EPA Noise Defect Notice

[Lindsayl284]

Here's the problem:

I got a letter in the mail today from the EPA stating that a police officer had lodged a report against my car because it was "excessively noisy". It goes on to say that I must take the car to an Approved Vehicle Noise Tester to determine whether it complies with the Environment Protection Vehicle Emissions Regulations. (There is a list of 24 Noise Testers across Victoria on the last page of the defect notice). After I obtain a Certificate of Compliance from the Noise Tester (asssuming I pass!), I must lodge it with the EPA by 20th February. It also says that it was not necessary to stop my vehicle in order for the police to file the report! All they needed was my rego.

There is some information contained in the letter about the noise tests.

"Maximum noise levels for stationary vehicles not to exceed 90 dB(A) for a passenger vehicle manufactured after 1st November 1983" (I've paraphrased slightly.)

So my questions are:

- What in particular do the noise tests involve? I have read elsewhere on the forum that you need to rev your car to a certain level, but how is this level determined? By engine capacity? Whatever the case, I am certain that my car will fail because it is f***ing loud! in which case...

- What are the options I can take prior to the test to ensure that I pass?

- Also (this part is mainly a whinge), isn't this stuff covered by a roadworthy and/or Certificate of Compliance? I'm talking about the Certificate of Compliance you get when you first import a car into the country. When I first registered my car last year after importing it (and getting my engineer's CoC), I was surprised that neither the engineer or Vic Roads did not say anything about the noise. I had it registered at the Burwood Vic Roads who are notorious for checking EVERYTHING, so I am a little surprised that nothing was mentioned at all about the excessive exhaust noise level. (As a side note, avoid getting your car registered at the Burwood Vic Roads, this is a tip from Dean at Ultimate Performance Imports in Moorabbin. The guy wouldn't pass my car because it was ONE CENTIMETRE too low! Plus he had this measuring stick thing which was supposed to fit under the car to test the height and he was banging it like nothing else against the exhaust tubing.)

Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

[HKSgtst]

Fit back a stock exhaust system ..

[akeenan]

fit a stock system back onto it

[SKYL9]

i got my epa in the mail a couple of weeks ago and failed my test(got 103db's).. put my stock cat back system on with cable ties(took a whole 10mins) and went back for the retest and they didnt even turn my car on.. just payed them $20 and they gave me a thing to send to the epa.. if you want to come borrow my stock cat back just let me know as iv allready put my 3" back on.. im in mentone

[Elithrar]

Not too steal the show, though I myself was looking at getting a cat-back soon for a R32 GTS-t. Being the brand-name guy I am, the APEXi N1 was looking great, though it exceeds the 90db limit. I was thinking of getting the Super Silencer fitted (welded), to reduce the noise, but thought I might find another good brand-name exhaust that works just as well and produces less noise.

Any ideas? 5Zigen? HKS? It's gotta be less than $1500.

[Rezz]

he had this measuring stick thing which was supposed to fit under the car to test the height and he was banging it like nothing else against the exhaust tubing

Exactly the kind of Anti-import-Nazi stupid sh!t that everyones probably had to put up with at some stage... I bet he drives a Holden. (no offence to the 2 cool holden drivers on SAU)

He probably would've cut his stupid measuring stick down had an HQ been too low.

[DSKYLINE2C]

i think his name is Matt...he used to work in Box Hill DAALDER but is now working for Trufit in Cheltenham...... hes got a unique resinator that really reduces noise, it is still hi-flow and is guaranteed to be 90db or less....u may as well give it go

[Lindsayl284]

Thanks for the ideas everyone. I ended up calling William this morning who works with Gerald at Ice Performance. He was fantastic, told me to come right over even though it was his day off (he lives around the corner from me) and had a look at the car, fixed my boost gauge for free while he was at it! He knows one of the guys at the approved noise tester in Cheltenham, it's called Exhaust City on Park Road. William will take my car there first thing Monday and the dude will weld on a silencer and give me the certificate.

