Lawful/Unlawful (engine searching)?

[VMS_AUTOXXXER]

Under what suspicion do law enforcement officers have the right to check your engine? Being at the races, having an exhaust? Can they pull you over for any reason they want to pop your hood? Just wondering thanks.

[sjpopo]

And, for the 1000th time: 2806 CVC.

Drive safe,

Ofc. Hoyt
SJPD

[jdgti]

2806. Any regularly employed and salaried police officer or deputy sheriff having reasonable cause to believe that any vehicle or combination of vehicles is not equipped as required by this code or is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person, may require the driver to stop and submit the vehicle or combination of vehicles to an inspection and such tests as may be appropriate to determine the safety to persons and compliance with the code.

Well...here's the catch. Ask a cop about this one, and they'll say they can look under your hood because you have a chrome exhaust tip. But, ask a lawyer, and they'll tell you the cop is full of BS.

"Reasonable cause" is a funny term, seems it's one of those things that can be pushed a little bit when an officer feels like it. Luckily for us, 99% of the shit you would get a cite for after they searched under your hood would also be a BS ticket, so it would be easy to fight.

Obviously just being seen near a racing area is "reasonable cause" for an officer, I've been asked to pop my hood on a car that appears stock just because I was driving down the wrong road at the right time.

If/when you get poppped for equipment violations, take the time to take it to court and win. I didn't do that on my last couple and I regret it. If we all pay our fines and keep quiet, then it doesn't become an issue...but if a lot of these cites keep getting thrown out in a courtroom, I'm sure someone will ask why officers are wasting their time and the courts time with tickets that can't stand up in front of a judge. Or maybe I'm just dreaming. I dunno, I just think this crap is getting stupid.

[LETZ_RUN]

If a cop pulled me over in a car because I had slicks, and the rest of the car was COMPLETELY stock looking, does everyone think that the cop would consider that a reasonable excuse to pop my hood? Just getting some opinions. Thanks.

[SlickS2K]

Cops have the right to pretty much do anything they want. Its at their discretion and judgement to make about searches, intakes, exhaust noise, all that. They decide on the spot what they percieve is against the law, some are assholes some are better. Nothing you can do about except try and suck up to them and get out of it.

[VMS_AUTOXXXER]

How I see it is they hold all the power if they choose to make up a frivolous reason because they don't like you then they can. Some cops are just ignorant (the better ones) and let you go. I don't know it just depends. And when you get the "dicks" oh man they try to get you for everything in the book. They'll cite you for things that you are not guilty of then you got to prove your innocence in court.

[dp]

i'm already knowin this shit bites!
they had a F***en picnic with my engine bay once.

"geeZ BoB what do you suppose that is right there yonder?"
"well George looks like this N****r has got Nitro... i mean that nitrous stuff" See them there shinny lines! them are the ones alright... how bout' all them chrome thangs...can we write one up for them tooo?"
Well son...looks like this car needs to be towed in..."

Feel Me!
Peace

[Matt]

Originally posted by dp
i'm already knowin this shit bites!
they had a F***en picnic with my engine bay once.

"geeZ BoB what do you suppose that is right there yonder?"
"well George looks like this N****r has got Nitro... i mean that nitrous stuff" See them there shinny lines! them are the ones alright... how bout' all them chrome thangs...can we write one up for them tooo?"
Well son...looks like this car needs to be towed in..."

Feel Me!
Peace


some cops know there shite...but yes some don't...just remember that.

[dp]

of course.