I think the first post stated Waverly as the town... I spent a week down there for a job related training at that dreadful mosquito nest they call Airfield 4-h center in Wakefield and I think I went through waverly. It seemed like a nice small town, would it work to stop by the State police shed and ask why they have been cracking down on diesels lately? I know around here in Rockingham county there are plenty of Diesels, all brands and years w/ straight pipes and the like, but we dont seem to have any trouble........yet

 

OK I have read these threads and looked up the california code.. I am sure that other states laws are much like the ones here...

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.

AND

27151. (a) No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor
vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted
by the motor of the vehicle so that the vehicle is not in compliance
with the provisions of Section 27150 or exceeds the noise limits
established for the type of vehicle in Article 2.5 (commencing with
Section 27200). No person shall operate a motor vehicle with an
exhaust system so modified.

The 2 above California Vehicle code laws basically state that you have to have an exhaust and that the Exhaust you have can not be any louder than the exhaust that was on it when the vehicle was manufactured.

So as someone stated above if you replace your muffler with another brand it is not illegal as long as it sounds the same as the factory muffler.

SO It comes down to this here in California.. If your stacks make your truck louder than yes they are illegal....

Now as far as taking the plates off the vehicle.. Here in California, If you have been notified (cited) by law enforcement and continue to drive the vehicle then you can have your vehicle impounded (see following)

24004. No person shall operate any vehicle or combination of
vehicles after notice by a peace officer, as defined in Section 830.1
or subdivision (a) of Section 830.2 of the Penal Code, that the
vehicle is in an unsafe condition or is not equipped as required by
this code, except as may be necessary to return the vehicle or
combination of vehicles to the residence or place of business of the
owner or driver or to a garage, until the vehicle and its equipment
have been made to conform with the requirements of this code.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to an employee who
does not know that such notice has been issued, and in such event the
provisions of Section 40001 shall be applicable.

I have many friends that are in law enforcement (5 on my street within a couple of houses of me) and tehy all say that the attitude of the driver is usually what detrermines the extent of the fine/impounding for mechanical violations.

If you come at them with I want your badge number and I am going to file a complaint then they WILL ALWAYS write you the ticket to Justify the legality of the stop.. And also think of it this way.. If you meet a stranger on the street that walkes up and says "hey Edit what time is it " you will probably blow them off.. But if someone asks "excuse me do you know what time is it?" you will gladly give them the time.

So the next time you meet an officer on the street ir if they pull you over just remember that they don't have to give you a warning... it is their choice... so if you have an attitude it is like asking for the ticket. Officers would rather walk back and quietly write a ticket then stand there and argue or take an attitude from someone.. much easier to write it out than to explain it to some people...

OK I guess I have said enough... go ahead and slam away at me for standing up for our local law enforcement..

Gerry

 

"looked up the california code.. I am sure that other states laws are much like the ones here..."

I sure hope not! Or we are all in world of hurt... LOL

J/K man......

 

Punish the masses for the sins of a few. Some folks don't deserve to drive what they have.

 

All I have to say is I'm sure some people want go out and play with their toys, their is a time and place for all of that.You don't have to go out everyday and get on it, just to blow your smoke.Some people just take it to extremes and that is why some police officers might have it in for ya.Thats my story and I'm stickin to it.

 

The vast majority of felony arrests I ever made were out of "routine " traffic stops....
and if you know how to pinpoint when and where crimes like the one you decribed are about to happen, please market it, 'cause you'll have every cop in the world willing to pay out the nose for it.....
you can only deal with what you can see or what you know... and you cant be everywhere at once....In the same calendar year as the one you describe, how many homicides were committed in that jurisdiction vs. how many fatality traffic accidents? the average stats will say more fatality traffic accidents... so where is the officer doing the most good the majority of the time?......
just a mental bone to chew on......

 

Now Gerry, we all know that CA has different laws as compared to the rest of the country. VA requires an exhaust system that does not leak, that exits behind the passenger compartment pointing away from the vehicle and that doesn,t produce excessive noise. It further gives the State Police the right to determine what is excessive and what is not. The statutes also allow a State trooper to remove the registration and plates for safety equipment violations for a period of 15 days or until the owner corrects the violation. Our state inspection stations are required to pass a vehicle if the exhaust system is tight and exits past the passenger compartment. Noise and muffler are not even considered and no vehicle can be failed on that alone. However they will fail you if your brush guard is over your head lights. It is just your usual Common Wealth.

 

...and I think that is a good story to stick to

 

I had a straight pipe on a car and never got hassled locally but got pulled twice- both in N. Va. The ticket I got was improper exhaust.

I had my truck straight piped and don't think I got a second looks from the locals. MBRP on now- muffled

 

Thank you Jack

 

I've got stack's on my 92, and a locol cop stopped to talk to me at a auto parts store to get ideas on how he could build his stack's.but he also wanted me to show him a smoke show when I left. by far, most of the police in Oregon are pretty cool.

 

I know its off topic, but for you guys w/ tinted windows, and trying to pass inspection, where's what I did. Before I left my house to get inspected, I rolled down the windows and took out the fuse. Just kept in my pocket. When they tried to roll up my windows, I said they have been acting up lately. They just kept on inspecting and I passed. When I was done and leaving, I put the fuse back in, with them wathcing me, I rolled up the windows, and drove off laughing. Ahhhhhh, good for one more year!

 

Ahhh, small town cops, there as crooked as can be here. good old boy network. Someone needs to be reminded who pays their wages as public servants.

 

Actual police stop in Nashville,Tennessee in my friends comet GT
Officer: Hey boy, you got straight pipes on this car?
Driver with a straight face : No sir officer, they bend when they go over the axle
When the officer stopped laughing, he gave him a written warning and told him to put the mufflers back on. My friend honestly didn't know what straight pipes meant

 

That's a good one,,,,,,,
In this day and time,,, there is no amount of money they could pay me to be a police officer. Too many chances of getting shot at! There are probably very few that go out of their way for petty stuff.