Ok, I have never had a "normal" car as you can see on my sig. And besides totaling the two Spyders I really haven't had any tickets. Maybe two speeding and one bad u-turn in the treefitty.
So today I am going to work on the same road I have driven on for 2 years every day (cruise set). I pass a trooper and he pulls me over and says that I was speeding (which I technically was.... I live in south fla where the flow of traffic is semi-life threatening so like I said- 2 years on this road- every day). But then he says, "I also pulled you over for your exhaust." Then tells me that he'll give me an exhaust ticket and skip the speeding. I took it and ran (making sure to let the exhaust really, really sing.... in fact I'm certain I spit a large fire ball).
Now! My question is- He never looked at the exhaust and my car was off because I stalled setting up my voice recorder when I pulled over, lol. Can I fight it? I am taking the exhaust off to sell soon anyways and returning to stock. I will not say that I was stock at the time, but I will show them a stock mide-pipe and HKS high-power. Your thoughts?

 

I dont see how returning the car to stock would get you out of this ticket......... you still has an illegal exhaust when he pulled you over unless he gave you a fix it ticket you might be able to return it to stock and get it dismissed but considering the way you exited I doubt he will be in a good mood at court lol.

 

Good luck w/ this one.

 

You never know what a judge is going to do on a certain day. Sometimes they are in a mood to teach, sometimes they are in a mood to punish. You won't know until you go. I ended up in court because I drive in the park setting with my fog lights on. I only turn my HIDs on when I'm outside dallas, it's plenty bright enough downtown where I live and work. The judge let me off saying my vehicle provides suffecient headlight in that setting but I'm also running a super bright LED in spot of the stock light.

 

^^^ Dangerous, idk why you wouldnt use HID's, those are your main sources of light, regardless of how bright your fogs or parking lights are they are not designed to be your main sources of light. If anything id write you a ticket for not having them on, they are not illegal so why not use them? You are putting yourself and others in danger my friend...

 

because in downtown dallas its bright as day at 3am. I use them when I leave downtown but thats not very often.

 

you sound stupid ^

 

Pay the exhaust ticket and move forward.... You got out of a speeding ticket, dont push your luck...

 

You might be able to get out of it if the cop gave you a fix-it...

Doc, I understand that it's 'light' in downtown at night, I used to valet there every night, but I still don't know why you don't use the headlights. I have HID fogs and I would still run the HID lowbeams there. People aren't necessarily looking for lights close to the ground only. When somebody looks in their mirrors they've got an expectation of where light should and should not be coming from. The foglights are designed not to shine upward anyways. If nothing else people probably just get upset with you. I know that I get mad at people with silver cars if they don't have their lights on if it's drizzling or anywhere close to dark. It's not for your vision enhancement, it's for others'.

 

I feel like I could fight it because of how the ticket was written and how the cop never looked at it at all. Plus there's no speed written down. He just circled the $255 that it could have cost. I feel lucky bit why throw away $115 if I don't totally have to.

 

You might need to sign up on the forum, but a local guy, yea PA i know, not FL but still might help, got off of a modified exhaust ticket.

http://www.tristatetuners.com/forum/...ad.php?t=68260

If you get a malware warning just igonore it, site is fine.

 

you say he didn't look at the exhaust but he pulled you over. So how are you going to prove in court that he didn't see enough of the exhaust system to write the ticket? maybe he used to own an 8 so he already knows? maybe he is a big track guru and he understands how it should sound. There are a lot of variables here to consider.

 

Idk man. He was old and didn't ask me anything. He just said "the judge has been cracking down on these custom exhausts." If he said where's your cat or, is this exhaust labeled 'off road only'.... Idk, to be honest I just thought it was funny and thought I'd get some feedback from my friends here.

 

What is the ticket for? I know you said exhaust, but for what reason is the exhaust not considered legal? It could be the result of noise violations, in which case, he doesn't need to see anything.

Based on a very brief search, it does seem that there's a noise level based law in Florida which may be what the citation is for.

 

This is my question as well. If it's a question of legality, then it comes down to what elements of the exhaust system are illegal. Cat-back systems are legal in all 50 states because they only provide sound alteration and not any kind of emissions function.

If it's sound, the only angle I could see is asking for some kind of sound reading as evidence that your exhaust is "loud". Normally sound laws are done with ordinances and would have to specify either a DB level and or a distance. Since the hearing of a person is highly subjective as is whether or not something is "loud" it is based solely on the opinion of the officer.

That holds about as much water as the notion of "I heard you speeding".

I wouldn't worry about "pushing your luck" as the police officer cannot turn around and cite you for speeding if you fight the ticket. I doubt any kind of retaliation like that is legal.

 

dude, you just got out of a speed ticket.. now you want to get out of your exhaust ticket..

i feel for you (knock on wood i dont get one), but i would just pay it. my brother had the same thing but he had tint tacked on the ticket too. the tint was a fix it. the exhaust he had to appear in court.. he ended up paying a hefty fine.

 

I'm not too sure on that. I didn't see a specific decibel limit, but I saw one result that was saying it was illegal to have an exhaust louder than stock. While I'm inclined to believe that was inaccurate, it could still be along the lines of the law. He really needs to figure out exactly what law he broke and how the legality is determined. That will indicate if there's a easy way to argue against the officer's claim.

If there is a legal noise limit, the single HKS could very easily be beyond the legal limit.

 

just pay the fix it ticket and be done with it? a lot better then wasting a few hours of ur life in court trying to fight it

 

I'd put on ur stock exhaust for ur court date and ask what proof he has that you had a modded exhaust

 

^^^ exactly he didnt take a reading on the exhaust so h doesnt know it was over the limit
unless it was for the sound...id fight it
this coming from a guy who fought a ticket for 110mph and won

 

Ok ok, I just looked at the ticket closer and it is marked "infraction that does not require appearance in court". Then above that he wrote "Exhaust modified - not factory stock - Much louder than stock" (lol).
Nothing is marked (crash, speeding, drugs...) Statute section was 316.293 (5) (b)

 

I like that you know you were speeding, you know your midpipe is illegal, but you're still looking to get out of the ticket. If you're doing something wrong, man up and pay it. It's the risk you took when you put on a midpipe. No one likes getting a ticket and our first instinct is to whine about it (I'm sure I'll do the same if/when I'm pulled over) but just pay it and be done.

 

See, that's what I thought I was reading last night. The HKS is very easy to identify as not stock. If the law is that it isn't supposed to be louder than stock, that's not going to be an easy one to fight unless it works as a fix-it ticket.

 

I like how you noticed that I try and get around the rules yet you're surprised that I would try and get out of a ticket when and if I can.

 

If it were a fix-it then wouldn't there be a court date or at least a deadline date?