Help, is anyone familiar with exhaust laws?

[grim]

Hi guys,

I'm hoping someone could help me.. I have searched all over the internet and could not come across any useful information on legality of aftermarket exhausts.

Basically, I bought a mk1 1.9tdi pd130 Leon about 6 month ago. It had been lowered and had a custom exhaust on it. It has a slight purr to it but nothing to major I would say, never the less its obvious that its not stock.

I had my MOT in September and it passed without any issues.

Soo.... The other day I was pulled over by the cops, first thing he said as I pulled the window down is that he could smell alcohol and if I've been drinking. I found this to be really weird as I was returning from a late shift from work and taking a friend home and haven't touched any alcohol in a few days, then he asked me if I was on any drugs, these questions were off and I didn't understand why he pulled me over. So he asked me to step out of the car and do a roadside test. As I was doing this test a second officer got out of the car, this officer I recognised as he pulled me over a few times before in the past, made me scrape my sticker off my car and do a drug test and searched my vehicle, he literally pulled me like 6 times in the space of two months and searched my vehicle and made me do a drug test every time. I was ready to file harassment charges as it was the same officer every time and it felt personal.

Anyway this officer noticed my exhaust and asked if I put it on myself, I said no that's how I bought it. And this is where he turns around and tells me that its illegal and I'm lucky hes not giving me a ticket because he just gave someone else one. And said I have a month to change it back to stock or he'll give me a ticket next time....

This is what I don't understand, there are loads of people with custom exhausts, and there are loads of vehicles which sound much meaner with standard exhausts, even when a buss drives by our house it makes the walls shake.

I would of thought if it passed MOT then it would of been fine. Has anyone else encountered this issue? Am I really going to have to buy a stock exhaust?

Sorry for the long post, any info or help would be much appreciated!

 

[Alexis27]

That sucks. Here's some info: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1204928

Long and short seems to be "Exhaust noise ticket is a non-endorsable £30 FPN. They can't issue a vehicle rectification notice because it is not an MOT failure as sound levels are not a requirement for an MOT."

So bite your lip and pay £30 each time seems to be the way to deal with your local Gestapo.

 

[andycupra]

I'm a bit older and grumpier, - just how loud is the exhaust, some are just stupid, and it can just make people look like a ******. I actually think they should do more to stop silly loud exhausts.

Having said that, it sounds like yours isn't silly, so they perhaps need to find better things to do.

I would make a complaint if you really do keep getting stopped for no reason, make a note of the times/dates. they always so they smell alcohol if they want to breathaylise you.

- MOT stations are not strict on this, partly as they don't have the equipment, its a business and they don't want to do work or fail people just the sake of it. In fact MOT places have been advised to fail less and advise more.

Interesting comment in post to say sound levels are not a requirement for an MOT, I thought that there was a section that gives them power if the exhaust is clearly louder than OEM. But as said I've not heard of any place actually doing this.

 

[ibizacupra]

no law regarding exhaust as such.
Is it loud
do you drive like a **** to attract such attention?

derv test is smoke test only.. if loud its discretionary I believe on tester to pass/fail. No noise limit, and no measurement of it required or done during mot I've ever had done

 

[Tay-FR]

I would make a note of the officers badge number. A friend of mine had a similar issue with being pulled over by the same officer. They complained and received a letter of apology from the Chief Constable. So long as you aren't driving like an idiot they are just trying to get you to bite and looking for any excuse.

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[grim]

Thanks guys! This has shun a bit of light on the whole subject...

As to me driving as a ****, no I can't say I have on any of the occasions that I had been pulled over. All the other times I had my 1.6 which was pretty much stock so the car didn't even stand out or beg for attention. And around town through traffic there's not much room to drive like a **** anyway haha.

This time though they pulled up beside me on the traffic lights and they were in the turn right lane, as soon as the traffic lights turned green they pulled off behind me instead of turning right, I knew straight away they were going to pull me. I think that officer recognised me at the lights.

The exhaust I have has a bit or a rumble to it but it's not too loud, in idle you can barely hear it, it's quite a deep bass sound, only gets really loud when you're in high revs which I don't do anyway.

There's are a few dicks around town though, who like to drive around like bellends doing high revs and wheel spins in their finance vehicles or what ever mommy and daddy bought them... We call them the mcdonalds crew, cos that's where they hang out most of the time. But they are mostly hated by everyone and give genuine car lovers a bad rep.

As for my Mot, I used to work at a Land-rover garage, when I was still working there about 9 months ago they moved to a new location worth over 9mil, it was fitted with all the newest hight tech equipment. It's not a place where they pass just to get it passed and give out advisories. My only advisories were 3 tires which I already changed ages ago.

So I'm guessing I have two options, either collect and pay the tickets and record when I get stopped and the officer ID number and try to get him done for harassment or go to a scrapyard and try to find a stock exhaust?

 

[RichyH]

Complain, police can't pull you for no reason? Especially repeatedly. That is harassment, if the exhaust isn't illegal and everything non standard on the car is declared on your insurance, then you don't have to pay any fine, they can be contested, i'd do as suggested above document a few stops, badge numbers, time, date, then you have the evidence to back you up. Never know they may not bother you again? Might find someone else to harass


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