The Epa Thread/Roadworthy Thread

[R31Nismoid]

Jasma does not mean you will pass.

Take the chance to put two decent mufflers in, you'll never have another issue.

Emissions means nothing for a noise test, read the EPA form, it has this info about what you need to do

[bozodos]

I had a fujitsubo twin muffler - they would be at least as quiet as stock. My 5Zigen twin muffler is also effing quiet - too quiet in fact, might pull it off and wait til the next defect haha. I wasn't fkn impressed with a 500 dollar epa fine for being too loud though, what a crock.

[frozenpod]

Hi Guys,

I am posting for a friend of mine owns a GTR and has ran into a problem we have both read through all 27 pages of this thread.

His car is 100% stock not modified in any way and he is the first owner in Australia. His car has been very well looked after and has very low kms. The car has not been regularly driven until recently when he lost his job and was forced to sell is daily driver N15 pulsar.

On his way to a job interview he was pulled up and asked to follow the the police to an EPA noise test. This was 10minutes out of his way plus time waiting and time doing the test. This resulted in arriving late and missing the job interview.

His car even though unmodified failed the test and he has been issued with the fine ($584).

After he was told the car was too loud he explained the car was as factory and not modified which the person doing the test by there agreed and then said "according to these results this vehicle has excessive noise."

Given the posts in this thread the fine is real and can be issued in this mannor which I must admit I was surprised at first to learn this.

Given the situation he does not feel responseable as it was not his intention to break the law and his vehicle is as factory and he would like to take legal action but would like to check two things.

Is there any alternative outcomes in this situation ie is there any point speaking to a lawer as that will cost $200 only to find out he will still have to pay the fine and modify his car to meet the requriements.

Given the car is no longer in factory warranty even though still in unmodified as it came from the factory state would this lead to an exception to meeting the test or the responsiblity not being the owners?

An example situation if the latest VE from the factory fails to pass noise test from factory I assume that would not be the responsability of the owners as this was something they have not had control over nor the intention of not meeting the requirements. Hence Holden would have to rectify the cars so that they meet the requirements and mostly likely pay any fines incurred.

What happens in this situation as the car is quite old out of warranty and is an import?

[wht510]

First thing I would do is:

Get the car looked at by a professional mechanic who knows GTR's. Get them to sign off saying the exhaust is standard straight from the factory, and the CAT is still in one piece. I would get your mate to sign a stat. dec. (counter signed by a police officer for example) saying that he and anyone else have not modified the car since the EPA reading.

I would then get the car re-tested firstly by an exhaust shop as an intermittent check (making sure you use the same distances and dB weighting in the specification) and then get re-tested by the EPA, as there are quite a few ways the EPA tests can give false readings. If you can prove the car is below the requirement for dB with the second test, then you have a reason to fight. You probably wont need a lawyer.

The fact that your mate has left the car standard, was hopefully respectful to the police, missed his job interview, and showed the car passed the sound level test the second time around without any modification would prove the first test was incorrect (by a number of things), and the EPA obviously made a 'mistake' with their measurements.

Can anyone else advise on this?

[R31Nismoid]

First things first – The example about a Holden VE is irrelevant as the car is a grey import. It is upto you to fix/prove. Not the manufacturer.

If the GTR exhaust is factory from the CAT back - it will still fail. A number of stock GTR exhaust equipped cars have failed now.

So your mate would not be the first, nor will he be the last.

Are you 1000% sure it does not have aftermarket dumps/front pipe at all? Because if it does i tell you now it wont pass.

Also consider things like misfiring, like the plugs might be in need of replacement and so on. Even the smallest thing can trip the dB meter off unintentionally.

Far as I see it you have three options.

Option 1

If it is 100% true factory, CAT intact, stock turbos, pipes, dumps, muffler is perfectly intact etc...

You could take Nik's suggestion above - however you can simply dispute the EPA and say you want them to retest it as the car is factory @ a test station.

You can then just go to Moorabbin or Macleod and get it done for free. Far as I understand it the EPA station test is like the overseer, it will overrule any independent approved tester.

An independent test will be $35 as well. So you might as well just ring the EPA, speak to my ole mate Lou Raffa (me and him go waaaay back lol), and just tell him the car is factory etc, you’d like a retest.

As long as you are nice and respectful to Lou, you should be fine. If you act like a muppet… you’ll find it a bit difficult 

If the test comes over – then you need to take …

Option 2

Then the only way is to go to court to prove it because if you don't, then it will happen again.

If you have a court ruling you just wave that around next time and you are set.

The whole problem with GTR's not passing is they are based off laws made in 1992 that were stupid in their implementation to begin with.

If you want a quick and 100% promised fixed, no fuss or worries…

Option 3

Weld a restrictor/baffle plate in before and after the CAT. As long as it is fully welded, it is legal.

