louder than stock. It's got performance without rice. And I'm not at all worried about getting a ticket for it... afterall, it is an Integra stock muffler, and I doubt any cop will know what a Type-R is. :D

 

i have a greddy evolution, carsound cat, dc jdm 4-1 header and aem cai so its loud when i really get on it, i havent been bothered by cops before but this cop was in a unmarked car(was at night too so i couldnt tell!) and just happened to be behind me when i took off quickly from a stoplight

 

just punch a hole in the top of your stock muffler and show them how much louder it is than your aftermarket exhaust, no need to play fair now -rob

 

in my oppinion, and granted I am not a lawyer, but it seems fightable in court.

-----
An exhaust system shall not be deemed to prevent excessive or unusual noise if it permits the escape of noise in excess of that permitted by the standard factory equipment exhaust system of private passenger motor vehicles or trucks of standard make.
-----

at least according to the portion above, it does not say that your exhaust must be as quiet as your vehicle was when it was standard, it does say, it will not be in excess of private passenger motor vehicles, so your car can't be louder than the loudest stock vehicle, a motorcycle counts as a vehicle, a harley is deffinately a motorcyle. and harleys should be louder than your car.

of course, I am not a lawyer, and you should ask a lawyer what he thinks about what I just wrote before you contest it in court on this basis.

the way it reads to me, it makes sense.

edit: oh, and what I think it means by standard make is that a vehicle that is mass produced, not like something that is modified by the factory (mustang cobra R as example)


[Modified by samagon, 1:34 AM 5/1/2002]

 

Comparing to a bike will not hold up in court. Bikes are much smaller than cars, and any attention they draw to themselves will help others notice their presence. That is why they are allowed to have any kind of exhaust or muffler, blue or rainbow headlights, you name it.

 

My exact same setup....and let me tell you that it is loud! I am thinking of modifying the b pipe to add another resonator just to quieten it down a bit

 

ITR exhaust

 

It looks like you were cited for the exhaust, yet it was the AEM that was actually making the noise...same thing happened to me here in CA...although I still had my factory exhaust installed

 

WOW! That really sucks. I'm glad the cops aren't bad around where I live. I have a 3" Thermal with a 3" test pipe on my turbo LS, and it is LOUD!

I have one question, what if I drive my car with Ohio plates through Virginia? Could I get a ticket for noise for physically violating the Virginia law, even though my car is in accordance with Ohio law?

 

Trust me you won't win this in court..I've tried when I got a ticket for my N1. Fought with the judge and DA for about 10min and it did nothing but **** them off. The judge gave me a $100 fine and I said that if I was driving a Mustank things would have been different (******* hillbillies)

 

Is your exhaust 50 state legal? If you get a fix it ticket like that just agree with the cop and act happy. Then take your certificate showing its 50 state legal to the police station and have them sign it off as ok. I'm pretty sure when your car just idles its not as loud as when your flooring it. They will check it and you will be done.

Happened to me many a times in CA for numerous reasons I dont really want to talk about. Not to mention since I added the headers and high flow cat its twice as loud at WOT.



[Modified by Fooser, 8:27 PM 5/1/2002]

 

And why don't you want to talk about it? Now that you have our collective interest piqued...

 

Or you could go stealth like me. I painted my DC sports stainless exhaust black, and cut off the big part of the tip. Looks exactly like a OEM like muffler now.

 

damn, if a judge said that to me, I would ask him if he would testify to that in a higher court of law, and get the case thrown out.

 

Its an equipment violation. They cant be enforced if your car is not registered
in the state that you are in.

I've gotten hit with this. I got to read the code book and all.
Its not even a fix it ticket. Its a 30$ fine. Big whoop. Pay it and be on your way.

 

I am so glad I left Virginia, now I am enjoying Florida!

 

I live in nothern va and I have never once been pulled for noise violation. I drive daily with my 4-2-1 headers, testpipe, and tanabe racing medallion still havent been pulled. The key is to just not rev the car to high so you wont draw attention. Just play cool and they wont hassle you as bad. I dont see how they can even begin to write tickets for exhaust because every hillbilly in the Va country side runs straight pipes with no cat. or muffler, and nothing is ever said to them.

 

Basically if your hitting v-tec all the time on public streets your going to get a ticket for noise or excessive speed. I remember a cop told me I was going too fast and he didnt even get me on radar or tail me. Just pulled out or a gas station with his lights on.

Basically they can give you a ticket if they want to. You just have to be smart about it and know your rights.

 

I got pulled when I was crusing at 2700 RPMs in 5th gear on the highway