What's the worse that can happen?
 

What's the worse that can happen if I were to get pulled over and the cop decides to check under my car and sees test pipes..? Being from california, most cops I have encountered have been pretty cool about things. I was on the 405N yesterday and a sheriff pulls up next to me and shines his light on me for awhile and ends up taking the ramp to the 55S. I don't really downshift driving in city streets as I don't want to attract attention but ever since I put on test pipes I feel paranoid driving my car around now fearing that a cop will pull me over.

why would he shine the light on you for no reason? was he sniffing your car behind you?

Its funny seeing how things are in other states. In GA I would never think that a cop would pull me over for that. Do they tend to look under cars a lot in California?

CA is pretty tight on theirs smog checks, thats for sure...

Anywhere in the US you risk a $10-25k fine from the EPA. In the more strict states though, that's less likely.

doh!

In California, if you do ANYTHING to your car that is even remotely emissions related, and it is not CARB approved, you risk impound of your vehicle (and a fine). It happens regularly.

we don't have emissions where I am from:ugh2::ugh2:

The EPA fine applies throughout the USA. I got my fine living somewhere with no emissions testing.

When someone threw bricks through my rear hatch and driver side window the cop was asking me if I had anything illegal. I told him I had aftermarket exhaust and intake. I asked him what the chance was that a cop would ticket me for that. He said as long as you don't drive like a **** then we don't care.

You have it right here when you state that cops generally don't mess with you as long as you are not being a douche -- generally.

There was an open house in San Jose, not long ago, at a tuning shop that caters more to the Honda/Acura crowd. The police learned about it, hung out down the street, and wrote copious fix-it tickets (and impounded a few) to attendees.

I think I'd have to smack the cop over the head with the testpipe for him to do anything here in florida...

This pretty much applies everywhere.

However, in certain places, like South Orange County, as long as you keep it from sounding "LOUD," they wouldn't pull you over to give a fix it ticket (or get it db tested).

oh... :(

Absolute worst case scenario is that you get fined by the EPA which is $25000. Generally though the worst you would get is a fix-it ticket.

Never heard of any problems in Alabama.

your fine. Just dont drive stupid. Ive pulled up next to cops and they look and thats about it. Knock on wood.

:icon17:

Lol!! Same thing here in SC.

Yeah, it's ridiculous. But car culture here thrives regardless, so it is not as big of a deal as most people think.

CA cops can be fairly lazy about it. Depends what you're dong. If caught street racing they'll find (or install) something illegal. ;)

Generally, it's a quick ticket and they're off. If your exhaust is overly loud or you can visibly seem flames (test pipes, mostly turbo cars) then they may give you grief.

Last week when I borrowed my M3 to my friend, (my car has lots of track stuff on it btw), he got pulled by a CHP and was asked to pop the hood. He saw a yellow towel on the top of the powersteering pump, he was almost wrote a ticket for modded engine whatever. My friend had to explain that the powersteering pump spells fluid bla bla bla.
I personally have never meet an *** cop light like, but you never know. If you like the sound, just keep the test pipes. If not, change them out, it's not worth of worrying.

A few months ago I had a cop pull up next to me in stop and go traffic on the 10 and compliment the sound of my exhaust and ask me who made it. I had my windows rolled down so he wouldn't notice my tint. ha ha

My TP look just like cats, so unless they take them off the car, they're not going to know.

The fine is 7.5k (can end up paying more but 7.5k is the lowest) dollars in CA. You can also goto jail for couple days or so.

If you are worried about having illegal mods on your car........ Why do it in the first place?

COMMUNISM! Does the EPA fine those huge 18 wheelers blowing black smoke out the exhausts? Corporate trucks let off 100x more carbon than our civilian cars, yet EPA standards are lax on corporate vehicles. For every hour we drive. Trucks drive 11. And across america, we are sharing the road with a plethora of class A and B licensed trucks that I don't see getting penalized. Corporate america gets to do what they want while the everyday joe gets harrassed for a test pipe. Go figure.
Where is the legacy of Thomas Jefferson when you need it?. These stupid laws are an outrage. If they applied these laws in every level of transport, I wouldn't be so angry. But to only attack the tax payers for emissions violations while corporate trucks spread sut across america is an example of our most hypocritical and insulting uses of our justice system.

:tup: