Has an officer ever done this to you?

[madness410]

Hey guys,
Im planning to be a police officer in the future so I browse these forums at officer.com where you can ask cops any question.

Anyways, I was reading this thread that a cop initiated a traffic stop and after inspection of the vehicle told the driver to pop the hood, and was messing around with stuff under there. The other officers on the thread told the officer he did the right thing and was just doing his job, and said that the officers have to make sure nothing with the emissions is tampered with.

First, does anyone know if this is even legal in NJ? Second, has this ever happened to you or anyone that you have known? What are they looking for?..my guess would be open headers or something along those lines. But I would hate it if a cop was messing with anything in my car, which is the reason why im asking if this has happened to anybody...

[DrivenZ28]

I would ask to see a warrant... of course I have nothing illegal under my hood though...

[madness410]

I would ask to see a warrant... of course I have nothing illegal under my hood though...

what can anybody put under the hood that could be illegal? guns? narcotics? LoL...what can be illegal that an officer can see without taking anything apart?

[sweetbmxrider]

what can anybody put under the hood that could be illegal? guns? narcotics? LoL...what can be illegal that an officer can see without taking anything apart?

ya that could be under there. i don't know much about this but i know cops in cali have a blast with it. i would say warrant since its locked and not accessible to the driver while operating the vehicle. its kind of like the trunk.

[madness410]

ya that could be under there. i don't know much about this but i know cops in cali have a blast with it. i would say warrant since its locked and not accessible to the driver while operating the vehicle. its kind of like the trunk.

yeah haha one of the cops on that thread was in cali and said he does it at least once a day...but we are talking new jersey here.

lets say my carb is running rich and the smell of fuel is coming from under the hood, im trying to think if that would be probable cause to lead the officer to check under there, as gasoline is a hazardous material

[sweetbmxrider]

i think most cops around here wouldn't give a damn, but i'm not most cops and never, ever have i personally seen or heard of such a thing. well one time i was drivin a 69 big bird yellow chevelle and a couple cops "made" me pop the hood. 350 with long tubes always grabs attention. but you should be more concerned with getting your car street legal so you can have it inspected. then you might be able to get a copy of your VIR (vehicle inspection report) and show the cop you are straight and has no business all up in your business. but be nice about it.

[madness410]

hah yeah man im doing that...its going to the shop tomorrow to see exactly what needs to be done...i heard i shouldnt go to the mvc to fail and see whats wrong, nor pay someone 100$ at a private inspection facility to get a rejected sticker, im getting mixed revies, but my old mechanic is pretty knowledgeable and ill trust him.

[Tru2Chevy]

I wouldn't have a problem popping the hood to let him look - but I wouldn't allow an officer to touch anything without a serious case of probable cause and a warrant.

Most officers don't have a clue what emissions equipment should be on what car, or what it looks like, so I don't see the point in the first place.

- Justin

[sweetbmxrider]

well definitely see him first. most shops charge under $60 for an inspection, you get fail papers which give you 45 days to have your repairs completed and reinspected for free minus sticker. if its emissions related repairs, they must be performed by a licensed emissions repair facility with a technicians number. if the shop that inspects it performs the repairs, they have a state designated labor rate for specific repairs. but find out whats wrong then do our best to fix it and get it inspected!

[69BirdX]

i have heard of cops having mirrors to check under the car but never of one popping the hood. Im sure if you were polite and allowed them to look chances of getting a ticket are slim. They dont know what they are looking at for the most part.
________
Headshop (http://headshop.net/)

[BigAls87Z28]

If it was an inspection station, yeah.
If I got pulled over and the cop wanted to bust stones...nah, Ill need a warrant. If not, Ill be on my way.

[GrandmasterCow]

calli it seems to think they can :http://ls1tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222273

but yeah I think they'd need a warrent to start snooping around your engine bay.

[jims69camaro]

driving is a privilege, not a right. police have the responsibility of the safety of the public, so if you get pulled over the cop can look about your car. he can ask to look in the trunk and under the hood. obviously, if you wanted to be a wise ass and not open anything for him, he could be a hard ass and put you in the back of the patrol car while he gets his sergeant and/or lieutenant on the scene in order to effect a full search of your vehicle. they would do that under probable cause, for what, exactly, they don't have to say, only the "safety of the public". nitrous oxide is considered a dangerous gas and you cannot transport it in your vehicle without the proper placards and a reason you would be carrying it in the first place (not just because you want to go fast at the touch of a button). i believe it is legal to carry it to the track and home, but if you've got it in your car on the street, then they can assume you are up to no good (street racing) and impound your car and bust your balls.

so, if a cop asks to look under the hood, let him. be as cooperative as you can be, and he might just let you off with a warning. all of this "warrant" stuff is only going to get you in more trouble than it is worth. like stated, most cops don't know what to look for anyway, and if your nitrous oxide is a sneaky system, hidden from view (so other racers can't see it if you pop your hood) then they won't see it either.

