Legality of Volume Adjustable Mufflers (VAREX, IVEX, XFORCE, etc)

[Rumbuck]

Hey guys,

Now, with twin 5.5" Truck Stacks on top of my little ute, she has a fair bit of a drone on the highway. Not sure how she will go with the new 2.0l in her, but we'll see. The old 1.5l was measuring 102.8 at 4000 revs with the stacks, so I'll just make the leap of faith her and guess that the 2.0l DOHC will be louder what with more displacement and all.

Now, I have scoured ADR's, and I can't see anything that specifically outlaws them, I've also checked NT Traffic Regs and can't seem to find anything, a call into the Inspection Station in Darwin yielded nothing, the blokes there didn't know what the go was with them and I spoke to three inspectors.

Now, does anyone here have any idea what the legality of them is? As my understanding of the situation is that as long as your system, as it is sitting, does not exceed the maximum rated exhaust noise for the year of the build (So in my case it's around 93db) when on the street/public road/public place, then it is allowed, and once you get on private property, do what you want (SO car show, Ute muster, B'n'S Ball, etc).

Now, seeing as I surpass the 93db already, I'm technically illegal, however I have never been pulled up for it before, and I've run full noise off the lights before in front of a copper and I didn't spin tyres, didn't torque steer, just got up to speed quickly and efficiently...and with a bit of noise...

So, what does everyone think, references would be nice as vaidation.

 

[True TJ]

From when i looked into them with the exhausts fully open (race mode or whatever) they cant be louder then the legal limit so when you shut it to silence them it will be well under, from my knowledge the mufflers themselves are legal as long as at there loudest they are under the legal limit then its all good.

 

[Rumbuck]

Ahh rightio, so I can't have a "show" volume and a "road" volume then.

Got a reference there for me bud?

 

[Gianni]

I'd be interested to know if you can get a vertex style pipe. A pipe with ability to open and close like a throttle. Because then u could easily hide it under the car instead of using the vertex mufflers that stand out

 

[4piknup]

+1 to truetj, legally you won't be able to make more than the 93db, personally, I jam steel wool into the pipe to shut it up for road testing.
There is a cable operated exhaust diverter available. But would be illegal as well.
Probably the best you could do legally is have a blanking flange bolted onto the stacks so they are dummy pipes and quiet exhaust out the back, and for show time unbolt the blanks.
Get flame throwers too. Woo hoo, 'nuts in reverse with flames from the stacks. YESSS

 

[Gianni]

^^
And nitros purge!

 

[evo-gsr]

Plenty of info already on here about this topic....Search works well.
I came up with these using search.

http://www.4gtuner.com/topic/20695-which-type-of-varex-to-get/page__hl__varex__fromsearch__1


http://www.4gtuner.com/topic/19526-varex-vs-epa-test/page__hl__varex__fromsearch__1

http://www.4gtuner.com/topic/18981-got-an-epa/page__p__238121__hl__varex__fromsearch__1#entry238121


http://www.4gtuner.com/topic/13625-so-got-stopped-by-the-cops-last-night/page__st__60__p__227923__hl__varex__fromsearch__1#entry227923

 

[EVO-00X]

Northern Territory has its own set of rules for now. Look up your state's legalities by first searching in the EPA equivalent authority in the Northern Territory.
Might be something like the pollution and waste dept or something lol.

 

[Rumbuck]

No worries, thanks for that mate

 

[True TJ]

Yeah you can have a show volume and a road volume as long as they when ever your car is at 4000 rpm the exhaust is no louder then the 90 DB (in vic) or where it is for yours (boss just got a EPA and had to keep it under 90DB even tho its a comodoore)

 

[Rumbuck]

Though I did have a mate, he got in such a fight with the transport inspector after restoring a 1981 WB Tonner, the inspector said it had to be under 90db, but the ADR's state you only have to comply with the regs that were in place when the vehicle was manufactured (Excluding Sunset Clauses on new modifications to old vehicles), which allowed him to have like, 130 or something, and he was sitting happily at around 125.