You will pass no worries there, however you might get pinned again at some point in the future… if it’s a factory exhaust then I would say that it would be highly unlikely you will be pinned a 2nd time. Cars are not “flagged” or anything so if Police pull him over again etc it’ll be as if nothing happened.

[joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo]

this shit really pisses me off....

i havent heard of you being made to follow some copper to a test on the spot... no way i'd bother going

[wht510]

this shit really pisses me off....

i havent heard of you being made to follow some copper to a test on the spot... no way i'd bother going

Amen, Particularly when you have a job interview to goto!

[frozenpod]

First things first – The example about a Holden VE is irrelevant as the car is a grey import. It is upto you to fix/prove. Not the manufacturer.

In the case of a grey import the compliancer is listed as the manufacture on the compliance plate. What I was refering to was that perhaps in this case the compliancing organisation is responsable to insure the vehicle complies with all ADR's and EPS requirements just as in the above example Holden is for a VE.

Yes the vehicle is 100% original in all aspects except it does not have the original factory cat as per the following. The turbo exhaust is all as factory but after checking the compliance paper work the cat was replaced durring compliance. The cat installed durring compliance has not been modified or removed.

[V'z 34GTT]

Hey guys,

do you have to change you injectors to pass an EPA test. i'm guessing its an emissions test, but i can't find it on the letter.

plus i got done by Petett in rowville!!!!! HEADS UP

thanks

V

[R31Nismoid]

Well your car wont run on a factory ECU with larger injectors... so...

[V'z 34GTT]

yea thought so.....

im waiting to hear back from someone for a stock ECU

thanks

[bozodos]

haha well when it happened to me Hamish, the cop followed me to the testing site... 500 dollars later, I was wondering why I didnt just get a notice to get it retested instead of being fkn shafted.

[joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo]

you aint under arrest.... you dont have to go anywhere

[bozodos]

haha well I didn't want to test that theory out, funnily enough the testing officer was one Lou Raffa, farken cluey bloke, knew straight up that it had a RB25, MAP sensor based ECU, checked injectors, FPR, turbo etc.

It's crap how they can just dish out 500 dollar fines like that though, especially when there's plenty of loud vehicles like Harleys getting around, I'd love to see them give some bikers noise tests lol

[wht510]

I think I've found my next new business:

Selling hollowed out AFM for MAP based systems, OEM style boost controller solenoids. Then make up a latex RB20 cover for your RB26DET

Then "dirt in a can" to make those new looking injectors you have just finished fitting, look like the dirty factory ones you just ripped out.

Perhaps stick on plastic sheet bonnet to make your carbon fibre bonnet look like a factory one.

Finishing off with a Power FC with Nissan logos "Honestly officer, it's the factory engine diagnostic tool, read only..."

[R31Nismoid]

haha well I didn't want to test that theory out, funnily enough the testing officer was one Lou Raffa, farken cluey bloke, knew straight up that it had a RB25, MAP sensor based ECU, checked injectors, FPR, turbo etc.

It's crap how they can just dish out 500 dollar fines like that though, especially when there's plenty of loud vehicles like Harleys getting around, I'd love to see them give some bikers noise tests lol

lol good ole Lou Raffa - He & I get along so well, he even knows my car as the one with a "26" in it lol.

In a good way as he knows i did it all the "right" way so when i get EPA'd he is surprised... but such is the law where-by Police can report you without any evidence!

Where were you? Up your way?

[R31Nismoid]

Finishing off with a Power FC with Nissan logos "Honestly officer, it's the factory engine diagnostic tool, read only..."

They have actually been known to plug into the concult port (r33's) on the drivers side to see if its working.

If not - they go hunting for the aftermarket ECU

[JPCR33]

hey

on sat night i got pulled up n had to follow a cop bak into knox where they were set up to do full checks wif epa doing noise test on the spot

my car got 100db and they also took pics

the epa officer suggested to take out my resonator and put a decent mid muffler there

went down to the place that originally did my exhaust and told them that, guy said "nah dat wont pass u, u gotta get rid of the cannon and put on a original muffler and we can put crome tips on it for u" i dont think it will sound all to good after that

what are your opinions to fully fix it and pass and have no problems in the future

atm my setup is 2.5 inch piping from cat back, hot dog resonator, and a cannon 2.5"inlet and 4.5" tip

thanks

[R31Nismoid]

On a N/A you have the issues of not having a turbo to deaden some of the sound.

Do you really need 2.5" for a N/A? I wouldn't have thought so.

You will need 2x decent mufflers and a CAT. Having a 4.5" tip won't help either, get it back to 2.5". No need for it to be larger than the muffler outlet.

[JPCR33]

thanks mate

the stock piping when i got the car was 2.5"

so if i was to go with an oval muffler 2.5inch inlet, wif smaller rear tip and a decent mid muffler like epa officer said i should be fine.

now does that mean resonator goes out and replaced with a mid muffler or on the pipe there will be a mid muffler and a resonator before the rear muffler?

thinkin of getting somwthing like this....would this work well and get under 90db?