California Man Cited For Driving Stock Chevy Camaro SS 1LE In Sport Mode
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A Chevy Camaro owner in California has posted a story to an online enthusiast forum about an incident where he was apparently ticketed for driving his stock 2019 Chevy Camaro SS 1LE in Sport Mode. The law enforcement officer who issued the ticket was primarily concerned with the noise level of the factory exhaust system. The ticket involves setting an appointment with the local automotive referee, which the Camaro driver estimates costs $100, as well as a court date.
The story was posted to the Camaro 6 enthusiast forum by user Abdulisraddd, who, according to the user profile, lives in Northridge, California. According to the post, the Camaro owner had his vehicle for less than a month before he was pulled over for an excessively loud exhaust.
“My exhaust is bone stock and I was going about 30 – 35 max (rush hour),” the post reads. “So he asks me what modification I have on my exhaust I told him it’s bone stock.” After walking back to the patrol vehicle, the police officer returned and asked if the car was being driven in Sport Mode, which the driver confirmed it was.
“He tells me that sport mode is for track use only and when Chevy tests the car to pass the decibel test, Chevy leaves the car on stealth mode,” the post states. The end result was a ticket for an excessively loud exhaust requiring a referee sign-off, which costs $100, plus a court date. The user also posted a photo of the ticket, which literally states “Driving In Sport Mode” as the offense.
Of course, anyone reading this website will know that Sport Mode with stock exhaust is completely legal to drive on the street, even in California, and that Chevy certainly does not leave the car on stealth mode to “pass the decibel test.” In fact, there are four settings for the Engine Sound Management system – Stealth, Tour, Sport, and Track. The different mode settings also affect the electronic throttle progression, transmission shift map, power steering calibration, Magnetic Ride Control suspension settings, and Ambient Lighting.
For enthusiasts, a ticket for an excessively noisy exhaust is just part of the game. However, if the driver is running a stock exhaust system, receiving a ticket like this seems like a very frustrating thing to deal with.
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The cop is right. Loud exhaust is a blast, but nobody wants to hear that $hit in stop and go traffic, drowning out your sound system. Pay the ticket and learn your lesson.
Where I live, sound levels change from one town to the next.
It’s California. What else would you expect? Cheers!
I prefer California, way before Texas!
Tell that Officer to return to his tent city and leave vehicle performance to the men & women who know the standards 🤨
This is what you do when the cop lights come on. You switch it back to street mode. Shut the engine off. When he asks if you were in sports mode, tell him you had the car 1 month and don’t know what sports mode is. Stick to your guns about what mode (that you tell the cop). I would never invite a cop to look in my car at the settings or buttons. If he complains about noise, tell him to look under the car. Put the burden back on the corrupt cops who regularly and repeatedly abuse the power they are granted.
Appeal. Stand your ground. Then move the F out of California.
Instead of asking, “How on Earth can you cite someone for using ‘sport mode’?” Everyone should be asking, “Why in the ef’ does a Camaro have a sport button in the first place?” It is the most daft thing that I have ever seen on cars, putting sports buttons on 2-door coupes sold as some level of performance car. The whole idea is that it is in ‘sport mode’ all of the time, because that is why the car exists in the first place. Sport buttons only belong in sedans that are intended to play nice one minute and burn rubber the next.
Couldn’t live under that type of control. Move to Texas or Florida. Don’t have to worry about that mess.
Go figure, it’s a money grab, the exhaust is stock aka as designed and certified by GM to Carb OE standards the use of different driving modes or settings does not void a CARB OE certification. California is going broke and people are fleeing the state in droves so they have to prey on their current citizens to fund their overinflated, overreaching government. So Californians when you flee the tyranny change the way you vote don’t bring the nonsense to more common sense oriented states with you. Climate Change has happened many times in Earth’s history long before humans existed, thermal maximums and minimums are a natural part of our planets life don’t let people force you into submission with pseudoscience.
They have to write those tickets to keep the revenue stream up! The officer must have been in a bind to meet his “quota” to make sure he gets his next raise in pay. To protect and serve, as we wouldn’t want our hearing to go bad!
That’s what happens when you live in liberal America
If Kamala becomes President, she’s gonna make all vehicles electric, no need to worry about loud exhaust.
Only in California…..the land of Fruits and Nuts!!
Take Pacific Coast Highway out of California and you’re left with nothing. It’s all wackadoodles. Cheers!!
Harris couldn’t manage a food truck. Cheers!
Back in ’65 I got pulled over by a Montgomery County MD policeman for doing 32 in a 25 zone (no radar). In the exchange with the officer he threaten me with a noise ticket too. I had 63 1/2 Falcon Sprint w/ factory SINGLE exhaust. I guess it was a case of a young kid (18) with a fancy car. The same county police force got win that in 1969 you could order a 1969 Chevelle SS396 optioned with a Walker chambered exhaust system (no mufflers). The County Police targeted everyone that they heard on the road with a ticket. Needless to say there was run back to the dealers to install a stock exhaust system. Glasspacks where also illegal in MD.
Hey Rick, I had a ’69 Chevelle SS396 with the chambered exhaust and never had an issue here in PA!
I was born and raised in northern Wisconsin, and the cops were tough, as were the laws. If you were under 18 with a probationary license, you would also lose your license for 30 days in addition to the fine. I know of 2 people that this happened to. Both were guilty of the noise violations, but losing a license for that, plus your insurance going up, was way too much of a penalty. I got a couple of warnings for times when the exhaust system gave out, but had to go down to the police station for inspection after repairs. Glass packs and straight pipes were a definite no-no!
Noise ordinances vary from place to place. No manufacturer will indemnify you against noise violations. It is your responsibility to know if a vehicle will comply. Does not matter if it is ‘bone stock`.
Sounds like another great reason to leave California. (No pund intended) I would argue a clear first amendment violation the right to own property.Then apply for a hearing to the Supreme Court to repeal the law.As no State has the right to charge any American citizen for a referee $100 + a court hearing.Clearly double jeopardy.
If the driver was an illegal alien, he would’ve been issued a, “Have a nice day”.
Hard to imagine why citizens are leaving CA in droves.
So tired of boneheads driving their bone stock super loud exhaust cars – I think manufacturers also need to be fined for allowing boneheaded people do this.
The cop is an EV lover and so as the people who thumbs down any reply that is siding the cop and the stupid law.