Police crackdown

[zeolite]

I have been reading on the cruise sites about the amount of police activity with drivers. It seems all aftermarket exhausts are fair game and some officers are even taking noise readings. The Angus police seem to have been busy and I have heard some reports of Highland Constabulary being busy too.

This seems to be a grey area. No absolute noise limit has been defined as far as I can find out and yet the police seem happy to fine people for exceeding an undefined limit. So where does this leave us car owners? If we are told to fit a "standard" system, what does that mean? Has anyone actually bought a replacement exhaust off subaru? Is my Prodrive (PPP) system "not standard"?

If anyone has some answers I would appreciate enlightenment.

[RS Grant]

IMO, if you have bought an exhaust from a supplier and there has been NO warning of "Competition/Show Use Only" with it then if you were to get a fine then its up to the person that supplied it to deal with any complaints the feds have, as you bought in good faith without warning, etc.

Cheers,

Grant

[sandyRS16i]

yeah, i got done at the weekend by the inverness plod. got a £30 fine for a non standard system which exceeds "standard" manufacturer dB levels. just for info i am running a downpipe back system with ninja backbox, so still have the downpipe cat. got some spiel about the level for a scooby being only 85bd, where i was at 103.2dB

this is what i posted on another forum

alrighty peeps, just wondering if anyone on here has had a similar experience (would expect so) and if so know what the law is??

got stopped last night in my subaru by the cops because of my exhaust. i know its louder than standard, thats why i bought it. however, i have a downpipe back system , which as sold has BS certification and EU certification, hence i thought it was legal. i was told it is too loud, and was give a fine.

this is what worries me tho, the wording used on the paperwork is that i have a louder and non standard exhaust fitted to my car. this should worry all of us, as i also own an RS1600i and know for a fact that the standard exhaust is no longer produced, and am sure a lot of old skool guys are in the same situation, So are we all breaking the law??

the other concern is what the cops DIDNT do when the stopped me

1. breathalyse me

2. Ask me to produce documents at a police station

3. Check my vehicle for defects

4. Do an emmisions test

5. Did not ask me to go to an MOT station to prove any changes back to standard have been done

What they did do

1. stand about 1ft from my exhauts then rev the car at 2000 and 4000 rpm.

my reading was 103.2dB

What i want to know is what is the legal limit, and if this exceeds it with my exhaust fitted as BS and EU certified then how is this so??

The final thing i was told was that it is "advisable" to put on my standard system if i have it, if not i will be running the risk of being fined again.....so is this all a money making exercise, as there is no requirement for me to prove this??

i know this is a bit of a long thread, maybe even a rant, but if anyone know the answers to the questions then a lot of us may benefit.

there have been a few replies, but the consensus is that there is no definitive guide as to whether change you exhaust is illegal unless it fails emissions, maybe someone on here who is more informed will know more about it. but it seems to be that this is all down to the descression of the plod in whatever area, as to what they believe is excessive.

important thing is by the fact that legally i do not have to change the zorst, it doesnt have to get retested at an MOT station, then this can only be seen as a way of increasing the coffers for the plod.

so my advice, be wary of any X5 cop cars in the highlands.......its only them that carry the sound equipment!!!

[ken555]

Read this happened before, in Inverness.

[chris_c201]

I thought you couldn't get the BS stamp unless it conformed to the regulations, i'm sure this is the case on "cans" for bikes, if there is no embossed BS logo on them then they should only be for shows / off road....

Obviously this is purely based on shows like Traffic Cops so i may be talking absolute horse ****

[Gumball]

how is a non stanard exhuast ever going to conform with standard limits~????? shat heads

i think the figure is 95db.

if its too loud then theres a danger, but what we cannot accept is them doing us for non standard systems. thats not for them to decide but the companies that insure us. chods..

its jobsworth rockets like this that will rise to the top of their tree by licking rod and doing law abiding civilians.

johnny smashpants just tanned an old womans house in Pilton, a bank was robbed in glasgow and a woman was car jacked in aberdeen BUT NO theyre too busy busting people like us to deal with real crime.

fcuck the sytem is a phrase i used to hear people saying in glasgow as a youth. i think they were right.

[lescazscoob]

ill go anoy this police liason officer about this and let you know the reply i get

[iroc-si]

The SVA test is <102dB at 1m, with the engine at 3750rpm.

MOT test is something like it has to be no louder than "standard". nice and vague.

Si.

[paddy247]

councils set local bylaws on noise pollution, The funny bit is i have phoned 2 councils and they dont know wot there own bylaws are for cars. so called the traffic police aswell, and surprise, they dont know either.

I dont think it has been set yet becouse it would put more than cars with aftermarket exhausts of the road, ie buses, tractors, lorrys, ect.

I emailed hayward and scott about the decibells emited from there various back boxes, and was told they would certanly not break any bylaws.

Armed with this information and the fact no tests had been carried out, when i was pulled and fined for having a loud exhaust, oh yeh and the fact on the pink slip, the sneeky traffic had put i had a defective exhaust lol, loud yes deffective no,

I know have in my possesion a lovely letter of apology from the chief inspector of the trafic police.

Also i argued that it was the officers personal opinion my exhaust was to loud, as no data was produced for my vechicle in factory spec, and as it is now.

In other words tell them to beat it lol.

[john_robertson]

<< The SVA test is <102dB at 1m, with the engine at 3750rpm.

MOT test is something like it has to be no louder than "standard". nice and vague.

Si. >>

Also the meter has to be at a 45 degree angle from the outlet of the exhaust IIRC. So sticking the probe right in your pipe (oo'er matron ) ain't a legal measurement.

John.

[Paulmc]

There is a valve you can buy much like the throttle butterfly. It goes in the exhaust and only opens under boost, so the thick boys in blue can rev the car all the want and it will remain quiet. Only prob is I can't remember where I saw it advertised

[Ken 275]

Anyone posted on 5ive-0 yet regarding this?

I've not checked as I find it a bugger of a slow site.

K.

[terminator]

Does anyone have an idea where the valve mentioned above can be obtained from,i have an custom zaust exhaust and it is louder than a 747.

[Paulmc]

I have searched high and low and I just cant find it again. they used to be advertised in some of the car mags. I have even looked through my old mags but no joy.

If anyone can find the info it would be much appreciated as I am away to put a de-cat system on my scoob and would like to keep it quiet for every day off boost use

[johnnyr6]

This has been going on for years with bikes, they are now giving 3 points and fine to bikes at times. If it doesn't have not for road use, in most cases you can plead dumb (but rarely works) all road legal exhausts (on bikes anyway) have a bsi, or eu equivalent stamp. New race cans come with a removable baffle for track days and i'm sure car exhausts will head this way to.

As a rule of thumb if you keep revs down in town and drive at sensible speeds and usually plod will leave you alone. But rev the tits off your car or do anything else to attract their attention and they'll have a good look over to see what they can find.

[DuncanG]

<< I have searched high and low and I just cant find it again. they used to be advertised in some of the car mags. I have even looked through my old mags but no joy.

If anyone can find the info it would be much appreciated as I am away to put a de-cat system on my scoob and would like to keep it quiet for every day off boost use >>

You could probably do something with this ATP VES