26 replies to this topic

[Teapot]

Devon & Cornwall police are testing cars with loud exhausts and I'd like to pre-empt any attempt to stick a probe up Huey's back passage by testing him myself first. My local garage hasn't got any test kit (it's not part of the MoT) and I wonder if the iphone decibel app is any good? Or any other means?

PS The gents in blue say they are checking with insurers to see if a non-standard exhaust has been declared, and if the insurance is invalid the car is siezed :-(

[Alex_B]

Iphone ones only go to a certain level, (110 Db) i think off hand as the microphones arnt good enough, but i think you may be able to get one to plug in as an app i had said if you plug one in its good up to 140Db or something :)

[giner88]

well that sucks, whats it got to do with police grrrrrrrr. its not like noise kills people. if anything its safer because it lets people know im near

[Magic jason]

Good! when will bloody Ricers learn that having a stupid oversized rattly loud piece of garbage can on the back of your car makes you look like a complete knob! Pull them all over and seize their piece of manure!

Im in a mood tonight, sorry, you know what minis are like :L

Edit: not aimed at other mini drivers ;) you can have whatever exhaust you like because you have a mini!

Edited by Magic jason, 19 January 2012 - 11:40 PM.

[Alex_B]

They don't say loud pipes save lives for nothing!

[giner88]

so whats the legal limit on noise then?

[Minify]

Hope they're not hunting down us Somerset folk too

[Magic jason]

so whats the legal limit on noise then?

I dont believe there is a legal/illegal limit? thou its based around the standard exhaust so if it was stupidly load as standard it would be legal, but if its been replaced then if your insured it should be ok thou if your not then your screwed.

Edited by Magic jason, 20 January 2012 - 12:08 AM.

[Alex_B]

Well if there isnt a legal limit then well there is no point to them stopping people just to tell them that they have a loud exhaust

[SqueakyCooper]

There is a legal limit chaps I'm 99% sure of that. I can't remember what it is off the top of my head but I've read about this before. I think someone I know with a Cobra was having issues passing an MOT because of it being 110 dB.

As said above, they wouldn't be testing it unless there was a yard stick to go against?


EDIT : Found several places quoting it at 101dB. It also seems that the EU don't want it to be above 90.

Edited by SqueakyCooper, 20 January 2012 - 12:21 AM.

[Magic jason]

my bad then

[Mini_Magic]

It also seems that the EU don't want it to be above 90.

Well that's pretty much all Mini drivers screwed then.

[giner88]

how can they prove an exhaust is standard or not?

have they not got better things todo?

plus didnt they just cut 5000 jobs in dev cornwall Police soooo that makes only 17 police cars in the two counties so i am not to worried

Edited by giner88, 20 January 2012 - 12:37 AM.

[Dan]

No there is no published noise limit for cars in the UK. For bikes there is, but not for cars. The law in the UK (at least for the MOT) is that the exhaust may not be appreciably louder than the one it was fitted with as standard. For recent cars there are limits that are in place as part of the EU type approval, and as that is the exhaust the car is built with it then will have to stick to that limit but for older vehicles no such limit exists. There will be no official record of a dB limit the Mini had when it was built by Rover (except for the twin points which were built for EU drive past noise limits) or Leyland or BMC so it'll be up to the opinion of the Police if it's louder than standard or not.

[giner88]

hahahaha they can enjoy proving that