HFC, maybe not for me?

nynhex · 06-26-2011, 02:19 PM

So I'm driving my Z the other day and I get lit up by a state trooper. I'm sitting there thinking what now as I offer him my insurance, registration, etc.

He said that I made an improper lane change which I admitted to then he started asking questions about my car. "Why is it so loud, why do you have so much rasp?". I explained I had aftermarket exhaust. He started to look under the car then went back to his.

My heart started to pound as all I could think of were my HFCs which are "ODBII Compliant" per Berk Technologies but it's still not technically legal to swap them out. All I could think of was jail time, court fees, and my life ruined over +5hp and an aggressive exhaust.

He let me go with a warning since I have a clean record and I slowly drove off.

Am I being overly paranoid here or do I have a legitimate concern with running HFCs?

Texas is an ODBII/Scan state for inspection so the sniff/visual is no longer but a random trooper could seriously ruin your day.

Any thoughts on this? I'm considering taking these off and putting my stock cats back on.

Deadman · 06-26-2011, 02:21 PM

if you take them off ill buy them from you

370Z JT · 06-26-2011, 02:30 PM

Keep em on. The trooper didnt seemed to really mind the noise. Just drive cautiously and you'll be good.

nynhex · 06-26-2011, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 370Z JT

Keep em on. The trooper didnt seemed to really mind the noise. Just drive cautiously and you'll be good.

The problem is what if I do get caught and they pull a visual. I'm not schooled on Texas laws but from my understanding it is illegal to replace a working OEM emissions component.

Is it likely that I will get caught? Probably not, but the idea of jail and/or 10k+ in fines scares the living fcuk out of me.

I'm sure theres TONS of people running HFCs and TPs but I really wouldn't want to be the of the small percentage that gets caught.

daisuke149 · 06-26-2011, 02:33 PM

berk HFC and berk exhaust shouldnt be THAT loud unless you were ocmpletely flooring it near the cop or have a massive leak somewhere.

370Z JT · 06-26-2011, 02:37 PM

U get jail time? In CA, you take it off and pay a small fine.

red6spd · 06-26-2011, 02:37 PM

If it ever got to the point of jail time court etc I would play stupid and be like "the car came like that" or "I hit something in the road and replaced them with these" How are they going to prove your lieing? But I dont think it will get that far. I'm running around with no Cats and I have been infront behind and even pulled over by cops and they never asked me anything about the exhaust.

TruKoi · 06-26-2011, 02:43 PM

I am still getting used to the sound, a lot louder (the HFC) than I expected - this coming from someone who had downpipes, uppipes, full turbo back on a WRX. It really isn't just on WOT that it starts to resonate sound either, mid point on throttle and you start to make discerning tones. Only had the CBE and HFC on for several days, but have managed to cruise by cops throttling at under 3k RPM.

Just my opinion.

nynhex · 06-26-2011, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 370Z JT

U get jail time? In CA, you take it off and pay a small fine.

Really? I read in CA it's mandatory jail time. Have things changed over there?

I think the law states fines and/or jail time up to blah blah blah. But for me it's just the potential of going to jail or having to pay so much money for someting so stupid is really getting me paranoid.

Dzel · 06-26-2011, 03:07 PM

HFC's should be legal. In Texas as long as you have some kind of resonator on there.

Lug · 06-26-2011, 03:35 PM

I've never even heard of someone getting busted for hfc's in texas

da mayor · 06-26-2011, 03:45 PM

ive seen a cop pull over one mustang and used a mirror to see if the car had cats, which it didn't.... this goes back 8 years.

rare occassions I've seen any cop pull anyone over for that.

bluelion · 06-26-2011, 03:53 PM

I SERIOUSLY doubt you'd get any kind of jail time for that.... if you did get a ticket for it, i'm 99.9% sure you could get it dismissed by just replacing it with OEM by the court date...just get it done at a muffler shop so you have documentation of the work.....i think you're being over paranoid. i think if it was as big of an issue as you think it is, you would've gotten a ticket or be in jail now because the trooper wouldn't of just given you a warning.......