[SKYL9]

thats where i got mine done they were good enough just to have a quick look under to check i put the stocky back on and they just wrote out 1 of them epa things to send away

[Lindsayl284]

SKYL9 I was just about to ask where you got yours done. Good to know I'm taking it to the right place! I plan to get the silencer put on, get the certificate, then take it off again.

Well if the exhaust still sounds ok with the silencer then I might keep it on to keep the cops off my back, but I really like the sound at the moment, I don't want to lose my lovely exhaust note

[predator]

Its no biggie.. you just take it to an approved tester.. give them 15 minutes and they'll do the required test and tell you want it read at and whether you pass or fail. If you "fail" you just get whatever modified and come back and try again.

1. Its a b.s. law and just comes from the officers "thoughts" of whether it is actually too loud or not. As he doesn't use any meter he just makes it up on the spot.

2. Its perfectly possible to pass with an aftermarket exhaust.. I passed at 89db with a full dump system, highflow cat and Super Dragger II catback. Most won't though, true.

3. Its 3/4 of the max rev range, so around 5200rpm for an R33

4. You don't have to send it to the EPA, just take it a testing station, and they forward it on when it passes and its all done. The test is around $30

5. Here is the list of testers.. just rock up to one http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/Noise/testers.asp

6. Please do a search in future, all this has been coverd COUNTLESS times as most people have been there one time or another

[Lindsayl284]

Cheers predator, should all be sorted no worries by Monday evening

[Jamezilla]

Re: 3/4 of rev range...

Do they take this from the tacho? If so - they're going to test me at 7500rpm! That's just a little unfair as I NEVER go that hard in suburbia - hell, I'm speeding in reverse at 7500!

Also - nearly finished my letter of complaint. The 'excessive' noise thing is a beauty. My car may be louder than a Daewoo - but it sure isn't excessive.

[SKYL9]

they test a 33 at 4800.. thats what this place's book said anyways

[predator]

While its meant to be standard, he did mine at 5200?? there is a list of testing guidelines out there which list every little in and out.. they're out there (and on here) somewhere.

Its different for GTR though james so don't stress too much .. i remember at McLeod them telling me it was something else for GTR, but i forget what it was sorry.

[Flaps]

I just got a new Muffler fitted yesterday, has a screw hole in it so i can get a nosie reducer or soemthing like that, stick it in the tip and scew it in place, presto a quiet exhaust

[Emre]

The testing is done at 75% of where the car makes its maximum horsepower.

GTS-T's make maximum hp at 6400 rpm so they are tested at 4800 rpm.

GTR's make maximum hp at 6800rpm and they are tested at 5100 rpm.

Obviously when you modify your car with bigger cams and turbos etc. the point where you develop maximum hp on the rev range changes as well, luckily they don't get that anal and go with the factory figures.

The tester generally uses a multimeter to read the revs and verify your tachometer reading.

The microphone is placed at half a meter distance and 45 degree angle to the rear muffler.

[pinoi_boi_r33]

consider yourself lucky i actually had to go to the epa site in macloed and i live in frankston. It was damn far. I passed with 85dB on a cat back 3.5 inch stainless kakimoto system. I also got a high powered vehicle fine on the way back for my troubles. Blardy cops. I eventually got off the high powered fine tho. but still pretty harsh after serving and passing an EPA summons.

[rs73]

with all these sound issues, it would be interesting to gather data of what exhaust system has been tested at which db...

so anyone else who's got their exhaust tested, maybe can post their db result and exhaust brand, and if it is cat back, turbo back or dump back, etc...

[Ash]

The thing which gives me the shits about this is, when you are sitting at a caffe and you can hear cars going by, yes skylines supras are louder than a pulsar or camry but they are nowhere near as loud as some hyundi's i hear which have aftermarket exhausts, which i am sure make the car louder than if they had no exhaust at all, actually v8 holden's aren't exactly quite either.