Long story short, I got stopped by a complete fucktard state trooper today on my way to work. I was on the highway minding my own business (going well below speed limit), and pass a state trooper who had someone pulled over. He then finished giving that guy a ticket and came storming after me, and pulled me over.

Gave him my license and insurance, and told me he stopped me because my exhaust was "obnoxiously loud". He says that I don't have mufflers on and that he can impound my car, I say well it does have mufflers, and told him he's welcome to look under the car (not that it would help since my car is so low). He says for me not to get smart with him, and to stop "acting smug". I then start to tell him that I'm not trying to act smart nor "smug" I'm just saying that it does have mufflers... then he says to stop talking and continues to check the rest of the car. Sees I have no license plate mounted in the front, and that my tint is too dark. Just being a complete ******* about everything. Pulls me out of the car and gives me this huge lecture on my "smug attitude" (I wasn't even saying anything smart, I was just saying "yes, I understand sir" the entire time).

I told him I would get everything fixed, and at the end he says he's going to give me a warning. He comes back to say my license had been suspended because I hadn't paid surcharges for a ticket I got 3 years ago for no insurance on a car I don't even own anymore. He then cites me for driving with a suspended license.

I didn't even know I had any pending surcharges, nor did I know my license was suspended. He said I had my license suspended because my address was not updated, and they were trying to send letters about past due surcharges to a address I didn't live at anymore.

I got online when I got to work, and paid the surcharges, and am about to see if I can renew my license now.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is; can I fight this in court and say that he had no reason to stop me in the first place if my exhaust is legal? Do you think I can get this dismissed if I show proof of this, and show proof of me renewing my license?

I know a lot of people have different views on "loudness", but in my honest opinion it's not as loud as he was putting it out to be, and it's definitely a lot quieter than what I had before (y-pipe, cutout). Are true duals illegal since they are dumped before the axle? BTW, they are Texas Speed true duals, with moroso spiral flows, which if you've heard them before you'd know they are the quietest out of all of the true dual setups they sell.

Thanks!

 

Yes, our exhaust has to clear the back hatch for "safety purposes". You won't win that one, my friend.

 

yup, dumps are illegal. have to exit outside of the cabin, and the entire inside is one whole non-separated cabin, in a hatch like ours.

 

Dang lol, well thanks for the info anyways.

 

I've never had a state trooper harass me about my dumped exhaust and I bet my exhause is louder than your's. And yeah duals are illegal. That's partly why you pay for a "premium" state inspection.

And also, I don't suggest ever debating with a cop/trooper. Last time I did that, I was placed in the back seat of a squad car while they searched for Marijuana in my A/C vents lol.

 

No, duals arn't illegal, dumps are. theres a difference.

 

How many F-bodies do you know of that have true duals that exit the rear of the vehicle?

Not to start an argument. Just sayin...

 

Even if a state doesn't have emissions checks, isn't it still illegal to move the cats (or get rid of them, lol) from the factory position?

 

I know some people that do.

 

Ha ha ha a "premium" inspection. I just walk in and say I would like to buy an inspection sticker, gotta love being in a small town. I had a weights and measures trooper harass me in my truck but now near to that degree. Telling me about my big tires and dark tint, blah blah blah. You should of asked him if he'd gotten laid in awhile, I bet he'd loved that.

 

I think thats just in Cali.

 

ok couple of things here:

1) we are not talking about the location of cats
2) we are not talking about the system exiting out the rear of the vehicle
3) true duals are not illegal
4) it is only an illegal exhaust system, if any system, regardless of the setup does not have the exhaust exiting out past the rear of the passenger area, to the side of the vehicle, or running out the rear of the vehicle (in the state of TX).


we are talking about the OP saying he was pulled over for 'supposedly' not having mufflers. the officer chose not to look (based of the words of the OP to verfiy if his reason for stopping him was legit). driver offered for the officer to look but the officer chose to go into a defensive, and holy-than-thou rant. not running mufflers does not mean he can impound said vehicle. it is not an emissions component, simply a sound device. all he can do is issue an 'illegal exhaust' ticket, and hope it sticks.

officer has the right to look around the exterior of the vehicle, but there is no probable cause for him to 'search' the car. so, OP, i hope he did not search your car without your consent. if so, he is in violation of your 4th admendment rights.

mufflers are simply a sound control device. it IS NOT ILLEGAL if your car does not have mufflers, unless there is a noise ordinance that needs to be proven said vehicle is in violation of.

as for your suspended DL, that totally sucks. everything he wrote you up for is considered a secondary offense, meaning you weren't pulled over for speeding/running a stop sign, etc. you were given what is said to be non-moving violations, since they can be cited if the vehicle is parked.

remember, he needed to PROVE you were in violation. did he? or did he 'feel' you were? those are two completely different issues. keep that in mind. his opinion, is not law. the law is the law. thats what you need to find if you were in violation. not some cops, frame of mind.

best of luck

 

That's partly right but not a 100% true...I've gotten a ticket before for what the officer thought at his own discretion not but proof...

