Does anyone know how our vehicles are tested for sound violations? i talked to an officer who said that he gives tickets for anything he "thinks" is over 95 db. I did some research on the laws and the 95 db he was talking about applied only to vehicles under 6000 pounds. So what category do our trucks run under? and whats the max decibels we can pump out w/o getting tickets?

 

SilverDiesel,<br>The officer writing tickets for anything he &quot;thinks&quot; is over 95 dB is pretty subjective. Are you sure they don't have to have a monitor in order to write the ticket? Or do they write the ticket and then you have to prove it is less than 95 dB if you want to fight the ticket? Just curious.

 

The noise rules in California.

 

thanks thomas<br><br><br>the 95 regulation is based on the officers idea of what 95db is. if you want to contest it you have to take it to a referee station and pay a fee, i heard there is another category on the ticket in which the officer can charge up to 85 dollars even if you are found to be less than 95db. In addition there is a law that says if your noise is unusually &quot;harsh&quot; sounding they can give you a ticket anyways......man...i LOVE california.

 

Topics of issue like this would not be important if those with less than stock systems demonstrated the improved performance away from civilization and at reasonable times of the day. Not observing the stealth method of operating will always invite criticism of those with power and authority, you will not win against them you are the minority. Here in Alberta thanks to some people with less brains than money all offroad vehicles operating on public land are now required to maintain and operate with &quot;stock mufflers&quot;. There are those who chose to willfully operate their toys at unreasonable times and places and now we all must pay for it. I would suspect most officers unless extremely bored would not know of your existance unless while driving mufflerless one was to blaitantly advertise such modifications. PK

 

I don't know about CA, and every state is going to have different laws. It just so happens that I'm the one in the rear view mirror that you may see on one of the these stops. That said I can say from experience that most officers will not give a ticket for just an exhaust violation. I watch all kinds of motorcycles, cars, and trucks drive by with modified exhaust systems. Here pretty much any change in the EOM equipment is considered a violation though and you can be stopped. Removal of the muffler, unusual sound, excessive noise, improper tail pipe (if a non commercial registration that means stacks) that doesn't exit to the rear of the tire are all violations. <br><br>What you want to ask people who have received a ticket for an exhaust violation is what else did they get a ticket for, or what were they doing to attract attention (other than a loud pipe). I have given written warnings defective exhaust systems, but it was usually a couple of kids racing, or some clown with smoke pouring off the tires, an unregistered motor vehicle, and an unlicensed driver.<br><br>The best thing to do with you vehicle is to drive reasonbly safe, and I doubt you will ever see a ticket for an exhaust mod....I drive mine to the PD daily, without question.

 

What really makes me extremely &gt; is that Harleys and them can run as loud as they want to an extent.( Please dont get me wrong I love H.D.'s) But if we run short pipe like that and we still run lower than what they do we still get tickets. Sorry I have to vent that. <br><br>SD03