Hi Everyone,

I have just had the pleasure of being pulled over and having a noise exhaust test, which I think is pretty unfair to where it was done. I was taken round the back of the police station to find a row of empty garages at one side and a 10 storey police building the other side.
My test was background noise 42.4 decibels, tick over lever 77.1 decibels.
My first reading was 91.0, Second reading was 91.6 and third was 90.7 at 5 ½ thousand revs.

Does anyone know what the legal decibel reading should be on a subaru??

I have a full 3 inch milltek system with sports cat which I think is pretty quiet, I have been advised to make it quieter, what are peoples thoughts on this??

 

Is it somethig new the plod are doing? Did they not give you an indication of the limit like they do with drink?

 

If the noise was bouncing off the buildings then it wont be a true reading anyway.

 

there is no limit as far as ime aware i think the 89decibels limit was a eu thing on all cars after 2003(volantary i may be wrong anyhows next time tell em to shove their machine up the pipe on a harley i would probably take their hand off lmfao

 

that would pass an mot so i wouldnt do anything personally. there are no legal noise levels its just down to the persons opinion who is conducting the test at the time. as long as the emmisions of the car still fall within the cars specification, they cant do anything.
sounds like the police had nothing better to do.

 

Exactly as above, there is alot of production cars out there that are already well above 90db from OEM spec!!!!

 

110 db for race tracks iirc.

 

Something of interest.... 'pain begins @125db' lol

http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html

 

How loud is dangerous?
Typical dbA levels

190 dBA Heavy weapons, 10 m behind the weapon (maximum level)
180 dBA Toy pistol fired close to ear (maximum level)
170 dBA Slap on the ear, fire cracker explodes on shoulder, small arms
at a distance of 50 cm (maximum level)

160 dBA Hammer stroke on brass tubing or steel plate at 1 m distance,
airbag deployment very close at a distance of 30 cm (maximum level)
150 dBA Hammer stroke in a smithy at 5 m distance (maximum level)
130 dBA Loud hand clapping at 1 m distance (maximum level)
120 dBA Whistle at 1 m distance, test run of a jet at 15 m distance
Threshold of pain, above this fast-acting hearing damage in short action is possible
115 dBA Take-off sound of planes at 10 m distance
110 dBA Siren at 10 m distance, frequent sound level in discotheques and close
to loudspeakers at rock concerts, violin close to the ear of an orchestra
musicians (maximum level)
105 dBA Chain saw at 1 m distance, banging car door at 1 m distance (maximum level),
racing car at 40 m distance, possible level with music head phones
100 dBA Frequent level with music via head phones, jack hammer at 10 m distance
95 dBA Loud crying, hand circular saw at 1 m distance
90 dBA Angle grinder outside at 1 m distance
Over a duration of 40 hours a week hearing damage is possible
85 dBA 2-stroke chain-saw at 10 m distance, loud WC flush at 1 m distance
80 dBA Very loud traffic noise of passing lorries at 7.5 m distance,
high traffic on an expressway at 25 m distance
75 dBA Passing car at 7.5 m distance, un-silenced wood shredder at 10 m distance
70 dBA Level close to a main road by day, quiet hair dryer at 1 m distance to ear
65 dBA Bad risk of heart circulation disease at constant impact is possible
60 dBA Noisy lawn mower at 10 m distance
55 dBA Low volume of radio or TV at 1 m distance, noisy vacuum cleaner at
10 m distance
50 dBA Refrigerator at 1 m distance, bird twitter outside at 15 m distance
45 dBA Noise of normal living; talking, or radio in the background
40 dBA Distraction when learning or concentration is possible
35 dBA Very quiet room fan at low speed at 1 m distance
25 dBA Sound of breathing at 1 m distance
0 dBA Auditory threshold

 

I got told the other day the police cannot do anything with regards to noise levels of jap imports for some reason? i cant remember why? along the lines of somethings on the other side so the test is void? Can anyone enlighten me.

 

According to your list, my car is a lethal weapon. LOL. OMG. My car is loud. I might think about doing something about it soon.

 

They can do something, you'll get an ASBO for repeat "offences", it's their opinion, for you to fight in court.

Who's likely to win ?

dunx

 

They can do something, you'll get an ASBO for repeat "offences", it's their opinion, for you to fight in court.

Who's likely to win ?

dunx

 

i have a milltek 3'' sport cat
so nothing to worry about
all is good
it will pass what every test they want to put it though

 

The Police women is saying the limit is 90db, but how can it be a fair test bouncing of buildings etc, Also as your prob aware the miltek is so quiet and it has a cat what more can u do, its not louder than a prodrive system

 

There isn't a level for the MOT, that's testers discretion. And it isn't 'too loud' it's 'significantly louder than a similar vehicle with a standard exhaust' (I know, because I got failed on it) which is how loud cars (Farraris, Lambos etc) pass, because they're made like that.

I *think* there is/was an EU limit on new cars, but I've no idea what it is/was.

At the end of the day, they can still get you for modifying your exhaust system, which IS illegal, so my advice would be tonot kick off or start getting cocky, because they can do you if they want to. And it doesn't matter how 'stupid' a law it is, the law's the law.

 

The Police office also said its the law on all cars 90db so if there pull a Lambo etc and its more than 90db( which it will be) there will fail it and issue it with a fine

 

There's definitely no specific limit on exhaust noise, it's "at the discretion of the MOT tester":
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/post/postpn338.pdf (page 3)

If they did introduce a limit, I'm pretty sure it would be quite a bit higher than 90db anyway, as it's 95db in California, one of the most nanny-statish places in the world when it comes to cars:
http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_5138587_exhaust-laws.html

 

so have you fined or warned about the noise limit, what were you doing when they asked you do the test?

 

This is worrying, im rotated so will have to change up pipe and turbo to fit the standard system.

What area are you in?

 

feckin hell my racetube was 105 dcb glad i got rid way to loud

 

Car was traveling through a built up area in 3rd gear doing just under 30mph, so wasnt even on boost, I find it hard to belive she could of even heard it in her car behind me.

 

3rd gear?! im in 5th gear for 30

Just remember that db doubles per increase of 3, so 93 will be double the level over 90.

Tony

 

Testing for what, with what authority? Ive heard of some imbecilic officers buying their own sound pressure tester from Maplin (accuracy +/- 3dB, ie useless) and mithering people with non-standard exhausts.

 

see if the instrument they used to check sound level is on the approved home office list, i bet its not.......

 

i got a blitz nur spec full exhaust system (decat) its very loud. no idea wat dcb it is but does anyone think that it would be legal?? or anyone know where i can get it checked??

 

i am also running the same system as you full de cat blitz ,had it on the car 6 years never had any problems or been pulled,probably get pulled on the way to northern big one tommorow now.

 

that's cool then. nah im sure your be ok. i keep getting looked at by the old bill but nothing. so either im lucky or just they have other things to do.

 

when im driving mine in built up areas i try and keep it down ,im 46 years young and still love the sound of a scooby.,but you have to be carefull you only need a copper that has nothing better to do and youre pulled.

 

i got a mate who is a copper so if i do get pulled i hope its him who gets me. ha. well im only 22 and have always loved the sound and the car. and now i have one i have to admit im one of the types that likes to make a bit of noise. did with my last cars.