Muffle required in Texas...?

[gitchesum]

When i had my 94 straight piped, I had a little trouble in a small town near Lake Charles. These guys thrived on giving tickets. I got off with a warning. Funny thing is, I never had a bit of trouble with the 97 being straight piped in the same town.



I've taken off in front of many police cars and have not a had a lick of trouble since I moved to Houston. I'v eevn leaned on it a little hard and not attracted the attention of the police in the parking lot that I didn't see.



As I stated earlier, I had my truck inspected in the city of Houston two weeks ago. The inspection official drove the truck to the back of the shop to do the inspection. He drove it to the back of the building so that hte exhaust pipe would be resonating off the side of the building and still passed the truck. That's all I need to worry about.



Now, as far as Federal Regs are concerned, every truck that has any type of modification at all is considered illegal. All the torque plates, fueling boxes, injectors, everything. Only bone stock trucks are considered legal.



Like it was stated before, if your breaking the law, and most of us are, then it really depends on how your local law enforcement officer feels that day.

 

[BK]

gitchesum , Deezul 1



dont get me wrong, I'm not saying you won't get passed your inspection station. But that doesn't mean thats the law and it's legal. Thats all.



I had a van with all the smog stuff disconnected, but still in place. It just wasnt worth fixing, all the rusted pipes and fittings. . it was a mess. I never failed the smog test from the sniffer. But I should have failed because non of the smog equipment was in operating order.

Same with the yotas I used to run. I threw out the stock carb for the webers. . but the 1st thing you did with the weber is remove all the stock smog stuff. Stripped the engine clean, Even the EGR , a plate was put in place. I never failed the smog sniffer test. . but again should have failed cause I removed every peice of every smog device.



All up to the inspectors... but how can one predict what inspector will do what via this thread? ( RustyJC made a good point about it being totaly subjective)



All one can say is be prepared to put it back in if you get caught. . thats all. In NYS, once you fail, it's like Dodge's warranty system.





gitchesum wrote...

"Now, as far as Federal Regs are concerned, every truck that has any type of modification at all is considered illegal. All the torque plates, fueling boxes, injectors, everything. Only bone stock trucks are considered legal.



Like it was stated before, if your breaking the law, and most of us are, then it really depends on how your local law enforcement officer feels that day"





Yup that's all I'm saying. We should know the rules ( thats all that a few of us in this thread are trying to present. . the rule as it is... )... be prepared to play the game and don't moan and groan when your caught.

 

[gitchesum]

Exactly!



Now all this being said, I have to take a driver's test to get my Texas license due to my LA license being expired.

There is no way in heck I'm taking the test in my truck. I'll use the wife's Durango for that.

Running around with a state trooper in my truck with all my mods just ain't gonna happen.

 

[pwknapp]

No guts, no glory!!!!!!!!!



By the way my truck can't do 100!

 

[BK]

gitchesum,

gotta love it!!

Good luck.

 

[jrankin]

Muffler

Just to elaborate on JConley's findings about the muffler:



(3)"Muffler" means a device that reduces noise using:



(A) a mechanical design, including a series of chambers or baffle plates, to receive exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine; or

(B)turbine wheels to receive exhaust gas from a diesel engine



Texas Transportation Code 541. 203. Equipment



As far excessive noise it does vary from city to city and most of them are city ordinances. The one I operate under is, I think don't quote me for sure, to many other laws to remember, but anything over 85db at 30 feet.

 

[Ladders]

Gotta add.....

that no matter how we do it, we gonna "break a law". If we goto a lower restriction air cleaner we done changed the parameter that the vehicle was "certified" for air quality (no matter what the brand is - if it passes a little more air than the range set by EPA for the certification..... ). So it goes back to the old saying "YOU/I/WE ARE YOUR OWN WARRANTY STATION".



Play by the rules, as Mr Stock, or enjoy your ride as most of us do and when the time comes, pay the price (no whine-ing OR is that wine-ing).



Personnally - I'll enjoy the ride and be ready (my muffler/res fell off on the way home from the dealers and no problems yet - even taking off with a squeal next to an un-marked local). May not meet EPA smog regs but... ... .



SOTSU!!

\\BF//

 

[me4osu]

Re: Muffler

Originally posted by jrankin

Just to elaborate on JConley's findings about the muffler:



(3)"Muffler" means a device that reduces noise using:



(A) a mechanical design, including a series of chambers or baffle plates, to receive exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine; or

(B)turbine wheels to receive exhaust gas from a diesel engine



Texas Transportation Code 541. 203. Equipment



As far excessive noise it does vary from city to city and most of them are city ordinances. The one I operate under is, I think don't quote me for sure, to many other laws to remember, but anything over 85db at 30 feet.

