SS: I'm assuming so. But there are three different muffler sections within the vehicle code. Depending on which one the manufacturers want to use to sell their products they can make that claim. Keep in mind these people are out to sell products to consumers, and law enforcement is not in that business. We primarily enforce Section 27150 of the vehicle code and that boils down to whether or not the vehicle is louder than usual. Decibel ratings are not involved in that. Section 27151 of the vehicle code deals with decibel ratings. We don't have any measuring devices, because it tends to get a little too technical and starts to confuse judges and juries. For those of you who end up buying the mufflers, we want to make things as simple as we possibly can. The bottom line is we've all heard a stock Honda off the factory floor, and we've also heard one that sounds like a pack of bumble bees coming up the street.
2NR: Are vehicles with CARB-legal stickers on their products admissible when a vehicle is pulled over?
SS: If they have the proper CARB documentation prominently attached on the vehicle where the manufacturer stated it should be attached, then that vehicle is fine. But if you have a CARB sticker with a number on it in your engine bay with four other modifications without CARB certifications, you'll probably have a problem.
2NR: Let's talk about Hot Import Days. Event goers informed me that when the show ended the San Diego Police and Drag Net Unit entered the premises with a number of police vehicles and flat bed trucks and towed over a dozen vehicles away.
SS: That's probably accurate.
2NR: Was this due to illegal components on the cars?
SS: That could have been.
2NR: Are the San Diego police targeting car shows?
SS: No. If you take a look at the increased number of thefts and fraud, much of it is related to street racing. What we do is teach law enforcement to pay close attention to vehicle modifications. We know what has been illegally modified and if the parts swapped into a vehicle actually belong to the owner.
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