I just read on another forum that ANY exhaust that is not OEM is illegal. :eek: Three guys on the forum where I read this have already received multiple tickets for having an aftermarket exhaust. :eek:

Apparently, this law was passed two years ago and now police officers are finally enforcing it. $87 fine.

how could a cop determine if an exhuast system is OEM or not? iDId he crawl under the car and feel around on a hot exhaust pipe for a manufacturer stamp?

how could a cop determine if an exhuast system is OEM or not? iDId he crawl under the car and feel around on a hot exhaust pipe for a manufacturer stamp?

Well, this was on a Honda forum. Need I say more. :D

OH wait, you probably read this on a honda board, right? Good -- those coffee can exhausts should be illegal.

Ha ha we typed that at the same time

Ha ha we typed that at the same time:laugh

This applies to all cars though. :eek:

See how much nicer it is to be from MD and not from the "Surrounding Areas". :D

But on a car like a BMW, most aftermarket exhuasts have similar tips to the oem exhuast -- Hell I have an exhaust on my jeep but the only way to tell is to crawl underneath and look at the muffler (tip is the same shape as OEM)

I'd like to see the specifics of that citation.

There is NO way any law could deem "any aftermarket exhaust" illegal. What happens when your OE muffler rusts? They can't force you to go back to the dealer to get a new one....

They could be enforcing sound restrictions, but I seriously doubt traffic cops are walking around with DB meters or have been properly trained to use them.

i could be wrong, but i get the impression that cops in the nova area tend to target people in the "import tuner" scene. I have not heard of any loud european or domestic cars being pulled over for an aftermarket exhaust unless it is VERY VERY loud.

I wouldn't worry about it.

Yes that law is true, and I have a ticket to prove it.The only county I've ever heard of enforcing the law is Fairfax. I was pulled over a month ago driving my friends Mitsubishi Eclipse. The cop didn't pull out a decibal meter, just gave me a ticket. I think a good rule is: if cops can hear it, you'll probably get pulled over for it. It doesn't apply to domestic cars as much as it does japanese cars, never been pulled over in my BMW.

Yes that law is true...
What is the language on the citation? Is it noise related?

I can't see that ever holiding up in court. Although it will most certainly cost more to hire an attorney and fight it than to just pay it....beautiful idea on their part :rolleyes

I believe it might be noise related, but don't quote me on that. About 3 years ago I remember reading on VWVortex that someone with a GTI (can't remember 1.8T or VR6) was pulled over on Rt 28 somewhere near the Rt 50 intersection by Fairfax Cnty police. He had an HPA GT6 exhaust on his car (same one I had on my 00 VR6 and it was a noticable exhaust). The officer handed him a ticket for an aftermarket exhaust exceeding required db levels and disturbing the peace. Pretty much a total BS breaking your balls ticket nothing better to do kind of thing. I believe another guy from the Vortex was also hassled in Reston Town Center... he had a Magnaflow on a 1.8T.

It's kinda on the same level as those idiot ricer lights that people put on their washer nozzles. I'll never forget the day I was in court for a speeding ticket and some joker was in there cause he had those lights on his hood. I love Fairfax Cnty.

don't worry about it man...

I would have a hard time not laughing in the officer's face if they gave me a ticket for something like that....total BS.

It simply stated "illegal exhaust." What bothered me about the situation was that I was driving to keep the noise at a minimum, driving very cautious not to attract attention. A cop spots me, stops in the middle of a 4 lane highway, jumps the median and pulls me over for illegal exhaust. At least they're keeping the highways safe.

I hope James and Jason are reading this.....those guys probably shouldn't drive through Fairfax :devillook

So the ticket is for an exhaust that is too loud, or just one that does not sound good? :devillook

Scott

I hope James and Jason are reading this.....those guys probably shouldn't drive through Fairfax :devillook


Why, you think my exhaust is too loud?

Why, you think my exhaust is too loud?
I think it qualifies as "noisy" :stickoutt

§ 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.

You can have a non-factory exhaust, but it can't be any louder than stock. I wonder if they have a chart that describes the decibel level for every car? You could probably beat this in court pretty easily since the burden of proof is on the state to say that your exhaust is louder than "standard factory equipment."

:laugh

This applies to all cars though. :eek:

See how much nicer it is to be from MD and not from the "Surrounding Areas". :D

I think MD is a "surrounding area" as much as VA is. I tell people, "I'm fron Arlington, it's a suburb or Montgomery County, Maryland." Oh wait, no I don't. ;)

I hope James and Jason are reading this.....those guys probably shouldn't drive through Fairfax :devillook

You should have heard my car when I had the turbo M3 ... the external wastegate sounded like the gates of hell just opened ... literally. You could hear that car for miles.

I've never been bothered driving through fairfax, arlington, alexandria, burke, clifton, herndon, rockville, etc. Not sure why others are. I mean, these times are all over from daylight to past midnight.

I think my exhaust is louder than Jason's as well. :help It is of my personal opinion, NO OFFENSE to anyone here, if you get pulled over for something like that, I would say 99.9999% of the time, you were doing something ...

I mean, you guys don't understand how loud the external wastegate was on the turbo m3 ... and I never got pulled over. I wouldn't be surprised if it was 110 db's or higher.

Besides -- that statute looks pretty easy to beat in court.

It's true. It's illegal to change the exhaust system in ANY way in VA. Of course, only cocksmoking pigs enforce it. Regular cops ignore.

Larry

I went to Fairfax this morning and didn't get pulled over :D

I went to Fairfax this morning and didn't get pulled over :D
That's living on the edge :buttrock

The problem is that the ticket is $87 bucks. The f'n court fee's (should you fight it and win) add up to more than that. Plus factor in the lost hours at work that you have to take just to attend court.... If I get a ticket the last thing I want to do is pay for it, I'd rather fight it anyday. They make it intentionally difficult to do so. I HATE FFx county.

I HATE FFx county.

I do too. That's why I moved to Atlanta after I went to FSU. We can drive like maniacs (everyone drives a minimum of 80 on the highways). There's hot women everywhere, slammin' clubs stay open till 4am and the cost of living is half of DC and the immediate suburbs.

I'm returning home to Fairfax for my annual visit with the folks around Halloween and to take in the FSU vs. Maryland football game.

I would say 99.9999% of the time, you were doing something ...

Besides -- that statute looks pretty easy to beat in court.

Believe me, I was warned about the car before I got in it. I was driving 10 miles under the posted limit when I was pulled over. It happened to my other friend in a Acura as well. They don't need any other reason to pull you over. The ticket is pretty easy to beat I believe. If you show that you've taken the exhaust off with a picture I believe you get the charges dropped. But then you pay court fees. Might as well just take the cost $35+ $57 processing and live with it. God bless Fairfax.

It's the same in MD. Any "Non OEM Style" is illegal. Non-OEM Style means, same amount of tail pipes, and same amount of noise from the muffler. Technically all the trucks that have dual exhausts on them are illegal, but no one really cares. But only the really loud ones are pulled over... and in some cases only the ones that are making their really loud exhausts be loud. If you attact the attention, you screwed yourself.