Someone earlier stated that I should know what constitutes probable cause for an under the hood search...well I don't. Im a cop in Florida, and no law enforcement agency in FL that I know of cares about modded cars.

Probable cause for a search is going to depend if you can be arrested for any modd violations, or merely given traffic tickets (i.e. not the kind with a court date)...fill me in on whether or not there are any violations you can be arrested for.

M-star

 

why do you guys keep saying they can't do this because its "profiling"? The problem with "racial profiling" is that it is based on race... that is what makes it illegal and controversial. But profiling in general is not illegal or unconstitutional. If they are looking for illegally modded cars, then of course they will have some sort of profile of what kind of cars are likely to be modded. What kind of car you drive is NOT the same as RACE.... sorry, but you guys are way off base on this. Not saying I like it or agree with the witch hunt, but it sounds perfectly legal if they choose to allocate their resources this way... legal, but stupid. How about focusing on keeping al Qaeda from bringing in one of the briefcase nuclear weapons they say they posses. Anyway, I have been pulled over (ran a red light... guilty as hell), and the officer was cool, courteous, gave me no **** about my car and let me off the hook with a warning. I guess I was lucky.

 

Bad cops here in Modesto...My buddy who ownes a body shop parked his ride on the top floor of a parking garage because there were 3 cops parked up there (he was thinking it would be safest there with all new ice and a NO2 bottle in plain sight) When he returned to his car he found it broken into and the cops (who were still parked there) said his friend tried to steal his car. (friend happened to be next to him the whole time). Anyhow to make a long story short the cop told him "I hate your KIND" and slipped up saying something about a rag in his trunk (which the cop wouldnt have known about without being in the trunk.) Which leads me to my point...CA cops can say/do anything because they can get away with it. You can't try to file a suite against them saying "they broke into my car and went through my stuff" because you can't prove it, and the sad thing is cops know it, so they get away with what they want.

 

weird. I actually thought that any type of profiling was illegal. It's obvious that this is different than racial profiling, but it depends on how you look at it. Any kind of profiling, technically, is wrong for the same reasons that racial profiling is wrong...make sense? You cannot group people together, or make assumptions about anything! I came VERY close to getting a modified exhaust ticket 1 week after the car was released (got mine in the first week). We argued for about 15 minutes about whether or not it was stock. I even told him that it didn't matter whether it was stock or not if he could'nt prove that it was over the db limit. He actually waited until another officer showed up with a db meter, tested it and let me go. He was going to write me for speeding just to spite me, but the other officer convinced him not to. I was actually driving well under the posted limit. I realize this kind of incident is not representative of all law enforcement officers, but I've had way too many experiences like this since I've had the EVO. I used to drive a '66 coronet with straight pipes and used to get thumbs up from the police! I never had a rude cop while I drove that car. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I'm seriously wondering if I made a good choice buying the EVO. I track the car twice a month, and I'm more than impressed with it's capabilities, but it has just been a nightmare to drive on the street. I'm constantly looking over my shoulder wondering what the reason will be for the next pull-over. I dunno, maybe I need to move.

 

So far most police have been cool to me when they see my car on the road. I have been followed abit by a few, but once they saw I was not hauling *** everywhere they took off. I do worry often about my exhaust. I know it should be below the legal DB limit but still I think someday I will have to challange it when a cop pulls me over for it.

 

Maybe I should just go get a Mustang Cobra, or some other domestics...

 

About 10 years ago, I was pulled over in Palos Verdes Estates (near LA). Essentially I was pulled over for driving past a cop in 1st gear at about 5000 RPM at 3 AM -- in a V8 Porsche, I guess it was a little loud for a residential neighborhood. My bad.

Anyway, the officers (two police cars were involved) asked to search my car and I declined, stating that an attorney had advised me never to consent to a search. After they checked out my license and registration and saw that I wasn't "in the system" as a criminal, they really didn't have anything to cite me for -- they didn't measure my car's speed or dB level as I drove by.

It seemed to me that the officers were not particularly upset that I asserted my right against unlawful search... I guess because I was very respectful and honest with them.

