Advice please ladies and gents

Having just been stopped and full car checked over by the local traffic officers, know they were only doing their job, I've been given a week to swap my exhaust out for something that "complies".
I currently have a 3" turbo back non resonated cobra system on, can I just get away with welding in a silencer? I have the factory exhaust still but it's seen better days and was only really kept for mot time

any advice welcome
cheers
phil

 

Have youbgot a jdm or uk?

What exactly does not comply?

 

It's a uk spec sti hatchback

gurssing it's noise levels as he wouldn't have been able to tell otherwise about anything else at the roadside

 

How can you comply if he hasn't told you what is wrong with it?

 

That was what I was thinking too. He took no noise level readings so don't know what it's meant to comply with.

I know now it's too loud but who likes a quiet scoob?

 

eu and uk registered cars 89db
jdm with sva test 101db
thats the law according to the 1988 rta i know cos i won my case in court

 

did he actually write a ticket out or fine you?

I'd get it noise tested and **** em if it's below the limits madscoob posted

 

Is that 89db at idle or wot?

No I never actually got a written warning or a fine, just a polite slap on the wrist and told get it sorted. Will try and get it noise tested but recon I'm close to 89db.

Will i I loose any noticeable performance by cutting a silencer in anyways? Might just add one rather than have them constantly harassing me, small rural community so everyone knows everyone.

 

89 and 101 is at 2/3rds throttle, i had mine tested at alan jefferies mine was 94 at 4250rpm

 

Will try and find somewhere local to take a reading and use that to argue my case should I need to

 

after reading your 1st post properly just get the cobra resonated centre section and fit that, you wont lose any noticable power and if i remember right on cobra's website the 3inch resonated system is 89db

 

was thinking of doing just that but after another polite word from the same officer tonight it doesn't look like he will accept that either. Because my car left the factory at 74db I have to achieve that again. So looks like I'll have to refit the factory exhaust, well at least centre section and rear box.

Will i I need to alter map afterwards?

 

74db christ i can fart louder than that lol mine is 76 on tickover and you can have a conversation at the back of the car, are you sure 74 is correct ? the 1988rta section 44 sub paragraph f clearly states and car made for use in the uk/eu must be less than 89, you find me a lambo/ferrari that is less than 89, i would double check where plod got the figure of 74 from

 

I'm only going off the information he has already passed on to another scoob owner about his exhaust. I believe the officer is trying to say that any exhaust changes must not result in a higher db than when it left the factory. So according to the paperwork he gave the other boy about his car it's 76db from factory.

 

the law is a bit vauge on it reference aftermarket parts but there is no way you would ge able to get a origional exhaust from subaru for a car older than however many years they keep oem parts for, hence the motorfactors supplying copy parts , if you exhaust is eu stamped made of stainless (cos the origional rusted out) and is less than 89db i cant see how he can toutch you, read your pm and i will ring you if needed there is lots more to these cases than meets the eye, i refused to be bent over for £30 knowing i was right it may of cost me a few quid but was well worth the effort

 

Bollocks.

Ask for proof of what he wants, he won't be able to provide it. Has he measured the db yet? If not how does he know it is above the original?


sounds like the guy is a proper ****ing muppet. I'd be lodging a complaint and every subsequent time he pulls you for a chat too.

 

no he hasn't actually taken a readying but has hit another scooby owner with the following:

Modified exhaust systems

It’s illegal to modify the exhaust system to make a vehicle noisier after it has been ‘type approved’ (checked it meets environmental and safety standards).

The police can also take action if your vehicle’s silencer doesn’t work in the way it was designed or if you’re driving in a way that creates too much noise.

The officer has also produced a copy of the other boys vehicle details and what db the exhaust produced from factory.
He is clearly hell bent on getting us to change exhausts etc due to complaints of the younger ones racing round the streets, in the one rare night I was out he caught me and now I'm a target.

 

But where is that from? What law states that?

because surely that makes the prod rive ones etc illegal too? As they were not factory fit...

 

here is the link to where I found the wording he is using.

https://www.gov.uk/noise-pollution-road-train-plane/vehicle-noise-limits

he isn't willing to accept the proR kit on the other boys impreza as it's not a factory fit but an optional extra.

 

Have a read through this (long) thread.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/t...&t=1204928&i=0

 

and this is where the law is a *** its all in the wording MODIFY, the word REPLACE is a different ballgame (it goes like this,m well you honour i replaced the origional mild steel exhaust with a stainless steel one because the mild steel one was rusty and starting to fail, the stainless one is from subaru ie prodrive so what is the problem i have replaced not modified. to modify one would have to have a silencer removed and then welded like the young lads do with corsa's etc ) my car is still under the legal noise limit 89db as per section 44 of the 1988rta so what appears to be the problem ? CASE DISMISSED have a nice day officer

 

This.

Sounds like he needs a good *** kicking by his superiors as he obviously has far too much time on his hands....

 

Thanks to all that have offered advise. I've actually decided to sell up after a lot of thinking. This has turned out to be the push I needed to get something more useful bought instead and maybe get something as a project/summer toy.

thanks again