Synack · 06-26-2011, 04:19 PM

You don't get jail time for high flow cats. Hell, you won't even get jail for straight pipes. They'll give you a ticket for straights and they won't say anything about the HFC's because a simple visual look under the car will show that you have 2 catalytic converters sitting there like you're supposed to. So you're fine. I had a highflow cat on my cobalt for 2 years and got pulled over and the cop wanted to take a look. He looked, he saw, no problems. The only other thing I can think of that you can get in trouble for is for having WAY too loud of an exhaust, which is hard with HFC's and a catback. You're fine man.

Red__Zed · 06-26-2011, 04:34 PM

they don't usually care that much unless there's a lot done to your car. Even then they usually just want your money.

I would worry less about state troopers and more about the EPA. They will clean out your bank account, though usually only for TPs.

Did you install the cats yourself?

06-26-2011, 02:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
nynhex Base Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Houston Posts: 247 Drives: 370z Rep Power: 371	HFC, maybe not for me? So I'm driving my Z the other day and I get lit up by a state trooper. I'm sitting there thinking what now as I offer him my insurance, registration, etc. He said that I made an improper lane change which I admitted to then he started asking questions about my car. "Why is it so loud, why do you have so much rasp?". I explained I had aftermarket exhaust. He started to look under the car then went back to his. My heart started to pound as all I could think of were my HFCs which are "ODBII Compliant" per Berk Technologies but it's still not technically legal to swap them out. All I could think of was jail time, court fees, and my life ruined over +5hp and an aggressive exhaust. He let me go with a warning since I have a clean record and I slowly drove off. Am I being overly paranoid here or do I have a legitimate concern with running HFCs? Texas is an ODBII/Scan state for inspection so the sniff/visual is no longer but a random trooper could seriously ruin your day. Any thoughts on this? I'm considering taking these off and putting my stock cats back on. __________________ \|Berk\|Konig\|Nismo\|

06-26-2011, 02:30 PM	#3 (permalink)
370Z JT A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: United States Posts: 2,905 Drives: 370Z PW 7AT Rep Power: 378	Keep em on. The trooper didnt seemed to really mind the noise. Just drive cautiously and you'll be good. __________________ Click for My Journal Top Secret \| EVO-R \| Fujimura Auto \| Shine Auto \| Seibon \| MRWorks \| Swift \| SPC \| SSR \| UpRev \| Project Kics \| NST \| Titek \| Eibach \| Nismo \| Whiteline \| Quaife \| Invidia \| Fly1 \| CF Element \| Carbon Signal

06-26-2011, 02:37 PM	#6 (permalink)
370Z JT A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: United States Posts: 2,905 Drives: 370Z PW 7AT Rep Power: 378	U get jail time? In CA, you take it off and pay a small fine. __________________ Click for My Journal Top Secret \| EVO-R \| Fujimura Auto \| Shine Auto \| Seibon \| MRWorks \| Swift \| SPC \| SSR \| UpRev \| Project Kics \| NST \| Titek \| Eibach \| Nismo \| Whiteline \| Quaife \| Invidia \| Fly1 \| CF Element \| Carbon Signal

06-26-2011, 02:37 PM	#7 (permalink)
red6spd A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 3,277 Drives: 2010 Z Coupe M6 SPT Rep Power: 21	If it ever got to the point of jail time court etc I would play stupid and be like "the car came like that" or "I hit something in the road and replaced them with these" How are they going to prove your lieing? But I dont think it will get that far. I'm running around with no Cats and I have been infront behind and even pulled over by cops and they never asked me anything about the exhaust. __________________ 2010 Base+Sport 6spd: Stillen G3, FI Non-Resonated CBE, FI Non-Resonated Test Pipes, UpRev Tuned, Custom 24R Oil Cooler, JDM Rear Fog-OEM Harness. ???Whp ???WTQ (Will find out come spring time)

06-26-2011, 03:07 PM	#10 (permalink)
Dzel A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2011 Location: Midland, TX Posts: 3,884 Drives: 11 370Z PW M6 Rep Power: 23	HFC's should be legal. In Texas as long as you have some kind of resonator on there. __________________ 10secWS6 IF YOU CAN'T SWING IT THEN DON'T BRING IT! Check out Domestic Performance C.C. Last edited by Dzel; 06-26-2011 at 03:37 PM.

