EU noise limits on street cars

Holly · Post by **Holly** » Thu Dec 21, 06 1:25 pm

According to Track & Race Cars the EU will be introducing a 75Db limit on street cars (I guess to be tested at MOT time) in the not too distant future. Just how loud is 75Db though?

I was planning on fitting a straight-through exhaust to the Daytona, but I suspect it'll be too noisy (thanks to the turbo it should work out as about the same as a big block with flowmasters).

Charger · Post by **Charger** » Thu Dec 21, 06 2:56 pm

flippin EU, they’ll be trying to ban bent bananas and eccles cakes, and insisting that all matches are tested before leaving the factory next …

Holly · Post by **Holly** » Thu Dec 21, 06 3:34 pm

TBH I'm surprised a noise limit wasn't introduced into the MOT a long time ago, it was just 'reasonable for cars of that type' so could be anything. IIRC 75Db is a limit that the Police could check for when out on the road though, and I think track day cars have to be under 96Db (or something like that).

I'm just curious as to how load 75Db is (?)

latil · Post by **latil** » Thu Dec 21, 06 3:40 pm

That will prob. be 75Db at a certain distance.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Dec 21, 06 3:45 pm

got this off the Internet it reads:-

Preliminary data on iPods and similar devices have found lower maximum levels -- above 100 decibels (the noise volume of a chainsaw; risk of hearing damage after two hours), but not higher than 115 decibels (a football game in a loud stadium; risk of hearing damage after 15 minutes), Fligor said. To fully understand the potential impact of these devices, it is important to know that the sound is traveling a tiny distance from your ear bud to your eardrum rather than being diffused in a football stadium or concert arena.

RobTwin · Post by **RobTwin** » Thu Dec 21, 06 4:24 pm

Some examples here:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/S ... cibles.htm

But it doesnt say how far away the sound level was measured from

Looks like we just have to get our cars classified as 'Recreational Vehicles'. Or tractors

I reckon tho, a ropey old VW or diesel is way louder than a good V8.... at least, I often think that when the aforementioned sons of bitches are starting up in the mornings outside me house

bah humbug

And as for those pesky little retards on mopeds - they wont stand a chance with their 'modified' (ie removed) silencers

Jon · Post by **Jon** » Thu Dec 21, 06 4:28 pm

its almost impossible to accurately check the decibel output of a car anyway

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Thu Dec 21, 06 7:20 pm

Before y'all get too carried away, if and when such legislation does come in it's highly unlikely to be retrospective. Reflective number plates, seat belts, rear fog lights, cataclysmic pervertors and other emissions regs were all brought in for new vehicles and did not apply to anything older. No reason to expect this one to be any different, so just carry on regardless......

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Thu Dec 21, 06 7:24 pm

FlowMasters ahoy!

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Dec 21, 06 7:24 pm

Would it be calculated on Tickover or at certain amount of revs.

andyrob · Post by **andyrob** » Thu Dec 21, 06 7:36 pm

I'm with blue, it will only be on cars from a certain date, 75db is not that loud, normal curcuit racing limits are 96-105db which is measured by sticking a meter in the exhaust at 2/3 max revs, this however take no account of induction roar which can be just as loud !

TrevD · Post by **TrevD** » Thu Dec 21, 06 7:53 pm

phew, for a moment thare i thought i might have problems running my open headers on the street

but as its an old car it must have been made like that

Holly · Post by **Holly** » Thu Dec 21, 06 8:33 pm

The article in Race & Track Cars was talking about it retrospectively, at least thats how I read it ... Blue's probably right though

HERE describles how new cars are tested for noise, but I've been unable to find out any info beyond the fact there has been noise testing of in-use vehicles.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Dec 21, 06 8:51 pm

I've had mine done by my local plod. Apparently the noise I was making was a public neusance and unacceptable

.He stood a few feet from my exhaust at an angle with a microphone type thing that was connected to a box with a LCD display with my engine running at idle. But fortunatley my car is relativly quiet at idle but very loud when you rev it. I can't remember how loud it had to be before is was considered as "noise polluton" but I was below it. So Mr Policeman moved on to the number on my door and told me to put a line through it or remove it.

Holly · Post by **Holly** » Thu Dec 21, 06 9:12 pm

Fingers wrote:fortunatley my car is relativly quiet at idle but very loud when you rev it.
...
Mr Policeman moved on to the number on my door and told me to put a line through it or remove it.

'turbo' type mufflers will be quiet at idle because of the way they work

Dunno whats with the number, but I'm sure its not a problem to have a number on your car - some insurance companies won't cover cars with race numbers on them, usually only if they're on a competition style rectangular white background though.

On a side note, I got pulled over twice yesterday as the Corsa had a headlight bulb out - 1st was a car with two regular cops who gave me whatever they could (producer, cert to post off, PNC check on the car, warning). Traffic cop who stopped me later was just going to ask me to sort it ... my point being, I guess if you get a Police-person in the mood therealways some way to make your life difficult.