[Bullitt3577]

This might be a little long, but can apply to you especially if you live in California.
Hi all, I was driving my Nissan 4 banger truck with dual exhaust and got pulled over for having a modified exhaust(violation #27151 vc). She (female officer) said, that she could hear my exhaust from her car which was in the next lane over from me was the reason she pulled me over?? Now I'm sorry, but my truck is not as loud as my Bullitt, even when the Bullitt had the stock exhaust on it. Now what kind of crap is that? I looked up the violation # on the internet and what I can gather is that it is up to the officers judgement on what he/she thinks is excessive noise. Here are the 3 enforcement guidelines stated in the CHP information bulletin #98-100. It states, "the only drivers who should be cited are those whose vehicles:1) are not equipped with a muffler,2) clearly emit an offensive, harsh, excessive noise, or 3) have a clearly defective exhaust system (holes, leaks, etc.). Now who makes up the rule what is offensive, harsh or excessive? :???: I welcome any ideas on what I can do to fight this, as I think this is unfair, also if there are any CHP officers in this club who can give me info on how to solve this, I would appreciate the help.

Sorry if this was long, but I'm still a little bit ticked off.

 

[BB00797]

Sounds unfair to me. I once had a 67' VW with the stinger exhaust (without the baffle) and drove it for years and never got that ticket. Good luck.
#797

 

[Mid Life Crisis #388]

By that standard would not they be ticketing every stock Harley on the road????

 

[5111]

Just go to court to fight it, and then ask the judge the same thing. You don't have anything to lose because it is not a moving violation so it shouldn't hit your insurance. More than likely the judge will dismiss it.

 

[Nasty Bob]

This is just another reason why I left California. CHP is notorius for BS tickets like this and it's not really the officer's fault. Pressure from above makes them seek out these "little" items as a source of revenue. Even if it's just a minor "fix-it ticket", California charges an "administrative fee" to process it.

And the cop is absolutely right, it's a matter of her discretion. You can do one of two things, change out the exaust or find another cop to sign that it was corrected, even if you don't fix it.
The second solution has worked for me several times in California.

Karl's right about Harley exhaust, 99.999% of us dump the stock mufflers. I have shortys on mine and you can hear me coming from 10 blocks away.

:-B :-B :-B

 

[Bullitt1853]

I will have to disagree with you on this one. You actually do have a legal contest here. It is called the void-for-vagueness doctrine. It states that a person can not know what is illegal if the statutes does not clearly outline what is and is not illegal. There are several cases that have gone all the way to the supreme court for having a statute that is too vague and open for conjecture on the part of a person who was offended. The statute can not say that if "anyone is offended" it must clearly state that any reasonable person is offended. The reason for this is because you can always find some blue haired 100 year old women who is offended by anything. That is the violation in this doctrine.

It really depends on whether or not you want to fight it, often times the catch of the legal system is the cost it takes both financially and with your own time to contest a charge. Don't believe that cops are always right. I have known quite a few, and many times they are not and freely admmit it. Yet they hide behind and are insulated from attack because the court system is set up to force you into submission.

My advice, go talk to the ADA and see if they would drop it. If not, get a recording of your stock mustang and then your other car and get a decible level rating. This will prove (if what you are saying is correct) that a stock system is louder than your modified system. If you have the nads to fight it, you will probably win.

 

[Max Cruz]

5111,

Did you get spacers? Your pic sure shows your rears far to the sides, or did you get them 18 X 10.5 wheels? Either/or, where did you get them and, did you have to modify with bigger studs?

Thanks,

 

[Bullitt3577]

I guess I'm going to try to get it signed off by another officer, if not I guess I'm going to court. I would take a recording of the Bullitt exhaust for comparison, but I installed the spin Techs already. :grin:

 

[Bullitt 289]

Last time I got a ticket for excessive exhaust noise was when I had my 1965 VW Bug. I took off the stock resonators and ran au natural. The officer was not amused.

BTW a stock original VW Bug sounds better w/o the resonators than any of those Ricer's with those coffee can mufflers does. Just my opinion. :-B

 

[jjmstng68]

I know how you feel Bullitt3577, I was pulled over a couple of years ago in the '68 for my exhaust (at the time I had very nice Walker/Dynomax glass packs). On the way out of the Super K-mart I saw a cop waiting across the parking lot....when I left so did the cop, I didn't even get one block away before the lights came on and I was pulled over. The officer said that cars like mine were a "pet peeve" of hers :roll: She proceeded to walk around my car and try to find other violations.
It was such a ridiculous spectacle, I was lucky though...a young kid in a beat up car passed by (smoking a cig and wearing his hat backwards) in the middle of a conversation with the officer, she stopped and got in her squad car to go chase this other kid down. Before she left she told me that if she saw my car again, with a loud exhaust, I would get a ticket. I was pretty angry about this (still am).

I suffered with quiet exhaust for the last two years because of this incident. But all is well, I put a pair of Flowmaster 2 chamber's on the '68 this weekend :grin:

Sorry for the long post everybody, I just hate it when we get pulled over for something like this. BTW has anyone ever measured the decible rating on a Police Harley? Last time I heard one it was pretty loud.

 

[jjz109a]

I'm in this line of work so listen up. Calif law changed on 2002. Modified wxhaust is only a violation of 27151a VC if it's over 95dba. This is a new change to the vehicle code that applies to passenger vehicles inder 6000lbs unladen weight. Find out from the court you were cited into where you could have the car tested to see if it's below 95dba. If it is the citation is dismissed. You can thank SEMA for getting this law changed. This new change to the law does not apply to motorcycles. It seems they are exempt. Needless to say the highway patrol isn't too happy about the change, oh well.

 

[Bullitt1853]

jjmstn68

Are you telling me she pulled you over in your mustang "because she doesn't like cars like that." If that is the truth, call the police department and file a complaint. She has no reason being a cop if she pulls people over and trys to find a way to ticket them for the car they drive. I don't think her Sgt. nor Chief will be pleased to hear that she abuses her post with malicious attacks like the one you posted.

 

[donwil]

Just goes to show that there are morons wearing Blue. IMO it is a disgrace to the profession. Trying to interpret the laws to fit their situation, likes and/or dislikes.

 

[Bullitt3577]

Thanks jjz109a, that's the kind of info I needed.

 

[Ghostrider]

Lots of us Bullit owners are cops, and remember, Frank Bullitt was a cop too, see the connection.

Here is my 2 cents. Go to court, wear a suit, look professional and then ask the officer to show the court the decible meter used to measure the sound of your exhaust. When the officer fails to bring that evidence forward, request the charges against you be dropped based on a lack of evidence. Good luck.