Dec law change on pods

[B-Man]

So if a certain someone has an air flow meter from a different car that means he/she is in trouble?

Mark has your car got a genuine Nissan AFM ???

Answer ....YES !!!

I think 100% of police wouldn't know the diff.

Benm - are you going contest the pod filter ?? If so , I'd say you would have 100% of SAU-NSW behind you !

If you are sure, positive, confident that you are right about this - let us know. I'd love to see this go to court and win -

If it is a question of $$ - Maybe the collective lads on SAU could help out ?? I'd be into helping out !

[benm]

Mark has your car got a genuine Nissan AFM ???  

Answer ....YES !!!

I think 100% of police wouldn't know the diff.

I agree, if it looks normal then they wouldn't even think to check it (they are lookin for a "pod filter") but if it had Nissan stamped on it then they would never know the difference unless they actually called Nissan and even then (as a Nissan Rep told me yesterday when I was at the local Nissan Shop) "To police would have to call us to find out if its factory or not (the Z32AFM). We dont know either because its an import and we dont have many/any technical details on imported Nissans only Australian delivered cars".

Benm - are you going contest the pod filter ?? If so , I'd say you would have 100% of SAU-NSW behind you !

After fitting my standard airbox on Monday (sooo much nicer to drive than a Pod Filter) I took my car to a blue slip mechanic in Sth Penrith on Tuesday to have the 'defect notice' cleared ($16.20). The conversation went similar to this:

Him: "What did you get defected for?"

Me: "They got me for my Pod Filter, can you tell me the ruling on Pod filters?"

Him: "Whatever the person infront of you says!"

Me: "Uh?"

Him: "Mate in my RTA book (that he uses to clear defects) it doesn't even say you have to have an air filter let alone what type of air filter you have!"

Me: "So whats wrong with my setup then? (ie; having a pod filter)"

Him: "Nothing, as I said you dont even need to have an air filter in place! Pink slips no air filter is needed, blue slips you must have the standard factory equipment"

Me: "My biggest problem is that everyone I talk to says something different except for the Blue Slip mechanics."

Him: "My suggestion to you is to write a formal complaint letter to the Police Commissioner of NSW and ask in writing for the correct ruling from him."

If I could get the 2 Blue Slip Mechanics, 1 Pink Slip Mechanic and 1 Police Officer to all put their opinions of this whole "pod filter" thing in writing to me i'd possibly write a letter as suggested above (and if i win i'd then write another letter demanding a refund for my $120 stock airbox as it wouldn't have been required if the police officer whom defected me got the ruling right in the first place, which I believe i'd be entitled to).

...but thats the least of my worries, right now its getting to the Summernats and back without getting done for my FMIC not being engineered. I *think* everything else is legal on my car, but then again depending on which police officer inspects my car my damn nissan floor mats could be illegal for all he cares

[dale]

benm yeh there were radars both times

and on the 2nd one he showed me like 3 readings i think where he had me like 97, 95, 104

[Guilty]

Ummm ok *Newbie* Question

Whatz the difference betweeen pink slips and blue slips?`?

I no that sounds newbish...but no one is born a genius =)

thx for any help..

cheeeeers

[Craved]

Guilty, blue slip is for cars that have not yet been registered, or have been out of rega for more than 3 months to make sure that they are ok to be registered engineering wise/adr approved! pink slips are the ones you get every year, less thorough for sure than blue slip! im sure there are more specific differences, i just dont know em

Benm, hope you didn't get done the way to the nats, i got done on the way to golbourne!

got canaried big time, then again the car is in bits while mods are being done! but the most stupid thing that these guys was

DEFECT ME FOR MY BATTERY IN ITS STANDARD POSITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now i have to relocate it and put it in a marine battery box, then run the ventilation out of the car!!! not real happy about this, also got done for the T wing, which i was told was ok since it doesn't go outside the sides of the car! Ridiculous effort on behalf of the police/rta , since they get me for things that are standard eg battery but fail to get me for the normal BOV, intercooler, pod (had UAS partition), tacho on a pillar etc etc -> just in case

no have to get this done before i go overseas this friday - like i dont have enough to do

end rant

[B-Man]

Craved - I don't understand how they can defect you for the battery being in it's standard location ?

And you are saying now that you have to do something to the battery, even though it is stardard, and the car had been complied and registered like this ?

Who advised you of the venting and marine shroud thingo - the cop or a defect station - Something sounds off to me .....

[benm]

Benm, hope you didn't get done the way to the nats, i got done on the way to golbourne!

Nope ! Drove past about 4 cop cars on the way down (they were attending an accident on the Federal Hwy where a car had gone off the side of the Hwy and was on its roof. I also passed about 4 Hwy Patrol cars on the way back to Sydney but they had already pulled cars over and were writing tickets etc.

DEFECT ME FOR MY BATTERY IN ITS STANDARD POSITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mate thats bullshit. I seriously wouldn't even bother "fixing" that. Just go to your local Blue Slip mechanic and have a talk to him and explain that the battery is in the factory position and he will probably just sign it off.

Do you have to get a "partial" or a "full" inspection?

[Jay95R33]

Benm - good to see you didn't have any problems with the Nats/cops etc. The last thing you want is to get defected while on holidays. Puts a real bummer on the trip.

Craved - you may have got a defect on the battery cause you don't have a sealed battery. Because the R33's have their battery in the boot, the battery MUST be of the sealed type. This may why you've been told to put your current battery in a marine air tight box with a ventilation hose.

Just change your battery to a sealed one and you'll be OK. I got a sealed big ass battery for $130 - not much more than you'd spend on a good marine box.

J

[GTRgeoff]

DEFECT ME FOR MY BATTERY IN ITS STANDARD POSITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now i have to relocate it and put it in a marine battery box, then run the ventilation out of the car!!! not real happy about this, also got done for the T wing, which i was told was ok since it doesn't go outside the sides of the car! Ridiculous effort on behalf of the police/rta , since they get me for things that are standard eg battery but fail to get me for the normal BOV, intercooler, pod (had UAS partition), tacho on a pillar etc etc -> just in case

end rant

You can buya a battery with a sealed area on top over the cells that has a hose that runs down the left side (looking from the rear) outside of the boot through a hole in the battery mount. This is legal and is as per the OEM configuration.

[Tex]

Guys, correct me if I'm wrong here, but perhaps the Police don't have anything about AFM mods in their big book 'o' naughties because technically it's an emissions issue, and would fall under the jurisdiction of the EPA?

Technically speaking, anything that is non-standard IS defectable. The defect is only an order to have the item checked by someone authorised to do so, so what varies is whether the defect will stick or not. You may well find that after being issued with a defect for something, the person who clears it will tell you there was no problem whatsoever. The cop isn't an engineer/mechanic though, so ge issues the defect when he suspects something is non-compliant.

Also, just one other thing that occurred to me regarding checking the tyre pressures of a vehicle that has booked you for speeding - surely if the tyre pressures of the vehicle which booked you are HIGHER than the prescribed 42psi, that means you were going even faster again than the Police vehicle's speedo would suggest?

Sorry if I've mentioned anything that's already been discussed, I did read almost all of the thread, but I'm a bit tired at the moment, so I might have missed something.

[Jay95R33]

Technically speaking, anything that is non-standard IS defectable.  The defect is only an order to have the item checked by someone authorised to do so, so what varies is whether the defect will stick or not.  You may well find that after being issued with a defect for something, the person who clears it will tell you there was no problem whatsoever.  The cop isn't an engineer/mechanic though, so ge issues the defect when he suspects something is non-compliant.

This is true, but this is where the problem stands, where the mod may be totally within the EPA/RTA rules, but because the inspecting officer isn't sure if it is OK or not they get hit with a defect.

It wouldn't be such a problem if it was just the case of taking your car in to be inspected, but a lot of the time people are getting fines and/or loosing points for it as well - not to mention the cost of having the car inspected.

So it's not just the incoveinance of taking it in to be inspected, but it's also a financial incoveinance for (in some cases) the inspecting officer not knowing what is legal and what isn't.

J

[Tex]

Surely if the defect is ultimately proven not to be an actual defect, then any associated point loss/fine would not apply?

I know I've waxed lyrical about this before on numerous occasions, but it's just as important for us to know the rules as it is for the Police to know. Everyone should check out www.ajc13b.com and read the LAW section. Steve (the owner of the site) has assembled a heap of info, including, last I checked, the vehicle regulations which specify what is a defect (handy for those "no H-pattern on gearknob" type defects), a copy of the ADRs, and a lot of good advice we can use to arm ourselves with the knowledge required to make our lives as modified car owners a bit easier.

[Ska]

Just FYI for any QLDers reading this post, I know it is in the NSW section, here's what the rules are here in toad country:

Generally, the fitting and use of vehicle accessories (air pod) do not

require specific approval from Queensland Transport. As such, Queensland

Transport does not approve or disapprove the use of vehicle accessories.

However, Queensland Transport requires that vehicles continue to comply

with the standards set from when the vehicle is first supplied to the

market. Accordingly, the use of any aftermarket devices must not result in

deterioration of vehicle compliance with the applicable Australian Design

Rules.

The only regulation relating to air filters is contained in Queensland

Transport's Approved Inspection Station (AIS) Code Of Practice which states

that, "air cleaners must be fitted".

It is the responsibility of the driver of the vehicle to ensure that

emmisions levels are maintained.

It may be necessary to supply proof that the vehicle maintains the original

emmision levels.

If further clarification is required please phone our Vehicle

Modification's Unit on 3253 4851

As for the enquiry regarding general modiifications a modification brochure

"All about modifications to motor vehicles" is available at most CSC's and

can be accessed through our web site.

http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/qt/driver....difications.pdf

Ska

[Beer Baron]

I thought the thing with pods being illegal is that they pose an under bonnet fire hazard? and as such must be enclosed in a box.

Richard

[Tex]

Richard, everyone seems to get told something different as to why the pod filter is supposedly illegal. The two most common ones in my experience are:

a). Because modifying the induction system means the vehicle's emissions may change (this is the most unlikely one, I'd say, simply because it's not illegal to put a panel filter in your stock airbox, the net result at the end is the same: more flow. I can't see how it would change your emissions in any appreciable way, either).

B). Noise pollution. No one can deny that a pod filter makes a heck of a lot of noise, and boxing a filter means it goes back to being quiet, like the car was when it left the factory (this is by far the most likely real reason for them being defectable, IMO).

I've never heard the fire hazard reason before though, I have to say. If it was an older car with a carby, then I can see how that would be so, seeing as the carby will often splutter fuel all over the filter, but on a modern car with the filter not even near the fuelling system, and not near any source of spark or flame, clearly that's hardly an issue.

Hmmm, I'm tempted to write a letter to the EPA to find out once and for all. This topic gets brought up way too often with no real resolution!