EPA Victoria Vehicle Testing Notice

[5.0ALM]

Just received the following after I submitted my appeal


“Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has received your internal review application. Your infringement will be on hold while your application is being reviewed.
EPA must determine internal review applications within 90 days. This timeline will be extended if we request more information from you during the assessment. An independent internal reviewer will review your application. You will be notified of the outcome of their review in writing.

So the clock has stopped. Good to know that for any future issues”

I plan to keep my testing appointment in place for Oct 31st. If push comes to shove I want that test certificate for future issues if they arise. Test cost is $130 which really pisses me off but I think it’s money I have to spend to get this crap sorted.

I’ll arrive at the testing centre set to Normal mode and leave it to them to test it. The tester an exhaust specialist and looking at their website they do a lot with performance vehicles so I’m expecting a warm welcome

Hope this thread is helpful/interesting

On a serious note, what a hassle.
If you get a second "infringement" I would start shouting harassment.

Can you find out who complained under FOI?

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[5.0ALM]

The damage this clown and his cronies have done, and Victorians will be paying for it for decades...

 

[DFB5.0]

What a complete waste of time and resources for all involved.

What annoys me most is how motorbikes get away with this, but not cars. Every single Harley I've ever heard is waaaay louder than any muscle car. I just don't get it.

 

[Neggytive]

Boy they must really hate Harley Davidson motorcycles too.

 

[smurfslayer]

What a complete waste of time and resources for all involved.

What annoys me most is how motorbikes get away with this, but not cars. Every single Harley I've ever heard is waaaay louder than any muscle car. I just don't get it.

I have 2 Ninjas, a Raptor and the Dark Horse and only the latter has a completely stock exhaust.
You can thank the “loud pipes save lives” crew for this one. Every Rich Urban Biker (RUB) out there has to have the HD drag pipes- no baffles. So they go from about 70 rwhp on a 700 pound bike down about 7-10 hp under 4k rpms, and pickup maybe 2hp at redline.

So, now they have zero sound muffling, and huge flat spot in the.... “power” curve. So the only answer is more throttle! And, since they didn’t bother to tune it, they stall at traffic lights. So to prevent that they go spastic with their right wrists at traffic lights & other stops.

Plus, they have to look the part, buying pre-distressed leather vests and the ubiquitous half helmet. Oh, and chrome polish. LOTS of chrome polish.

The thing is, it only takes a few of these examples to sour folks on all of us. I’ve seen enemies made first hand when a guy fired up his open pipe HD in a parking garage and immediately starts revving the thing right next to a family taking 2 toddlers to the car. both covered their ears and the little girl started balling. This is why we can’t have nice things.

 

[Frostee]

Had the exhaust tested and no surprise it was compliant. Testing cost me $120. If this happens again I will fight it, having demonstrated my willingness to get it tested despite knowing it would be compliant.

Still pissed off at the time and money wasted on this, but time to leave it behind me and get on with enjoying my car.

 

[5.0ALM]

Had the exhaust tested and no surprise it was compliant. Testing cost me $120. If this happens again I will fight it, having demonstrated my willingness to get it tested despite knowing it would be compliant.

Still pissed off at the time and money wasted on this, but time to leave it behind me and get on with enjoying my car.

Good to hear Frostee.

More information about the testing routine though.

Do they simply test in default "normal" mode of the car?
Or do they check every available exhaust setting?

What is the pass/fail threshold measurement?
I'd expect that to be nnn dB @ n meters.

 

[Frostee]

Do they simply test in default "normal" mode of the car?
Or do they check every available exhaust setting?

What is the pass/fail threshold measurement?
I'd expect that to be nnn dB @ n meters.

Testing is pretty basic

They had me open the hood.
One guy leans into the car from a squatted position and starts the car, and then revs the engine using his hand.

The other guy is behind the vehicle with the db Meter. I didn't look at the distance closely but I'd say about a meter. (edit: I found a copy of the test method online and it's distance of 500mm)

He just started it. There was no regard to exhaust mode. It was tested how it started which by default would be in normal mode.

The tested at 3750 RPM and took two measurements

- Max noise level inc. backoff where I scored 89 dBA vs Maximum Permitted of 93 dBA
- Max noise level at test speed (3750 RPM) was 87 dBA vs Maximum Permitted of 93 dBA

Note: dBA is a weighted measure according to the weighting curves to approximate the way the human ear hears.

https://www.softdb.com/blog/difference-between-db-dba/

They also had an iPhone on a stick and photographed the underside of the exhaust system which I understand is filed as part of the Certificate of Compliance. The CoC also has a sketch of the observed exhaust system.

The tester mentioned that they had a number of Hyundai i30N's receive testing notices when they first came out, but that word seems to have got around with the cops that they're compliant, and they haven't had any in some time. He said the EPA re really pushing the cops to issue these notices when they consider a vehicle is noisy.

I called the EPA after I submitted Certificate of Compliance and discussed again the scenario if I get another notice issued after this one expires in 3 months. They said that I can ask for a review. The guy was very nice and empathetic. He said he totally understood I wouldn't want to pay for more testing, and said that having demonstrated my willingness to test as I have puts me in a strong position.