Thank you jrankin!! Finally, someone posts some tangible numbers! Even though you are not certain as to the accuracy, its a good start.



Now that we have an actual Decibel number (instead of subjectivity), I am in possession of a sound pressure level meter that I use to refute, or remediate, excessive noise claims from people who live too close to our gas compressors (and usually don't recieve any of the royalties).



When I return from "picturesque" Fort Stockton, Texas, I will see what DbA my 3-1/2" dia. straight piped ISB registers at 30' under acceleration.



I'll post the results.



RustyJC,

I know the police can't verify the sound pressure level your vehicle produces. My point, in mentioning the window tint scenario, is that there is a STANDARD. If some officer cites you for excessively dark tint, you can beat the ticket by proving that it falls under the state limits. Every inspection station, I have been to, has a qualified instrument to check with. The same should hold true for excessive noise.

 

[BK]

Ben I agree... .

not only smog but noise as well.



jrankin , the issue is not that the turbo is a muffler. . its the fact that the truck was certified with the turbo and the muffler to meet the sound levels and it was qualified that way. . if you remove the (2nd muffler since you want to call the turbo a muffler)... . "2nd muffler" , it's violates the fedral law/act that says the truck must be in the configuration that it was qualified in.



Taking out the ring in the turbo violates the act... can't modify the "muffler"!...



Thats all...

After that. . yup . . if you play you pay if your caught. . if it's inforced.....

Just do it with open eyes... .

This fedral epa law/act is inforced at the state level by inspection and is not tied to allowable sound pressure levels at the community level.



I have engines that are certified to federal noise specs and international CE specs. . But in my town their too noisy and I've had to put after market noise suppression on them to be in compliance. But if my Dodge is stock and someone complains, I don't think they'll have a foot to stand on.

 

[b.j.oneill]

The ticket I have been worried about is all the black smoke I mean a wall of black smoke can't look good (exept to some of us ) but I don't know the laws or regulations on it what's the diffrance between a big truck smokin' like a train and a little 3/4 ton doing the same. I have never heard of a truck geting a ticket for it here but that doesn't mean it hasn't happend.

 

[Okie-Go]

I think Curtis may just be afraid of parrallel parking his dually.

 

[gitchesum]

Originally posted by Okie-Go

I think Curtis may just be afraid of parrallel parking his dually.

Ooohhh, you a funny guy.



Now that you mention it, the SUV will be much easier in that department.

 

[danandamy]

Been there done that

On my wife's truck's last inspection the inspection guy flunked it for no muffler. Just so happens I work for his brother so he got with him and dug through the book. Yes it does kind of contradict itself. It does say basically that if it comes with a muffler it has to have a muffler but then when you go a page or so over it says that a turbo is a muffler. The inspector wasn't going to pass it until he got the ok from the trooper. He called the trooper and the trooper said it IS a muffler. Also, I was talking to a different inspection station guy and folks, you ARE NOT at the mercy of who ever is doing the inspection. Did you know they get into just as big a trouble for OVER inspecting as missing something? The guy told me that an inspection station in Kerrville got their license yanked for refusing to put a sticker on a straight piped turbo diesel. It's like, if he looks at your wheels, all the lug nuts have to be on but if you have hub caps on and he takes he hubcaps off to look he just broke the law.



Hope this helps



straight piped dan

 

[WestTN]

links to the law

Here is a link to the Uniform Vehicle Code. This is what most, if not all, states use. Local ordinances would be in addition to this basic law. http://www.le.state.ut.us/~code/TITLE41/htm/41_04192.htm

 

[me4osu]

Did the test

Idle at 30' on the passenger side = 70 DbA



Taking off at same distance = 84 DbA



"Breaking the law, Breaking the law"



3-1/2" straight pipe.

 

[jrankin]

me4osu,

Thanks for posting the results on your truck. Like I said earlier, that figure I gave you is just remembering what I had heard one time and pulled it deep from inside my mental rolodex. We mostly use that figure for these people that like to drive around in their little lowered, ground scraping wannabe trucks with there music loud enough for the other counties to hear. So it's just a ball park figure. Personally, a loud exhaust is the last thing I would be looking for, much worse problems in this world!!!



Someone posted earlier worrried about the excessive smoke. I found under Texas Transportation Code 548. 306, Excessive Motor Vehicle Emissions: outlines the qualifications for a violation. It's extremely long, so I would suggest doing a search on the net to find it, but the jist of it, only applies to the vehicles in certain counties of Texas. The part that applies to smoke is that Excessive Smoke is visible smoke that remains suspended in the air 10 or more seconds before fully dissipating. Hope this info. helps.



Joe