As for your situation Eric your lucky he wasn't a total *** and arrested you for driving on a suspended license

 

Thanks for the informative post. So since the duals are cut off right at the rear axle, does that make then legal then, since it is past the rear passenger part of the car?

He didn't search my car BTW. He kept on saying that I had no mufflers, and it was just irritating the **** out of me, cause I know wtf I have on my car. Up to the point where I just looked away from him as he was talking to me, and that's when he pulled me out of the car, and gave me the lecture about how he could just take me to jail (for suspended license) and tow my car. He was being a complete tool.

I ended up getting the ticket for driving with a suspended license, and warnings for both "defective exhaust" and "driving with no plates, or one plate" (I have my plate on the windshield).

 

It's the passenger cabin which is why trucks can get away with running dumps. You'll need an exhaust all the way to the rear of the car.

I guess side pipes are fine since cars like Vipers come stock like that?

 

As stated earlier the exhaust must be to the outside of the cabin or to the rear bumper. With trucks they can legally be dumped behind the cab. I have mine dumped behind the cab on the Z71 and it passes inspection in Austin. So on passenger cars true duals are not illegal, however true duals dumped before the axle is.

Austin has much higher emmissions regulations than all the small towns in Texas. The emmissions are tested via a sniffer, and a printout is given with all readings. A cop in Travis/Williamson county can actually request this printout if he feels he needs to.

Why didn't you change your address when you moved, or at least fill out a change of address form? It can all be done on line over a matter of seconds.

What time did you get pulled over. If it was after 10:30 noise violations are at the descrition of the officer muffler or not. Word to the wise, if you see a cop, push in the clutch and coast by him or drop your rpm's below 2k.

You are very lucky he didn't do what he said, considering he's a state trooper. 99% of the time you're going to jail with a suspended license, and will get stuck with bail and car impound fees. You got off pretty good.

 

duals are illegal unless you have cats and have it routed past the axle. also, if you use mufflers such as spiral flows, you may fall in violation of one of the various noise laws

 

your current setup is NOT legal because the exhaust 'ends' under the passenger area, and not to the side or rear of the vehicle based off current TX exhaust emissions laws.

this is because with the car idling and stopped the exhaust fumes plume out from underneath and the rise into the cabin of the vehicle, exposing all occupants to potentially dangerous gases, etc.

or he can run out the side of the vehicle just after the rear wheels. obviously would not look good on a TA, but could be pulled off for a Camaro

also, my understanding was, Vipers switched from side exhaust to rear exhaust, to meet federal noise regulations and combined with the fact people would/could burn themselves upon exiting the vehicle on the exhaust after the car had been running/driven.

 

Yes, technicly moving the location of cats is illegal. Its a federal thing, so if your state does't care you're OK.... Unless a cop wants to be an *** about it.

This makes LTs technicly illegal, but you can run duals off of your stock cats and be legal.

As for mufflers, you'd have to check out any local and state noise ordinances. Just having mufflers isn't enough if they're "too loud" which is a subjective thing.

 

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/misc/faq/faq_item.htm

How Many License Plates Am I Required To Display?
State law requires that you display two (2) license plates, one to the front and one to the rear. Placement or mounting of license plates is not defined.
*This guidance is referenced in TXDOT's requirements to properly display the registration certificate. DPS does not inspect the license plate itself, but instead inspects the license plate lamp.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/insp...Exhaust+System
Dual exhaust systems may be modified to single exhaust systems and single exhaust systems to dual exhaust systems, provided the modification does not violate requirements concerning exhaust emission systems.

h. Any part of the exhaust system passes through the passenger compartment.

i. The tailpipe is broken, pinched, or eroded off to the extent to allow exhaust fumes to penetrate into the interior of the passenger compartment.

j. The tailpipe fails to discharge exhaust from the rear or sides or top of the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Sadly it is too vague. But no true duals are not.