(a) Mufflers.
(1) No person shall operate a motor vehicle or motorcycle powered by an internal combustion engine upon the streets of the city unless such motor vehicle or motorcycle is equipped with a muffler which is in good working order and in constant operation, to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and no operator of such motor vehicle or motorcycle shall use a muffler cutout, by-pass or similar device on the same while operating upon the streets of the city.
(2) 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 motor vehicle or motorcycle, or equipped 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) Exhaust systems.
(1) No person shall operate a motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, powered by an internal combustion engine, upon the streets of the city unless such motor vehicle is equipped with an exhaust system, sealed to prevent leakage of exhaust gases, composed of at least the following elements:
A. An exhaust manifold, or similar exhaust collection device, sealed to the engine to receive the exhaust gas from all of the exhaust ports of the engine;
B. A muffler, which is in good working order and in constant operation, sealed to the exhaust manifold or collection system; or
C. A tailpipe, sealed to the muffler, of sufficient length to direct the exhaust gas from under the vehicle at a point beyond the passenger area of the vehicle.
(2) However, the operation of any such vehicle with an exhaust system originally installed by the manufacturer, or its equivalent, shall be deemed lawful.
(c) Unreasonably loud sound from a motor vehicle.
(1) No person, being the owner or person in possession of a motor vehicle with any radio, phonograph, television, tape player, loudspeaker or any other instrument, machine or device, shall cause or permit any noise to emanate from the motor vehicle in such a manner and of such intensity and duration as to create an unreasonable noise or loud sound which causes inconvenience and annoyance to persons of ordinary sensibilities.
(2) It is prima-facie unlawful for a person, being the owner or person in possession of a motor vehicle with a device described above, to cause or permit any noise to emanate from such motor vehicle which is plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet from the motor vehicle. The lawful use of a motor vehicle horn is not a violation of this subsection.
(3) This subsection does not apply in any of the following circumstances.
A. The sound-amplifying equipment of the motor vehicle is being operated to request medical or vehicular assistance or to warn others of a hazardous road, vehicle or traffic safety condition.
B. The motor vehicle is an emergency vehicle or public safety vehicle and is on an emergency run.
C. The motor vehicle is owned and operated by the state or a political subdivision thereof or a public utility.
D. The motor vehicle is participating in a parade or other activity for which the sponsors have obtained the necessary permit or authorization.
E. The sound-amplifying equipment of the motor vehicle is being operated as a requirement of federal, state or local law.
(d) Altered suspension systems and bumpers. No person shall operate upon any street or highway any motor vehicle that:
(1) Was originally equipped with bumpers as standard equipment, unless the vehicle is equipped with bumpers equal to the original equipment when so operated; or
(2) Has a suspension system or body so modified that the height of any bumper on the vehicle varies more than three inches from the original manufactured bumper height for the vehicle.
(e) Visibility. No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon the streets of the city if more than ten percent of the area of any window panel of the same is covered by a decal, placard, sign, snow, ice, frost, condensation, discoloration, dirt or other item or substance that obstructs the view through such window panel, or if such decal, placard, sign, snow, ice, frost, condensation, discoloration, dirt or other item or substance, whether or not it covers ten percent of such window panel, is so located that it interferes with the view of the operator of such vehicle.
(Ord. 73-40, passed 9-13-1973; Am. Ord. 73-48, passed 10-25-1973; Am. Ord. 91-60, passed 10-10-1991; Am. Ord. 96-106, passed 12-31-1996)