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California - Exhaust Violation Questions / Experiences
Did a little searching online, not too much information all in one place - especially for Rennlist. I did see this: https://rennlist.com/forums/991-gt3-...aust-laws.html (but it doesn't really answer any of my questions).
I moved out here last May with a 2014 GT3 with a fully stock exhaust system. Lived here for only about 2 months and got a ticket for having a modified exhaust system, fine came to about $200 and they did not force me to get my car tested. Ended up just paying it, too much work for $200 .
The officer was pretty new to the force / young and flat out said he "could not look" and that I needed to "argue it in court", extremely rude and unhelpful officer - ruined my night. Was literally just picking up In-N-Out on a Friday night for a couple of my friends, sadly turns out that's when all of the highschoolers like to congregate in the parking lot there and do one wheel peels (For reference: I'm pretty young which prompted the officer to literally ask me if I was coming here to do burnouts to which I responded by giving him the most confused look of my life. Pretty sure he thought it wasn't my car or my parents bought it for me.)
[I live in the San Joaquin County / Lodi area, and my citation was - 27151 (a) CVC - modified exhaust]
Fast forward to today, I have an "arrest me now edition" Lava Orange 2016 GT3 RS with a full Dundon street system (long tube headers, valved side bypass, and black 'loud' center muffler). I have yet to be pulled over (but it's coming) and I am wondering if ya'll out here have had any issues and if so what your experience was.
I assume I will eventually be pulled over for it, and possibly even sent to the state ref. I am willing to swap it back to stock to pass any of their testing, but I'm wondering since this setup still has 200-cell (sport) cats, as opposed to the stock 400-cell cats that I might be able to pass emissions?
I heard that they do not test for sound which is a plus.
I also don't have a front plate (and never will!), so I assume I'm going to get tickets for that as well (don't care )
I haven't had an officer ask to look "under the hood", but it's going to be pretty funny when they actually ask
Anyway, TL;DR - just looking to hear other Rennlister's experiences with GT3/2/4/RS exhaust (modified or stock) and the California popo.
Pretty sure this is a “****ing little punk” citation. I can’t imagine many officers even know what a stock gt3 exhaust looks like, and the ones that do will be car aficionados more likely to give you a thumbs up than a ticket. I mean, if you look like a middle age rich white guy.
I’d recommend staying away from high school hang outs and other places where folks are being ******** with their cars. I’ve been pulled over plenty and never once did the officer even say a word about for the missing front plate. Speeding and smog check citations and stuff sure, not saying I got off. But recently I was at target and there was some kind of muscle car gathering in the parking lot with a bunch of dick heads. The cops were handing out missing plate citations like candy. Any violation, probably. I didn’t stick around to find out.
Sometimes they just get annoyed at everyone in the vicinity
ps if you’re going to rock arrest me orange, cool. But make sure you don’t get 3 citations in the same incident in CA. Speeding + exhaust means you need to keep your registration and insurance religiously up to date. Speeding tickets come and go but getting arrested would really blow.
I have a fairly heavily modified EVO IX and have not had issues even when pulled over for my last ticket in November. I think the level of enforcement on modified exhaust depends on several thinks:
1. how loud it is and whether you were "on it" when the officer noticed you
2. what other laws you may have been violating (excessive speeding, etc)
3. how you treat the officer when you are pulled over
All of the above I think play a role in how aggressive the LEO is with you. I'm always conscientious and polite; i put my windows down, put the keys on the dash and the hands on the wheel. When he asks for license and reg, i ask if it's ok to get it from the glove before I do it.
As far as your other questions, I'm guessing there's no way in hell you pass sound so you're probably swapping back to stock if you get a fix it. And as far as smoking, you SHOULD pass but it would be helpful to have an "enthusiast" smog guy.
On plate, I have a screw in Rennline tow hook mounted plate in the frunk and will put it in if pulled over. Easy quick solve.
I have a fairly heavily modified EVO IX and have not had issues even when pulled over for my last ticket in November. I think the level of enforcement on modified exhaust depends on several thinks:
1. how loud it is and whether you were "on it" when the officer noticed you
2. what other laws you may have been violating (excessive speeding, etc)
3. how you treat the officer when you are pulled over
All of the above I think play a role in how aggressive the LEO is with you. I'm always conscientious and polite; i put my windows down, put the keys on the dash and the hands on the wheel. When he asks for license and reg, i ask if it's ok to get it from the glove before I do it.
As far as your other questions, I'm guessing there's no way in hell you pass sound so you're probably swapping back to stock if you get a fix it. And as far as smoking, you SHOULD pass but it would be helpful to have an "enthusiast" smog guy.
On plate, I have a screw in Rennline tow hook mounted plate in the frunk and will put it in if pulled over. Easy quick solve.
Hope that helps.
Yeah, I do the same things when I get pulled over - learned it from some VINwiki video way back.
The assisting officer even sat there and talked to me about cars, he said "yeah unfortunately it's up to the officer who pulled you overs' discretion on whether or not to write a ticket, not mine."
