Alert regarding EPA noise testing in Victoria

[smitty]

Went to get my noise defect cleared today, which involved sound level testing at an accredited exhaust workshop. I went in with the stock exhaust fitted for the test, confident as hell that I'd pass with flying colours. A stock exhaust, it's gotta pass, right?

Wrong.

I scored one db over the limit. So I failed by a poofteenth, but it's still a fail. Luckily the tester let it go, with a gruff "Those pricks at VicRoads don't know their arseholes from their elbows", so lucky me. But the next guy may not have been as gracious.

So it seems the stock exhaust may not actually be legal. Or my car's just being difficult.

Food for thought if you get EPA'd in victoria.

 

[Guest]

Possibly the factory exhausts start out better when brand new but deteriorate over the 10+ years old they are now.

 

[eddyvr4]

one option could be to make up a custom exhaust gasket out of thin plate steel (ie something you can cut with tinsnips even) and just put a 1 inch hole in it for the purpose of the test. probably would take a few db (and a few HP!) off the figure.

you would want to do that on the first try though as otherwise it could be suspicious coming back with no visible change but less noise..although you could say you swapped in a newer, stock muffler. just give the original a wipe over.. hehe...