Should Corvette Owners Be Wary of the New California Exhaust Laws?
Should Corvette Owners Be Wary of the New California Exhaust Laws?
While the legal limits themselves haven’t changed, the repercussions absolutely have, and car enthusiasts may be risking a $1000+ fine.
If you haven’t heard, California has been in the news, and, for car enthusiasts, it’s not good news. Specifically, car enthusiasts have been freaking out over revisions to California’s laws pertaining to loud, and, or, modified exhaust systems. There has been much social media outcry over a claimed $1,500 ticket issued to an individual for having a loud exhaust. The forums are ripe with discussions about this.
YouTube juggernaut Donut Media has also weighed in on the matter, breaking down what the law entails, as well as the possible fees and citations that the cops can hand out.
First, it’s important to understand that the laws themselves pertaining to loud and modified exhaust systems hasn’t changed. The law states that a car’s exhaust system must not 95 decibels when measured from three feet away when the engine revs are at 3,000 RPM.
What has changed is the end result of being pulled over for having a modified exhaust system. Before, police officers would issue a correctable citation, commonly referred to as a fix-it ticket. This meant that the offending components could be removed or replaced, and then the vehicle owner could have their vehicle inspected and signed off on being an official as being compliant with the law. The associated fee was trivial, usually under $50.
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Now, the offense is non-correctable, and police can issue a ticket with a fine attached. That fine depends on a few factors, and whether or not the offender was doing other illicit things prior to getting pulled over, but now the resulting fine can reach a possible $1,029. Ouch. Though, as Donut Media says, there are a range of fine tiers, handled at the officer’s discretion, which can be as low as $193. That sucks, but most people will be able to pay it move on.
However, the real question is, what sort of exhaust produces 95dB? Well, the team at Donut replicate the official testing procedure with a decibel testing device and several staff cars. A stock Mazdaspeed3 passes the test, as does a stock Mazda Miata. However, the issue with the law arises when the Donut team tests a stock Fiat 500 Abarth, which, in stock form, fails the test. To wrap things up, they also test a modified 5.0 Mustang GT, to really bring the point home. It fails in spectacular fashion.
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While a modified V8 sports car producing over 95dB isn’t particularly surprising, we need to talk about that Fiat for a second. In replicating the official test, Donut noted that a stock, production car technically isn’t legal under this law. That is part of a massive gray area that car enthusiasts are worried about. For example, a stock ZR1 in track mode isn’t legal, nor, really, is any Corvette when the bi-modal exhaust toggle is switched to Sport or Track.
That uncertainty is only compounded by the practical realization that the police aren’t carrying decibel testing equipment in their cruisers. Instead, these fines are being handed out at the officer’s discretion, on the basis that they have a trained ear for what is and isn’t legal. Naturally, such an argument could be countered by a lawyer, in court, but most enthusiasts aren’t going to have that option, or that resource.
How you feel about this revision to the law? Even for those not in California, we are interested in hearing your opinions. We hope that this fine structure doesn’t spread across the country.