Wasn't on it either hah, was grandma'ing it COLD the 0.5 miles from my house to the place.
0 points, never been arrested, no speeding tickets within the last 3 years, etc. Only violation present on my record is the the aforementioned exhaust violation hah.
Its much better in northern California then it is down in Southern California..
I'm up here in NorCal, wouldn't be caught dead in SoCal tbh. Not a big fan of the kids running around with families money and the flex/fake culture, would rather be around people who did something themselves. Definitely have noticed since moving out here from Iowa that people don't seem to be as down-to-earth, but there are definitely some out there - just less of them.
Its much better in northern California then it is down in Southern California..
Lived in SoCal for 44 years. Grew up modding cars in SoCal. Very aware of the differences but again, I think a lot depends on how you conduct yourself on the road and in a stop. I drove a string of heavily modified cars in my 30's and 40's and was never ref'd or given a fix it other than front plate or tint.
But to your point, NorCal is not as militant. Goes with the lack of car culture
Lived in SoCal for 44 years. Grew up modding cars in SoCal. Very aware of the differences but again, I think a lot depends on how you conduct yourself on the road and in a stop. I drove a string of heavily modified cars in my 30's and 40's and was never ref'd or given a fix it other than front plate or tint.
But to your point, NorCal is not as militant. Goes with the lack of car culture
Haha hope you didn't think I was bashing SoCal at all Just not for me! This was actually the only ticket that I've ever gotten that wasn't specifically speeding, never actually even been pulled over for tint or plate. I've literally gotten out of so many things just by being nice it's unreal, so yeah 100% agree!
Lived in SoCal for 44 years. Grew up modding cars in SoCal. Very aware of the differences but again, I think a lot depends on how you conduct yourself on the road and in a stop. I drove a string of heavily modified cars in my 30's and 40's and was never ref'd or given a fix it other than front plate or tint.
But to your point, NorCal is not as militant. Goes with the lack of car culture
Car culture is huge up here.. just not as much crime as down there..
I've lived in California my entire life as a driver and have never, ever been stopped for a too loud exhaust; and I've owned some pretty loud cars. The "officer" obviously had no basis for ticketing you and his refusal to even look at your stock exhaust was shameful. It was pure harassment. I understand your desire to avoid the hassle but in a way it's too bad you didn't take it to court. Anyway, I wouldn't assume that it's inevitable that you will get stopped with the RS. I think you were just very unlucky to run into a jerk.
Also, I don't have a front plate either. If you're concerned, buy one of those mounts that screw into the tow hook receptacle and carry it and your plate in the frunk. If you get stopped you can tell the LEO that you just had a track day and haven't gotten around to putting the plate back on yet.
Your biggest risk is the next time you go to get it smogged, when the guy notices that it's not a stock exhaust. You cannot modify the exhaust in California and you will get flagged in the system if he notices that it's aftermarket. Then you get one shot to fix it and pass smog or the car gets blacklisted and needs to leave the State. I went through this getting a Carrera smogged a few years back when the guy thought the exhaust was modified and claimed he could not see enough of the system all the way to the motor to confirm it was stock. He was going to flag me in the system until I begged and pleaded that it was stock.
I would suggest asking this question of the place you're considering smogging before you take the car there. The State's gotten really serious with the testing centers and some are stricter than others. I had another car that immediately failed due to the ECR reset issue and the guy quickly unplugged and said 'leave now' wink-wink, so I didn't have strike one in the system.
If you want to play, you gotta pay. is what it is.
the law is subjective on the noise issue. Despite stating 95db how many cops are driving around with DB meters? right. I suspect that is why the 'auto fine' was changed as it would lose any challenge in court.
just don't drive like a hoon around town, save it for the track and the canyons
hell my 997rs is stock (now) and blows over 100db at full tilt...
on the smog, the last thing you want to do is get flagged for a modified car and get to visit the smog referee. And if you do, NEVER show up with mods, NEVER. Buddy had a major issue dealing with this a few months back.
oh, and car culture in SoCal is massively better than Norcal. That's a fact.
Your biggest risk is the next time you go to get it smogged, when the guy notices that it's not a stock exhaust. You cannot modify the exhaust in California and you will get flagged in the system if he notices that it's aftermarket. Then you get one shot to fix it and pass smog or the car gets blacklisted and needs to leave the State. I went through this getting a Carrera smogged a few years back when the guy thought the exhaust was modified and claimed he could not see enough of the system all the way to the motor to confirm it was stock. He was going to flag me in the system until I begged and pleaded that it was stock.
Great point. Despite the likely cost penalty, one advantage of having the dealer or at the very least a Porsche savvy shop do the smog check is that you won't have to argue about what is stock and what isn't.
03-04-2020, 07:27 PM
California - Exhaust Violation Questions / Experiences
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Just not for me! This was actually the only ticket that I've ever gotten that wasn't specifically speeding, never actually even been pulled over for tint or plate. I've literally gotten out of so many things just by being nice it's unreal, so yeah 100% agree!