06-26-2011, 02:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
Deadman Base Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Ohio Posts: 177 Drives: 2011 370z Base+S 6MT Rep Power: 14	if you take them off ill buy them from you

06-26-2011, 02:33 PM	#5 (permalink)
daisuke149 My *** is famous! Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Alpharetta, GA Posts: 4,849 Drives: 2013 Boss 302 PW Rep Power: 31	berk HFC and berk exhaust shouldnt be THAT loud unless you were ocmpletely flooring it near the cop or have a massive leak somewhere.

06-26-2011, 02:43 PM	#8 (permalink)
TruKoi Base Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 49 Drives: '11 Z Touring Sport Rep Power: 16	I am still getting used to the sound, a lot louder (the HFC) than I expected - this coming from someone who had downpipes, uppipes, full turbo back on a WRX. It really isn't just on WOT that it starts to resonate sound either, mid point on throttle and you start to make discerning tones. Only had the CBE and HFC on for several days, but have managed to cruise by cops throttling at under 3k RPM. Just my opinion.

06-26-2011, 03:35 PM	#11 (permalink)
Lug A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 1,926 Drives: 2006 350Z Rep Power: 20	I've never even heard of someone getting busted for hfc's in texas __________________ keep Chubbs in your pocket - Chubbs

06-26-2011, 03:45 PM	#12 (permalink)
da mayor Enthusiast Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 313 Drives: #TheGoldenZ Rep Power: 16	ive seen a cop pull over one mustang and used a mirror to see if the car had cats, which it didn't.... this goes back 8 years. rare occassions I've seen any cop pull anyone over for that. __________________ #TheGoldenZ [GTSPEC][RAVSPEC][AutoVisionNY][631Coatings vinylwrapped][Evo-R][SoFreshLifestyle][Intrack Tires][Project Mu][MXP][HempsteadAutoCollision][SNTRL]

06-26-2011, 03:53 PM	#13 (permalink)
bluelion Base Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Spring, TX Posts: 91 Drives: 2010 370z & Maxima Rep Power: 15	I SERIOUSLY doubt you'd get any kind of jail time for that.... if you did get a ticket for it, i'm 99.9% sure you could get it dismissed by just replacing it with OEM by the court date...just get it done at a muffler shop so you have documentation of the work.....i think you're being over paranoid. i think if it was as big of an issue as you think it is, you would've gotten a ticket or be in jail now because the trooper wouldn't of just given you a warning.......

06-26-2011, 04:19 PM	#14 (permalink)
Synack A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Houston Age: 36 Posts: 1,012 Drives: Sideways Rep Power: 16	You don't get jail time for high flow cats. Hell, you won't even get jail for straight pipes. They'll give you a ticket for straights and they won't say anything about the HFC's because a simple visual look under the car will show that you have 2 catalytic converters sitting there like you're supposed to. So you're fine. I had a highflow cat on my cobalt for 2 years and got pulled over and the cop wanted to take a look. He looked, he saw, no problems. The only other thing I can think of that you can get in trouble for is for having WAY too loud of an exhaust, which is hard with HFC's and a catback. You're fine man. __________________ NO LONGER OWNS A 370 Turbo FR-S

06-26-2011, 04:34 PM	#15 (permalink)
Red__Zed A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: window seat Posts: 28,940 Drives: Mostly on two wheels Rep Power: 120	they don't usually care that much unless there's a lot done to your car. Even then they usually just want your money. I would worry less about state troopers and more about the EPA. They will clean out your bank account, though usually only for TPs. Did you install the cats yourself?