Tips to get out of muffler citation?

[gstjoker]

I'm scheduled for a court date because I missed my last one. I'm trying to get my ticket for my muffler waived off, if not, shaved off a little bit. I have a 3" dp with no cat. converter and a 3" downpipe. I still have my old downpipe but I'm 100% that's not going to reduce the exhaust noise. Many of you haven't seen my car but I can tell you one thing for sure is that compared to other cars, my muffler is not loud like those fart cans at all. I'm in need of some help and ideas of what I should say in front of the judge to get away from this.

:cuffs2:

[Andrew7dg]

Just be happy that you just got the muffler citation.
Isn't the fine for not having a cat a bigger fine then muffler?
How did you get the ticket?
Was it next to an apartment complex or housing or on the highway?
There has to be a story with this...

[blageo23]

I head from one person the fine for no cat is $1,500, and from another person the fine is $10,000.
Maybe just go and ask them what you can do to get it taken away. Most likely they will say to get the stock exhaust back on there and prove to them that you have it on and they will take it away.

[1QUICK4]

If the cop didn't test your exhaust with a decible meter the ticket will not hold up in court.

See if you can sweet talk somebody on this board into lending you their stock exhaust for when you fight it.

[gstjoker]

Andrew7dg, I posted my story on the forum awhile back but for a short recap, I got pulled over twice on the highway by a state trooper while I was on my way to work. The first one was for loud exhaust which was my fault because the car was running like crap so for some reason, the muffler was loud. The 2nd time was for having an illegal muffler. Out of all the people that was on the road, he managed to see my car and knew that my exhaust was an after market one. Here's a picture of my car, that's how it looked like when I got pulled over. If you were driving behind me, would you think my exhaust was after-market?

http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m49/gstjoker/th_IMG_1387.jpg (http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m49/gstjoker/?action=view&current=IMG_1387.jpg)

The camera just makes the muffler look a bit chrome looking. The tip is glossy but in person, the muffler has a dull chrome stock look a like. I'm guessing when he saw me, young, asian, fast car+15% tinted windows = cop attention = ticket. The exterior of my car is all stock. No ebay headlights, not even dropped, stock spring and struts!

:drive:

[b00stcreep21]

Go to court, talk w/ the prosecutor and see what you have to do to get it taken off, do what he says. Done, and done. Worst case scenario, you tell them that you'll throw an OEM exhaust on it, prove that it's on there, then yank it back off and make sure you don't get pulled over by the same cop again ;)

[SlowWhite]

It's a fix it ticket. Or at least tell them the cop told you that. I got pulled over in Minneapolis for this. The officer had to stop talking to me as a harley went by cause he couldn't hear what he was saying but said bikes are different then cars. Anyrate I went to coart and said I fixed my muffler (was for loud exhaust not illegal exhaust not sure if makes a difference but don't see why both shouldn't be fix it tickets) and tell them you thought the officer said to bring it to court and ask them if they want to look at it. They won't waste the time, the judge will just ask you to repeat your story more then likely to try to see if you are telling the truth about fixing it. (same goes for anyone who gets a "no front license plate ticket" I've had plenty, works every time) anyways they'll dismiss it.
If you aren't comfortable about doing it with out putting a stock one back on see if you can find somone to loan you one. But I've had 8 no front license plate tickets and only 1 did I pay cause i was to lazy to go to court). I also got out of my loud exhaust ticket. Its just a standard fine if you want to pay it. No points on license.

Another option, take pictures of both stock and the after market one that's on your car from the rear. Tell them you had a hole in the first one. (ie: your first ticket assuming its on your record) you got it fixed and this is the muffler they put on. If they ask for documentation tell them its at home. If you can ask one of the local shops if you need to would they create a invoice for you for replacing a muffler. They don't know about Cats, etc. And I don't know anyone thats gone to court and had an officer come out and look under there car. You will get out of it or max. pay the $50 court fee. Should be all you pay just keep your story straight... I mean how are they to know?

[Onefast99gsx]

Purchase a decibel meter from radio shack like I did. I carry it in my glove box just in case. I got pulled over by a state trooper last year(just a verbal warning). He couldn't tell me on the spot what the legal limit was so I thinking to myself, wtf did you pull me over for! Ever since then I've been carrying it around. I emailed a trooper that I found on a Wisconsin website. He couldn't tell me meter rating either so I don't think Wisconsin has a certain decibel law. I also carry a piece of paper in the glove box to show what California's decibel law is. I figure if mine is quieter than what they limit, then I should be good. It's so many decibels at x amount of inches. It's out in the car and I don't feel like checking right now.

[Andrew7dg]

It's a fix it ticket. Or at least tell them the cop told you that. I got pulled over in Minneapolis for this. The officer had to stop talking to me as a harley went by cause he couldn't hear what he was saying but said bikes are different then cars. Anyrate I went to coart and said I fixed my muffler (was for loud exhaust not illegal exhaust not sure if makes a difference but don't see why both shouldn't be fix it tickets) and tell them you thought the officer said to bring it to court and ask them if they want to look at it. They won't waste the time, the judge will just ask you to repeat your story more then likely to try to see if you are telling the truth about fixing it. (same goes for anyone who gets a "no front license plate ticket" I've had plenty, works every time) anyways they'll dismiss it.
If you aren't comfortable about doing it with out putting a stock one back on see if you can find somone to loan you one. But I've had 8 no front license plate tickets and only 1 did I pay cause i was to lazy to go to court). I also got out of my loud exhaust ticket. Its just a standard fine if you want to pay it. No points on license.

Another option, take pictures of both stock and the after market one that's on your car from the rear. Tell them you had a hole in the first one. (ie: your first ticket assuming its on your record) you got it fixed and this is the muffler they put on. If they ask for documentation tell them its at home. If you can ask one of the local shops if you need to would they create a invoice for you for replacing a muffler. They don't know about Cats, etc. And I don't know anyone thats gone to court and had an officer come out and look under there car. You will get out of it or max. pay the $50 court fee. Should be all you pay just keep your story straight... I mean how are they to know?


I love it!! getting a ticket for loud exhaust when a harley drives past:usa1:

I don't have a front license plate or a cat. My car is also kind of loud. I will remember this!

First I have to say that the muffler looks close to stock compaired to some fart cans that I see out of the back of some eclipses

Next is how can a muffler be illegal?.. I understand that some can be loud but illegal? It isn't even a fart can!

I love the sound that comes out of ours because it is deeper then the adverage I4. When I drive near a police officer I kind of just let off the throttle and the car goes quiet

[SlowWhite]

I wasn't kidding about the harley either, some of you might remember my post it happened after one of Elites last Big events. I was leaving the parking lot and got on it. And got tagged as I was turning towards 94.

Anyways good luck with the ticket.