pruto
05-25-2005, 11:41 AM
So a month ago i got pulled over for having a modified exhaust, noise violation. It was 3am at night in downtown LA, no traffic was around to cover my exhaust sound and i was going a bit faster than usual. I caught the attention of the cop pulling out of del taco (how typical) and got pulled over 3 doors down from my driveway =(.
Anywho, i was a lazy bastard and didn't get around to the fixit ticket till this week (due June 1st). I figured if i got a ticket for my exhaust i might as well drive around for a while like that without fear of another noise ticket.
I went to the vehicle testing location near the court house, they told me they don't handle those violations and gave me a number to make an appointment with a state ref. That number is 800-622-7733, fortunately i got an appointment on short notice and went in today.
I went to the one in Monterey Park, which is in the auto shop in East Los Angeles College. The test was free although the lady on the phone told me it would cost 30 bucks for the test and 10 dollars for the certificate.
On to the test. Here is the run down so you guys know what to expect.
1. registration, and the guy filled out a form recording all the body damage (haha, i told him not to worry about it, if it was in detail he would have had to use more than one page).
2. he popped the hood, checked the engine bay (not sure for what), got my odometer reading
3. The actual dB meter was a grey box placed ontop of a tri-pod 8 inches off the ground about a couple of feet from the exhaust at a 45 degree angle from the dirrection the tip was pointing. I didn't understand the 45 degrees part but he said thats the proceedure by the book.
4. One dude got in my car, struggled with the bucket seat and started up the car. Another guy was at the dB meter looking at the readings. This second guy wasn't too chill about it and told me to step away while they ran the test. They took two readings i believe, one at roughly 2k RPM and i couldn't see the readings. Idle was at 70dB and that kinda freaked me out. The reading that mattered was one at 4200 RPM, this has to be under 95dB.
I am running a Uras RS exhaust, which is pretty much a 80mm straight pipe from the cat onwards, no resonator. Stock KA engine bay, no intake or anything. I put my silencer back on for the test and it sounds very tame. Not too loud at all. When the guy was reving it up i thought i heard more noise coming from the engine than the exhaust.
the result, at 4200 RPM, my exhaust is EXACTLY 95dB. the test took less than 30 minutes. They gave me documentation for me to keep in case i get pulled over for it again.
I went back to the court house and asked if i had to pay the fine, i was told i just need to pay $10, which is probably just a processing fee. Not a bad deal at all.
anyway, for all of you guys and gals in cali with legal engines and an exhaust that you don't think is too loud, i HIGHLY recommend that you call up the ref and get your exhaust tested. If you pass, you get a compliance documentation, if you fail, at least you know where you stand. Hey, its free.
I learned that 95dB is not that loud, and any of ya'll in socal ever want to know what 95 dBs sounds like, hit me up and i'll rev my engine to 4200 =)
thats all folks.
Anywho, i was a lazy bastard and didn't get around to the fixit ticket till this week (due June 1st). I figured if i got a ticket for my exhaust i might as well drive around for a while like that without fear of another noise ticket.
I went to the vehicle testing location near the court house, they told me they don't handle those violations and gave me a number to make an appointment with a state ref. That number is 800-622-7733, fortunately i got an appointment on short notice and went in today.
I went to the one in Monterey Park, which is in the auto shop in East Los Angeles College. The test was free although the lady on the phone told me it would cost 30 bucks for the test and 10 dollars for the certificate.
On to the test. Here is the run down so you guys know what to expect.
1. registration, and the guy filled out a form recording all the body damage (haha, i told him not to worry about it, if it was in detail he would have had to use more than one page).
2. he popped the hood, checked the engine bay (not sure for what), got my odometer reading
3. The actual dB meter was a grey box placed ontop of a tri-pod 8 inches off the ground about a couple of feet from the exhaust at a 45 degree angle from the dirrection the tip was pointing. I didn't understand the 45 degrees part but he said thats the proceedure by the book.
4. One dude got in my car, struggled with the bucket seat and started up the car. Another guy was at the dB meter looking at the readings. This second guy wasn't too chill about it and told me to step away while they ran the test. They took two readings i believe, one at roughly 2k RPM and i couldn't see the readings. Idle was at 70dB and that kinda freaked me out. The reading that mattered was one at 4200 RPM, this has to be under 95dB.
I am running a Uras RS exhaust, which is pretty much a 80mm straight pipe from the cat onwards, no resonator. Stock KA engine bay, no intake or anything. I put my silencer back on for the test and it sounds very tame. Not too loud at all. When the guy was reving it up i thought i heard more noise coming from the engine than the exhaust.
the result, at 4200 RPM, my exhaust is EXACTLY 95dB. the test took less than 30 minutes. They gave me documentation for me to keep in case i get pulled over for it again.
I went back to the court house and asked if i had to pay the fine, i was told i just need to pay $10, which is probably just a processing fee. Not a bad deal at all.
anyway, for all of you guys and gals in cali with legal engines and an exhaust that you don't think is too loud, i HIGHLY recommend that you call up the ref and get your exhaust tested. If you pass, you get a compliance documentation, if you fail, at least you know where you stand. Hey, its free.
I learned that 95dB is not that loud, and any of ya'll in socal ever want to know what 95 dBs sounds like, hit me up and i'll rev my engine to 4200 =)
thats all folks.