2.5" Straight Pipe - Asking for a ticket?

[IH-Mitch]

Hey everyone,

I just put a 2.5" exhaust on my pride and joy. After driving it for a couple days it has me a little worried that I'll be getting a ticket for loud exhaust. My reasoning being at any stoplight or stop sign the whistle is very obvious and at take off it has a little deep rumble to it. Taking off at stoplights with no cops around will turn every head on the sidewalk so I'm banking on it's the awesome sound of the turbo coupled with a new properly adjusted VNT actuator and cleaned intake but I'm not sure. (work done by yours truly)

Earlier today I had a police car behind me and to my right at a stoplight, I just took off easy and there were no problems even got to pass one on the highway at 70mph then to have him pass me back and again no issues.

Has anyone gotten a ticket for loud exhaust on a 2.5" run? I'm probably just a bit paranoid.

 

[Seatman]

You wont get any trouble from it being loud, the turbo does a good job of chopping the noise up anyway, only thing that's ever a problem with a straight pipe is passing the emissions test due to some of the US laws in some states.

 

[IH-Mitch]

Thanks for the information. So far I love the sound, the whistle is amazing. Now I have some other TDI enthusiasts interested as well. It's really quite amazing how much you can do yourself with these cars.

 

[Seatman]

Unlimited in the Mk4 I reckon, I've done loooooaaaads so far without much hassle.

 

[Strykeviper]

I have straight pipe from the cat back. I especially like the sound you get at each shift. Never had any attention from any law enforcement.

I also get lots of head turns when I go by lol

 

[jptbay]

I've got a 2.5" straight exhaust, never one problem. Drive next to some of the inconsiderate Harley owners if you want to hear loud exhaust.

 

[cruiser guy]

I have run straight pipe on my turbo-diesel Toyota Land Cruiser for over ten years. I've been all over North America, West Africa and Europe and never a problem. It sounds a little like a deuce and a half!

As others have said, the only possibility of a problem might be at an emissions test for not having a muffler.

No plans to do this on the Jetta at this time.

 

[IH-Mitch]

Took the VW to the Tomah Truck and Tractor pulls yesterday. The sound of the turbo was a big hit with everyone that walked past.

As we were leaving we followed a cop out who then pulled off to the shoulder and watched us go past. no issues were had again.

Like everyone has been saying, I'm not expecting to get pulled over for loud exhaust.

 

[888]

I have a straight pipe on a first gen Dodge Cummins truck that can turn on alarms on parked cars when I drive by. And that was before the tailpipe broke off before the rear axle. Your TDI can't be louder than that, I'd drive it and not worry about it.

Didn't you get a CEL when you installed the straight pipe?

 

[polaryj]

i drove around for weeks with the exhaust cut off pre-cat, so right at the mount under the firewall. ANY v-8 with a nice (and legal) exhaust system will be WAY louder then even that. so unless you get inspections, or live in a neighborhood with crazy noise laws, you'll be fine.

 

[IH-Mitch]

Ticket, probably not, but your neighbors probably think you're a douchebag.

Sorry to disappoint you but my closest neighbor lives a half mile away and lives on a farm. My cattle don't mind my car and will come running when I pull in the pasture with a the old diesel Farmalls.

 

[2000BlueJ]

I put the IDParts magnaflow on mine more so because it was annoying me. I loved the straight sound especially with the tip I had but this is nice too, and easier on the ears... Over a year and a half though with a 2.5" straight exhaust and wasn't until a few months ago I got pulled over twice on my way home from work by the same bored cop. Not much to do at 3am

 

[belome]

I just can't figure out why so many people feel an annoyingly loud car/bike/boat/moped is 'cool'. Especially on a 90 hp car that takes a quarter mile to go from 0-60.

Everyone's excuse is always... but the Harley guys with their straight pipes are louder than my car/bike/boat/moped. Yeah, that may be true, but that just makes them even bigger douchebags.

 

[dogdots]

I like the sound of my Norton, Powerstroke, and TDI with straight pipes. Personal preference I guess.

None of them are loud unless I am trying to be loud.

 

[jethrobolas]

I do believe that a turbo is considered a mechanical noise suppression device nation wide. You shouldn't have any problems if you need to get an inspection. Turbos sound nice, but I prefer my TDI to be as quiet as possible. Don't want a car that is all bark and no bite.

 

[TDikook]

I had a straight 2.5" exhaust, but I decided it was WAAAY too loud!! I could hear it 4 blocks away when I let my friend drive it, and he drove the piss out of it. it was then I decided to put a resonator(as Whitbread likes to call them) on, and I got the biggest one that would fit. it is still loud, but not THAT loud..

 

[Maffken]

Cops will ticket here if your exhaust is 'too loud' and cite noise concerns. It has to have a working muffler and not sound abnormal or they'll slap a ticket down on you.

I still might go with a straight pipe or magnaflow exhaust if mine goes out, but it's holding up so far. It's only a matter of time however until the winters rust it out.