Pulled over in Laguna Beach

[tabio42]

Saturday night around 6:45PM I pick up my brother and we're headed to my step-dad's Bday party. I leave his house and turn onto PCH and 100yards later I get pulled over. For the sake of not writing a full dialogue I will paraphrase. The officer says I have a modified exhaust and that it is illegal. I explain to him that it meets the 95 decibel limit and he begins to argue with me.

According to his "prior experience [my] exhaust is too loud." Apparently he is a decibel meter. So he asks me what else I have done to the engine. I tell him about my shiny pipes (my injen intake plus UICpipe). But He says "do you mind popping your hood?"

I say "I'd rather not." Then he goes off on this whole intimidation process telling me he's only gonna ask me one more time and we'll see what happens when his partner gets here. So I refuse to open the hood and he takes me out of the car and sits me on the curb. THEN HE GOES AND POPS MY HOOD AND BEGINS TO LOOK UNDER IT!!!! Is that legal?

Then he calls me over and starts asking me questions like "is that an aftermarket head?"......

So to make a long story not as long- He gave me a ticket for my intake and blowoff valve

"CVC 27156b Alter or Modify Smog System"

Does this mean I have to go to a referee? If so what do they test for at the ref station? Also was it legal for him to open my hood without my permission??

[kimletrim]

What the cop did is complete BS, but he's gonna get a way with it. He's got a reasonable suspiscion that your car is illegally modified. you might have been in the clear with just the exhuast, but you opened your mouth and told him about the UICP and the intake. The intake was what gave him the right to look under your hood.


You guys need to learn to keep you mouth shut about these things when pulled over. There is no use in arguing and listing off your mods to the cop if you don't want him looking under the hood. Don't give them more reason to search your car.

[rubelcon]

"CVC 27156b Alter or Modify Smog System"

Does this mean I have to go to a referee? If so what do they test for at the ref station? Also was it legal for him to open my hood without my permission??

On the back of your ticket, where the cop signs of the fix-it citations, you will have a smog-ref stamp covering all the citation/signature boxes on the back, if that is the case.

[go4broke]

The whole reason for ASKING you to pop your hood is that he needs your CONSENT in order to look under your hood and trunk. He would need a warrent and/or PC.....kimletrim's right...next time just say nothing....good luck dude!

[tabio42]

What the cop did is complete BS, but he's gonna get a way with it.* He's got a reasonable suspiscion that your car is illegally modified.* you might have been in the clear with just the exhuast, but you opened your mouth and told him about the UICP and the intake.* The intake was what gave him the right to look under your hood.

Actually I didn't tell him I had an intake and UICP, all I said was "I have some shiny pipes." I figured it was a safe way not to lie to him.

[tabio42]

On the back of your ticket, where the cop signs of the fix-it citations, you will have a smog-ref stamp covering all the citation/signature boxes on the back, if that is the case.

The weird thing is there is no stamp on the back, but the violations are not marked as correctable violations on the front. Which is stupid because one of them is for not having proof of insurance.

[MRevo05]

yes you need to go to the ref...if theres anything that is not carb legale,than you have a problem also no he can open your hood because you did not say it was ok and by the way he stoped you for a exhaust nothing else so fight it

[The Emperor]

yes you need to go to the ref...if theres anything that is not carb legale,than you have a problem also no he can open your hood because you did not say it was ok and by the way he stoped you for a exhaust nothing else so fight it

that is such a hassle. tabio just go put everything back to stock in the motor and just leave you aftermarket catback on, put back all the stock cats and dp. Then go to the ref and pass the test, get the papers, make a photocopy, keep those papers in your glove compartment. So if ever you get pulled over again, you have some legal papers saying your exhaust is legal.

[tabio42]

Yeah I think I'm gonna put most of my stock stuff back on. I wonder if they do an OBD2 test or a sniffer test. Does anybody know about that? Also are you allowed to have an aftermarket CAT as long as it is OBD2 legal?

[The Emperor]

Yeah I think I'm gonna put most of my stock stuff back on. I wonder if they do an OBD2 test or a sniffer test. Does anybody know about that? Also are you allowed to have an aftermarket CAT as long as it is OBD2 legal?

just put the stock cat back on

[rino]

sorry to hear the news.

if you need to borrow a stock cat, I have one. But I will need it back once you are done since I'm almost due for some BS ticket soon.

[rammsteinmatt]

LBPD is my favorite, after they gave me a ticket for backing in to a parking space.

which was really pulling through the space because the lot was empty........go figure

[augi1]

unless you had a mellon launcher that could fit Bevo's head you should stick with "its stock officer" at all times!

[thetaxguy]

LBPD is my favorite, after they gave me a ticket for backing in to a parking space.

which was really pulling through the space because the lot was empty........go figure*

If it was a parking lot on private property, you can fight the ticket and win in most cases. O0

[tabio42]

Thanks Rino, I'll PM ya.

[hksevo8]

Sorry to hear that. Since you live in Laguna, you should already know how much the police dislike cars with big wings as they think they bring down the property values in the city. I grew up there and have had many meetings on the side of the road with most of the department. I still worry about getting pulled over when ever I go to my parents house.

As far as going to the ref, be prepared to bend over and take it up the a$#. The ref has only one job, and that job is to make sure your car is equiped with every emissions control/sound/safety device it should have from the factory. They will search your entire car from top to bottom and back to front. I suggest you do everything you can to make it legal again. If you have C.A.R.B #'s for your Injen parts, take them with you. Be prepared for a long visit. When I had my car violated by the state referee it took them two hours to complete the test only to find that my car was legal.

Good Luck