If I do receive another one I will be disputing it, will offer to provide a Statutory Declaration and will be up for the fight.

Hopefully this is a one off. As mentioned earlier my S550 had Borla S-Type Axle Back's for 7 years. They're compliant but similarly at the upper end of the regs, and I never has an issue. I think I just got unlucky.

On a final note I did use a contact I have to raise the matter with Ford HQ in Melbourne and they confirmed too that the "sport" setting is also perfectly legal. "Track" and "Dragstrip" is another matter and the display warns you if you select them.

 

[Frostee]

Further to my post above, this is the test method that the EPA Vic refers to

Stationary test method The stationary test method is set out in the National Stationary Exhaust Noise Test Procedures for InService Motor Vehicles, which is amended from time to time, and is published by the National Transport Commission (NTC) and National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) ISBN 0 642 54456 5. It is available for download from the NTC website at time of writing:

https://www.ntc.gov.au/sites/defaul...Procedures For In-Service Motor Vehicles .pdf

 

[Frostee]

.....and just got an email from the EPA confirming receipt of the CoC and that it has been processed for the Testing Notice issued, and no further action is required.

Hallelujah!

 

[Deano1978]

It's a pretty crappy system when you can get a notice in the mail based on what someone hears or perceives as noisy without any physical evidence to back it up.

Unfortunately the cops et al can issue notices in this manner in various states. I've heard stories of them following cars and issuing tickets based on their Odo and a stopwatch!

 

[smurfslayer]

Further to my post above, this is the test method that the EPA Vic refers to

Stationary test method The stationary test method is set out in the National Stationary Exhaust Noise Test Procedures for InService Motor Vehicles, which is amended from time to time, and is published by the National Transport Commission (NTC) and National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) ISBN 0 642 54456 5. It is available for download from the NTC website at time of writing:

https://www.ntc.gov.au/sites/default/files/assets/files/National Stationary Noise Test Procedures For In-Service Motor Vehicles .pdf

Blame impending ice age ... global warming ... climate change. It’s obvious that the ice ... glo... er... climate change affects the perception of sound, rendering these tests antiscientific. Don’t worry, if there is no supporting data, you can just manufacture the data to support your desired conclusions. Point them to the study and accuse them of denying science.

 

[IFFV68]

I received a letter in the mail from the EPA advising that my vehicle was observed in Collins Street Melbourne by an authorised officer, who considered the vehicle to be excessively noisy.

I typically drive it in Sport mode, and the car is stock. So I've had to book it in for testing in a couple of weeks time. Speaking with the testing provider he said I've got nothing to worry about if it's stock.

What a pain

I would tell him to go screw himself!

 

[Frostee]

I would tell him to go screw himself!

Easier said than done

it’s a legal notice that if not responded to results in a fine and possibly further legal action

 

[Eremyjay]

Testing is pretty basic

They had me open the hood.
One guy leans into the car from a squatted position and starts the car, and then revs the engine using his hand.

The other guy is behind the vehicle with the db Meter. I didn't look at the distance closely but I'd say about a meter. (edit: I found a copy of the test method online and it's distance of 500mm)

He just started it. There was no regard to exhaust mode. It was tested how it started which by default would be in normal mode.

The tested at 3750 RPM and took two measurements

- Max noise level inc. backoff where I scored 89 dBA vs Maximum Permitted of 93 dBA
- Max noise level at test speed (3750 RPM) was 87 dBA vs Maximum Permitted of 93 dBA

Note: dBA is a weighted measure according to the weighting curves to approximate the way the human ear hears.

https://www.softdb.com/blog/difference-between-db-dba/

They also had an iPhone on a stick and photographed the underside of the exhaust system which I understand is filed as part of the Certificate of Compliance. The CoC also has a sketch of the observed exhaust system.

The tester mentioned that they had a number of Hyundai i30N's receive testing notices when they first came out, but that word seems to have got around with the cops that they're compliant, and they haven't had any in some time. He said the EPA re really pushing the cops to issue these notices when they consider a vehicle is noisy.

I called the EPA after I submitted Certificate of Compliance and discussed again the scenario if I get another notice issued after this one expires in 3 months. They said that I can ask for a review. The guy was very nice and empathetic. He said he totally understood I wouldn't want to pay for more testing, and said that having demonstrated my willingness to test as I have puts me in a strong position.

If I do receive another one I will be disputing it, will offer to provide a Statutory Declaration and will be up for the fight.

Hopefully this is a one off. As mentioned earlier my S550 had Borla S-Type Axle Back's for 7 years. They're compliant but similarly at the upper end of the regs, and I never has an issue. I think I just got unlucky.

On a final note I did use a contact I have to raise the matter with Ford HQ in Melbourne and they confirmed too that the "sport" setting is also perfectly legal. "Track" and "Dragstrip" is another matter and the display warns you if you select them.

What MY s550 did you have with the borla ? Id imagine the quad pipe Borla are louder than the dual pipe so if you had the 15-17 its slightly quieter than the 18-24.

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