New Maine Exhaust laws / modifications

[SpeedyMcQuicky]

Hi, anybody familiar with the July 12 changes for the amended muffler law in the state of Maine?

My SVT lightning which is stock except for a Bassani cat back system, will now fail inspection because of the changes in the law. The reason the inspection station wrote on my fail papers is AFTER MARKET EXHAUST.

After calling the state police, they said that any vehicle cant fail just because it has a aftermarket exhaust. It has to fail because of excessive or unusual noise. So they called the inspection station to make sure they read a updated notice the state police sent to all police and inspection stations. Because of confusing wording of the law. the law was intended to help them prosecute very loud bikes. I asked again if they would still fail me after reading the updated notice and the answer was yes. it has a aftermarket exhaust.

They also said that the law hasn't changed and has been on the books for 16 years. it was just amended.

I called 5 other inspection stations and my mechanic did also. They all said they would fail my truck because it has a aftermarket exhaust.

I purchased my L in mass in 1999 then in 2001 I installed the exhaust. its passed mass emissions and since I moved to Maine 9 years ago it has never failed for anything having to do with the exhaust.

After changing the exhaust I got a speeding ticket in concord MA for going 34 in a 30. their a bit tuff there. which I just paid but nothing about the exhaust. Then in Maine for 9 years I have never been pulled over for anything. Where I live its all 25mph. everyday I pass 3-4 cruzers within a few miles of my house. Never once have I had a problem. I park right across the street from the police station to go to the post office and get lunch. Ive had officers come over to check out the truck. So just by that I'm assuming my exhaust isn't excessive.

To me it looks like the inspection stations are afraid of loosing their license's so their not taking a chance after the July 12 laws. If I had it inspected before the amendment it would have passed. Yet this is different then what im hearing directly from the state police.

Anyone from maine run into this at all?

Thanks
-Keith

 

[SpeedyMcQuicky]

Just got off the phone with the state police. There are no authorized inspection stations that will certify that my exhaust is legal in the state of Maine for inspection, but they provided me with a single place that can do a db measurement. They also said that this has no bearing on whether my truck should pass or fail inspection. If it passed last year with the same exhaust it will pass this year.

They said what should happen is if I get pulled over and get a ticket for a loud exhaust and take it to court. I can then fight the ticket in court by providing a certificate that states my exhaust is not above 95db's

From what they said is the re-wording of the existing law will stop people from being able to get out of tickets by saying they switched their exhaust from stock because they wanted a performance increase not to make it louder.

yikes

 

[VirtualSVT]

Uh wow good luck with that. If they wanted to fight bikes they should have written it better.

 

[ModularFan]

Your lucky they're not hitting you for altering emissions. To be honest if its not stock it aint legal. just take the exhaust off and but the stock one back on.

 

[SpeedyMcQuicky]

Your lucky they're not hitting you for altering emissions. To be honest if its not stock it aint legal. just take the exhaust off and but the stock one back on.

I wish they did, it passed Massachusetts emissions tests for many years before I moved to Maine. That would make it cut and dry.

Here is a link to the note that was send out after the law was passed and the stations started failing everybody

http://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/licenses/documents/MicrosoftWord-Doestheamended_7-12-2010_mufflerlawmeanthatallexhaustsmustbefactory.pdf

 

[ford_racer]

Your lucky they're not hitting you for altering emissions. To be honest if its not stock it aint legal. just take the exhaust off and but the stock one back on.

How have you not been banned from this section yet?

He altered the catback, not the cat.

 

[harry gilbert]

I wish they did, it passed Massachusetts emissions tests for many years before I moved to Maine. That would make it cut and dry.

Not necessarily. That's like saying you don't need a physical exam this year because you were healthy the past ten years. A problem could develop in the emissions system at any time that would cause the emissions to exceed limits; hence the annual inspections.

 

[RDJ]

Your lucky they're not hitting you for altering emissions. To be honest if its not stock it aint legal. just take the exhaust off and but the stock one back on.

this isn't even close to being true. there are changes that chan be made to the exhaust that do not violate state or federal law. so your "if it's not stock it ain't legal" is bullshit.

 

[SpeedyMcQuicky]

Not necessarily. That's like saying you don't need a physical exam this year because you were healthy the past ten years. A problem could develop in the emissions system at any time that would cause the emissions to exceed limits; hence the annual inspections.

That doesn't make sense at all? I just said it would just make it cut and dry. Since with emissions you either pass or fail. Like the Maine tinted window law where it will either pass or fail.