 

Im more affraid of getting searched and some dirty cop trying to plant some crack in my car. This wouldnt be an under the hood search but more like, inside the car search. (maybe i watch to many movies)

 

That's very true. My only problem (if you can call it a problem) with CHP is that they are straight forward. They don't wanna hear excuses, they don't wanna ask if you know how fast you were going, they don't even want you to tell them what you did wrong. I've been pulled over twice by CHP in my life (that's a 1:2 ratio since I've only been pulled over 4 times... I'm a good samaritan ) and both times they just say "I'm officer ___ from ___ Highway Patrol, you were exceding the speed limit, can I see your license, registration and insurance please? I'll be right back with your ticket" no chance of talking your way out of it (at least not that I know of)

My only "problem" is they are so matter of fact and so polite, and I was so wrong and so guilty, how can you do anything but say "Thank you officer"

anyway, I'm off to sell some stuff on ebay to help pay for my ticket

 

na when a cop pulls u over and if he asks you to pop ur hood, u can say no because its ur right to say no.

but then if he thinks (probable cause) that u do then he can force u to open ur hood. im taking a law class right now. but under the 4th or 5th one of those we have to right to say no, but then the cop can pick anything to be a probable cause to search ur car! so might as well let them search it, and if u r a *** they will make u r *** hurt very very badly!!!

someone got pulled over for their stock wing. and lots of people has been pulled over!!!

one of the key things is to follow traffic

dont go crazy and make ur exhaust sound like air plane
everywhere you go

if you got a after market bov, switch it back to the stock

if you got a cat delete take it off, and switch it to stock

better to be safe than sorry, this program probably just got started so all the cops is out there trying to catch all the "fix up" cars!!! it will died out slowly, but surly!

 

I wonder how the CHP would handle an out of state car?

Say for instances I was driving by a squad car parked on the side of the road scoping for "illegal imports." A bright blue EVO with a shiney exhaust might catch their eye enough to get me pulled over.

They can't really issue me a ticket for an "illegal exhaust" can they? I mean, my car is titled and registered in Arizona. I don't know if I would ever pop my hood for them either. But then again, would they ever ask me to since I am from out of state? I can just think of so many bad scenarios to come of this crap.

I frequent SoCal 3-4 times a year and have not yet been stopped by CHP, LAPD, SDPD or any other law enforcement. *knocks on wood* I generally keep with the flow of traffic and abide by all other traffic laws. Except for the one time I exited the car pool lane on the double yellow. But I didn't know any better until my wife yelled at me, lol. (She's from SoCal)

 

that suX. I have a civic and got pulled over several times from the same officer within the same city. And now it seems like the "system" got worse since they are pulling over any car that has the "potential" to be modified. Eversince I got the bimmer I've had no problems with cops; except this one time they pulled me over for no front plate. lol
if the cop wants to get you for something/anything, he will find a way since he has the legitimate authority unless you can outsmart him, but I highly doubt it. I've been to the courts a few times to contest my ticket about the civic(since I've been cleared by the judge that the ticket was unjust), and even the judge told me if I had a complaint that I had to take it up with local law enforcement.
I know what I'm saying here doesn't help much, but my point is that it is better to just keep a low profile and keep your cars stock looking as possible and avoid any confrontations with officers as much possible. When I had a modified civic (stock internals) I worried 99% of the time a cop would pull me over, and now I don't regret not buying an evo, although I wouldn't mind one as a track car. Now I'm sticking with sport/luxury cars from here on.

 

i hate police. they pull me over for the stupidest ****. I've noticed that cops do have preferences on which cars they pull over. when I drove my buddies roush mustang, I never got pulled over. when i've been pulled over 3 times in my mirage. I have to drive the 5 freeway to work everyday, and even if I drive safe and follow the rules of the road, I still get followed by CHP at least 2-3 a month. And the narcotics cops are the worst. they always think your on something. if you didn't get enough sleep and your eyes are red, your now suspected of being on pot or crack.

David

 

are BOV's illegal? i asked a cop before and he didnt even know what it was, and after i explained it to him he was pretty much like " i guess if it just makes noise its okay" kinda thing

 

Another thing that shows the sad state of affairs...I've been pulled over probably 10 times since I've had the EVO (I'd been pulled over 3 times total in the previous 12 years), and when I was wearing my suit...never got cited...for anything!!! Cop pulled me over for no front plate, was wearing my suit he lets me go! I'm wearing jeans and a T-shirt...ticket, everytime. My attitude never changed, I am always very respectful. A buddy with a red evo has been lit up a few times, for GROSSLY exeding the speed limit on numerous ocassions: 1 ticket. He's nearly 40 and he's graying (baby seat in the back prolly helps too). They always let him go. On one ocassion, I was in the car when this happened, a couple bike chips told him to go 0-60 as fast as he could, then caught up to us at the next light and gave the thumbs up. I find it very sad that *most*police feel that speeding or even normal fix-it type violations are exclusive to younger people or "poor" people. I used to get pulled over when the car was bone stock, popping hood nearly once a month, but my buddy has 15k in engine mods alone, forget about suspension/fuel system/wheels etc..., and they've never even asked him about it! I guess I should be glad that I was never cited while wearing the suit (if only they knew that I actually don't have 2 pennies to rub together hehehe)...I dunno maybe I should stop crying and acccept things as "the way it is"