Texas Muffler Regulations
by Roger Porter
A muffler is a series of chambers that receives the exhaust emitted from an internal combustion chamber engine and releases it through a pipe toward the back of the vehicle. This process effectively reduces the noise from a working engine. Properly functioning mufflers also reduce the amount of harmful emissions released into the environment. The Texas Transportation Code requires all registered vehicles to have a muffler and comply with the standards outlined by the law.
Muffler Requirements
Texas law stipulates that no part of an exhaust system can pass through the passenger compartment. The exhaust, likewise, can only be emitted from the back, sides, or top of the vehicle. A muffler must be mounted to the vehicle with special exhaust system brackets. These requirements are quite stringent to ensure that the muffler is in constant working order.
Emission Standards
Texas emission standards for mufflers are designed to reduce the level of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide released into the atmosphere. Eliminating malfunctions in the exhaust system avoids harmful emissions. A muffler and its adjoining parts, e.g., the tailpipe, resonators and catalytic converter, must not have any cracks, leaking sections or patches. The law states that the muffler must not be perforated. Even if a perforated muffler was repaired, Texas law requires the vehicle owner to replace it with a new muffler. Vehicles with mufflers that do not follow these standards can be cited by police or will fail a vehicle inspection.
Decibel Rule
Unlike other states that enforce a decibel limit on the noise produced by exhaust systems, Texas does not have a decibel law. However, the Texas Transporation Code states: "A motor vehicle shall be equipped with a muffler in good working condition that continually operates to prevent excessive or unusual noise."
References
Writer Bio
A native Texan, Roger Porter started creative writing in the summer of 2009. He wrote blurbs for the "Austin American-Statesman" and created stage plays for students at The University of Texas. Porter received a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing and a Bachelor of Science in radio-television-film from The University of Texas at Austin.