 

[SpeedyMcQuicky]

Just to make sure im clear. The state police are on my side!! Ive emailed them, called them. They have called and emailed me back and have taken the time to talk with me and call the stations to try to explain the law better to the inspection stations. The stations are the ones not on my side and are being unfair. The state police are trying to tell the inspection stations that if my truck passed last year then there is no reason, no law changes that should cause it to fail for a non stock exhaust. Its passed for 9 years with the exact same exhaust. The state is very picky about pulling license's so the stations have always been very picky, but now there not taking any chances with a few words that were changed.

 

[Blade Runner]

I thought Bassani systems came stock on the L's? :shrug:

 

[ModularFan]

this isn't even close to being true. there are changes that chan be made to the exhaust that do not violate state or federal law. so your "if it's not stock it ain't legal" is bullshit.

It most certainly is true, there are DBL Ordiances, that come into account on aftermarket exhausts. regardless if your cat or catless.

 

[ford_racer]

Emissions /=/ Decibels.

 

[RDJ]

It most certainly is true, there are DBL Ordiances, that come into account on aftermarket exhausts. regardless if your cat or catless.

and there are LOTS of after market exhausts that fall within the DBL level requirements of state laws. Hell some places don't even have DBL laws.

so once again your blanket statement ""if it's not stock it ain't legal" is not even close to being true.

Hell even the peoples republick of kalifornia the most restrictive state in the nation have an allowance for aftermarket exhaust. Here is a link to it:

Emissions Laws & Regulations – Frequently Asked Questions

Highly recommend you spend more time in your books than spouting inaccurate drivel on SVTP

 

[SpeedyMcQuicky]

and there are LOTS of after market exhausts that fall within the DBL level requirements of state laws. Hell some places don't even have DBL laws.

so once again your blanket statement ""if it's not stock it ain't legal" is not even close to being true.

Hell even the peoples republick of kalifornia the most restrictive state in the nation have an allowance for aftermarket exhaust. Here is a link to it:

Emissions Laws & Regulations – Frequently Asked Questions

Highly recommend you spend more time in your books than spouting inaccurate drivel on SVTP

Exactly!! thank you!

A+++++

 

[SpeedyMcQuicky]

Maine kinda has some sort of DB level laws, maybe.

I asked the state where I could just go to get my exhaust certified and their answer was that there aren't any certified stations that can do DB level testing but they gave me a couple shops that might be able to do it, but it still doesn't mean I can walk into a station with a cert and say its not excessive and its close to stock and during the test they didn't find any "Unusual Noise" What the hell is the definition of Unusual Noise.

From the law and the states perspective the only time a DB certification comes into play is after you get a ticket for loud exhaust from the local police, then you go to court with the certificate and it gets tossed out depending on the mood of the judge that days. there is no consistency at all.

 

[FordSVTFan]

It most certainly is true, there are DBL Ordiances, that come into account on aftermarket exhausts. regardless if your cat or catless.

Wrong, RDJ is correct. Your conclusion that if it is not stock it is not legal is inaccurate at best.

 

[SPEEDRACER88]

They said what should happen is if I get pulled over and get a ticket for a loud exhaust and take it to court. I can then fight the ticket in court by providing a certificate that states my exhaust is not above 95db's

Does this law apply to motorcycles?

 

[SpeedyMcQuicky]

Does this law apply to motorcycles?

Nope!

6. Exception. Subsections 1 and 3 do not apply to a muffler or exhaust system that does not emit noise in excess of 95 decibels as measured in accordance with standards and specifications outlined in standard J-1169 adopted by the Society of Automotive Engineers in May 1998. A person served with a Violation Summons and Complaint charging a violation of subsection 1 or 3 must provide satisfactory evidence that the muffler or exhaust system does not emit a noise in excess of 95 decibels as measured in accordance with standards and specifications outlined in standard J-1169 adopted by the Society of Automotive Engineers in May 1998. Measurements must be made by participating certified inspection stations. This subsection applies to motor vehicles as defined in section 101, subsection 42, except that it does not apply to motorcycles.

BTW, I was told there aren't participating certified inspections stations. just stations that can do db testing.

Bikers that have been ticketed for loud exhaust in the past have gone to court and had the ticket thrown out because they said their exhaust was modified for performance reasons only. I guess the wording changes in the law is supposed to prevent them from saying that and force them to prove that their exhaust is under 95 db's by the test.