§ 437.20 Muffler; Muffler Cutout; Excessive Smoke, Gas or Noise
   (a)   No person shall own, operate or have in his or her possession any motor vehicle or motorcycle equipped with a device for producing excessive smoke or gas, or so equipped as to permit oil or any other chemical to flow into or upon the exhaust pipe or muffler of such vehicle or in any other way to produce or emit smoke or dangerous or annoying gases from any portion of such vehicle other than the ordinary gases emitted by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine under normal operation.
   (b)   No person shall own, operate or have in his or her possession any motor vehicle or motorcycle which emits a flame generated by the ignition of any flammable substance in a muffler or any other device.
   (c)   No person shall own, operate or have in his or her possession any motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine which is not equipped with an adequate muffler or a motorcycle which is not equipped with a compound muffler, in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise or sound, and no muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cutout, by-pass or similar device. No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise or sound emitted by the motor of the vehicle in excess of that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle, and the original muffler shall comply with all of the requirements of this section.
   (d)   For the purpose of this section “muffler” means a device consisting of a series of chambers or baffle plates, or other mechanical design for the purpose of receiving exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, and effective in reducing noise. Exhaust pipes shall be parallel to the ground and vehicle, or vertical, and if vertical, the exhaust from the pipes shall not be directed to the side of the vehicle.
   (e)   No person shall operate any motor vehicle which produces a sound or noise in excess of ninety- five (95) decibels as measured not less than five (5) feet from the source of such sound or noise. The term “decibel” means a unit for measurement of relative sound levels as indicated by a sound level meter having those properties essential for the purpose of administration and enforcement of this section of a nature defined by the current American Standard Association Specification (Z 24.3-1944).
(Ord. No. 1684-76. Passed 6-29-76, eff. 7-6-76)