Yep you read it right. Got my second offense for modified exhaust in under 3 weeks of my first one. Talk about bad luck. I even passed the WSP cop doing 40mph in a 45 in fifth gear !!!! I'm running OBX-R FULL RACING HEADER WITH S-PIPE along with a RSR CAT BACK EXHAUST. So needless to say when i do get on the gas I do make alot of noise but its all a nice deep tone. Anyways my question is, is that I know there are three offense levels but what happens after that ? do they just keep hitting me for the third offense penelty of $212 bucks ? or will they tow it ? I have seen antyhing on any other type of forums so I'm hoping someone has a little bit of insite. Thanks.

 

im wondering how they could find out if ur exhaust is actually "loud" or not... did they have a dB tester?

 

i think now in WA state, if you modify the exhaust at all it is technically illegal so by replacing it it is illegal. It used be that if the exhaust was at a certain db noice level, but i think that has changed.

your exhaust must be rather loud. I have had one for 5 years now and never get any complaints, but mine is rather quite so I don't know if that has anything to do with it or not.

I do believe that after the 3rd fix it note, they will cite you from there on out. i don't think they would tow your car ever unless you have unpaid tickets or something else, but paying $200+ for a exhaust ticket multiple times isn't worth it to me

 

They cant give you a ticket for a modified exhaust as is a piece on the car that wears out and will eventually need to be replaced...however like mentioned above the tone & how loud your exhaust is what is getting you. Just be lucky that they havent made you pop your hood, by putting a header on the car and replacing a mid-pipe you have effectively removed the vast majority of your emissions equipment...which can carry up to a $10k fine...food for thought.

 

Neither time did the trooper have a DB tester. On my first offense he took a picture and it was filed on the police report. It clearly showed my exhaust and all the officer said on his report was that it was clearly louder than the stock exhaust.

On my second offense the officer didnt take a picture but told me that I rattled his window. I was going 40mph doing 1500rpms. The only vehicle I know of that can break glass is the new Lexus IFS. I just laughed when he told me I rattled his window.

Anyways I ordered the TRD performance exhaust from toyota and picking it up tomorrow morning. I will still have the aftermarket headers and s-pipe and straight pipe.

Needless to say I'll probably be wanting to sell the old exhaust.

 

ok but cant I refuse to open my hood ?

 

I am sorry man, but I also did got a ticket for modified exhaust...

 

u would want to open the hood if he asks u to... or else u'd get in to all sorts of fun stuff for the cop

 

^indeed. Never argue or ____ off a cop...always comply. If you read the RCW it is based on it being "faulty, or having excess noise." It basically refers to someone cutting off the muffler all together, or being in such dis-repair that it might as well not even be on there. If he did not use a db meter, like mentioned earlier, he has no proof that is in excess. I dunno dude I would fight this....can you take it in for inspection or to a muffler shop to see how many db's it reads? If it is within spec I would get it printed out and take it to court.

 

The law in Washington state on exhaust noise is now pretty simple: If it makes more noise than stock it is unlawful...

46.37.390 (3) No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the engine of such vehicle above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle, and it shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle not equipped as required by this subsection, or which has been amplified as prohibited by this subsection. A court may dismiss an infraction notice for a violation of this subsection if there is reasonable grounds to believe that the vehicle was not operated in violation of this subsection.

No dB meter required. If it sounds louder than stock it is verboten.

 

Ya I know. However if he pulls me over again when i get the trd exhaust put on I will fight it with every last breath cause its toyota's factory tuned exhaust.

 

So long as you have modified the exhaust system ahead of the TRD exhaust, and those modifications have the strong probability of increasing the sound level of any downstream exhaust system, you could still have a problem. Depends on how badly they want to push it.

It would be a good fight were the TRD the only change, but with the rest...

 

They must have changed/ updated it then, last time i was pulled over the cop had a db meter and I had to put it at 3k to see what it registered (was fine). Sux that they do this crap, seems more and more that they don't want anyone to modify their cars...I hate Washington...

 

That's one big reason when anyone mentions "The Law" I always go directly to the current listing and read what it says right now as opposed to what it might have said last time I looked. (I find this especially important in firearm and vehicle laws!)

Laws are a moving target so long as the legislature is in session.

Tom

 

Words of wisdom here.......with header and TRD can you will be jsut as loud if not worse.......you are gonna need to add resonators to the midpipe,it iwll cut the tone and volume down to a nice clean sound that is not a cop catcher loud.

Kanchi and I did my header with the TRD can and itwas painfull in volume and the sound was horrid.Worse than the set up you currantly have.

I added two 12' resonators to mid pipe and it cleaned it right up,even when I added the HKS can it was beautiful and not overly loud at all.

 

Interesting...well maybe i'm looking at this all wrong then. Maybe I should be looking into just changing my mid pipe then. I have the SRS mid pipe....I guess I could just see about getting some resonators put in.....then again....He still could hit me up again and again for illegal exhaust modification. Do resonators just get welded into the mid pipe ?

 

Wouldn't TRD be "louder than stock"?

 

^^ TRD is slightly louder then stock, but its description from TRD is street and emission legal.

 

I'm assuming however that even with my aftermarket headers and midpipe that the TRD exhaust will still be a bit loud. Thinking about keeping the cat back exhaust and installing the stock header to tone it down. Besides....turbo comes with its own header

 

The TRD is a bit louder than stock but comparing it to my Agency Power cat-back it made it seem stock. DO NOT install the TRD axle-back with a header, probably the most raspy exhaust setup one can have, that'll def get the cops attention. The reason the exhaust is so loud is the header, put the factory exhaust manifold back on and the noise will be cut down. If you don't want to do that then have resonators weld on like mentioned above.