 

[EVO-00X]

Please remember, that the ADR's cover all of Australia!!!.
The ADR determines the noise limit, and post 1983 cars are not to exceed 90db.
The National test procedure is here: http://www.ntc.gov.au/filemedia/Reports/NatStatExhaustNoiseTestSept2006.pdf
BUT, your state's governing motoring or EPA-type authority determines the rules of what you can and cant do with your car as far as roadworthiness in concerned.... including modifications to exhaust systems.

A Varex is not legal in NSW due to the NSW Protection of the Environment Operations (Noise Control) Regulation, Clause 18. Says you cant use any kind of temporary noise control device in your exhaust system.
However, a Varex is still legal in Northern Territory to reduce your exhaust noise down to 90db because to my knowledge there are no Regulations in place in NT to say you cant use a noise control device to get that magical <90db. Which IMO is a joke of a db limit anyway, it should be raised to +5db to account for wear and tear!!!

You know why its a joke? Because some new cars can come out with over 110db as standard (Lamborghini for example) and because its in the ADR83/00 Stationary “Signature” Noise Data spreadsheet it is also allowed an addition + 5 db for wear and tear. Its double standards. You'll find a spreadsheet on this website: http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/environment/noise.aspx . These vehicles in the spreadsheet are recognised to have a base db level and they are allowed an additional 5db. Its a joke. Its been out for years but no one has kicked a stink up about it yet except when weve had a limited few sentences spoken about it at the ACMC conference.
Go to that site and cast your eyes through that spreadsheet. Whatever isnt listed on that spreadsheet must comply to the blanket db noise level of 90db.
Those with a keen eye will notice that the Evolution Lancer db level has purposely been omitted from the spreadsheet and left at ZERO!!! The sly bastards, so the EVO 8 must comply to the 90db blanket limit.

When you have a Stationery Exhaust Noise Level Test procedure done, they shouldnt go over 4,000rpm with a modified 4 cylinder engine which is the maximum specified for engines up to 5 cylinders for passenger cars. Which again is a joke IMO because a turbocharged 4 cylinder engine should fall within the capacity of a 6 cylinder engine where the test rpm level is something like 3250rpm I tihnk.

 

[Rumbuck]

Wow, that's an impressive list of regulations, back to the study books for me!!!!

It's one thing I like to do, and I do regularly with my ute, dunno how much you guys do it, but a lot of us ion the B'n'S scene have been doing it for years, is to keep an A4 ringbinder folder in the Ute. In it we have all the pertinant regulations printed out and highlighted, categorised, and sorted, so that when an officer of the law pulls us over and starts asking questions, we can pull out the book, show us the law in writing, and how our vehicles are still complying with the law, despite being insanely modified.

Has gotten a lot of us off the hook a few times.

I have been pinged a few times for Bullbar not being airbag compliant (My vehicle does not have airbags, but still complies with pedestrian impact...somehow), My stacks (They are more than 300mm rearward of the furthest rear opening to the passenger compartment), my mudflaps (Turns out that mudflaps are not required to comply with vehicle height, as they are not a solidly affixed part of the vehicle, they will bend and flex, not cause damage to the road, and they do not break apart upon impacting a solid object and do not fling harmful debris at a vehicle following at safe road distance. All truck mudflaps must comply with this before they can be sold in Australia, so I kept the receipts saying that I bought them from a reputable dealer of truck parts), My spotties above the cab (When I was in NSW, they are on a switch, which, when on road in built up areas, was off, in rural areas, was on, but via a relay with my high beams), My aftermarket tail lights mounted to my rollbars (They comply with ADR's and visibility regs), My Extra Brake lights (Comply with wattages and brightness regs, and only come on when I press the foot brake (I do have 38 extra red LED's on the back of my ute, you know when I'm braking))

But a book of regs does help a lot, when the officer sees the letter of the law printed, and they see how you comply with it, they often find it a bit confronting, but they see that you have done the homework, and you know your stuff. Every officer I have done this with has let me go with a smile and a wave.

 

[4piknup]

insanely modified.

Lol

 

[Rumbuck]

Lol

How do you figure??