[chemicalstylez]

I've been mirrored for cats before. Gotta love New Jersey.... aka THE POLICE FRIGIN STATE.

But always be polite, I learned the hard way even if your right...you still get 6 tickets from Westville cops....worst part was; I was in my 88 Caddy.

[LTb1ow]

I had my Acura torn apart the other day going to a party, the cops were suspicious of drugs/alc, but I was respectful and they let me go. After dumping all my beverages out on the street though :cry: But I didn't argue with them, and I was respectful to them.

[BigAls87Z28]

Ok, so you were respectful and honest, and they tore your car apart leaving you to put it back together again.

Uh, yeah no thanks Ill continue to be stubborn.

[LTb1ow]

Yea but no loss of license etc... I aint 21...

[BigAls87Z28]

Where you drunk or did you drink any? Where they open?
Are you above the age of 18?
Then you have full right to transport alcohol as long as there are no open containers.

[LTb1ow]

Open water bottle, sober as hell, and that law is no more. It was 19 to transport unopen liquor but no more.

[BigAls87Z28]

When did they change that?
When I was 18, I could transport beer.
When did it go to 19? And now how old do you have to be to transport? 21? Does that mean the same for resturaunts that have 18 year olds as the waiters/waitresses?

[IROCZBeast]

Back in the day some people (mainly biker gangs) who owned muscle cars or any car that was carbed would take out there air filter that sat above the carb and hide pistols, drugs, knives etc in there and run their cars with out air filters. After a very long time police caught on and began to check for that..

Also in this day and age I guess and officer could be looking for nitrous, no emissions etc..

Although truthfully half the officers wouldn't know what emission or nitrous looks like if it hit em in the face.

As far as I know New Jersey state laws says you can search any compartment that is within arms reach of the driver aka glove box and center console. I don't see how the hood would qualify. However most people don't realize that if you give the officer consent to search then he is allowed too. Sure you could say no but one way or another you'll end up being screwed so your better of just allowing him/her

[LTb1ow]

I am not sure, but I think it was changed recently.

[Knipps]

I've been to plenty of restaurants where the waitress wasn't allowed to bring drinks to the table b/c she was under 21, but you can be a licensed bartender at 18 (hard part would be getting hired)

[GP99GT]

shane got underage possession along with his DWI...hes 20

[sweetbmxrider]

yeah its 21 to have alcohol in your car. 18 to serve in a restaurant. and a cop needs a warrant to search your trunk or under your hood if you say no. or probable cause.

[badzracing]

Unless said cop is grabbing some wrenches and helping me do a tune up or something, he'd better not touch anything under my hood........I will end up seeing what the inside of their local holding cells look like

[Dark_Knight7096]

Glove compartment, trunk, and hood are all latched, if wants to search, I want a warrant, if he wants to hold me until he gets it good luck, judges aren't as keen as issuing them on the spot anymore, and if they do I want to know the probable cause that let them issue the warrant.

True driving is a privlage but the bill of rights is a guarantee and it says I don't have to deal with illegal search, so unless you want to admire you can stay out from under my hood, else I'd own a FLEET of nice cars ;)

[madness410]

i personally would like to see a warrant to check under the hood, although i may not be hiding ANYTHING, i dont have a nitrous set up, i dont have heroin or cocaine in my air filter, blah blah...every american citizen is protected under the fourth amendment from illegal search and seizure, but if the officer really wants to take a look that bad to get a warrant then i wont have a problem.

but that kid that posted about his acura better count your blessing bud...that is a rare break and if you do it again they will make sure you pay for it...the cops know everything, the breaks you were given, your attitude, warrants, anything through their system

[LTb1ow]

I seem to have a VERY lucky streak going.... but yea I am very thankful for what I got, turn 21 in 4 months and my Z is running next week, loss of license would have SUCKED.

[sweetbmxrider]

Glove compartment, trunk, and hood are all latched, if wants to search, I want a warrant, if he wants to hold me until he gets it good luck, judges aren't as keen as issuing them on the spot anymore, and if they do I want to know the probable cause that let them issue the warrant.

True driving is a privlage but the bill of rights is a guarantee and it says I don't have to deal with illegal search, so unless you want to admire you can stay out from under my hood, else I'd own a FLEET of nice cars ;)

glove box would have to be locked. and center console if it had one. but basically the whole passenger compartment is fair game.

[Slo86Bird]

at inspection i had the inspector tell me to pop my hood...didnt understand why....

[sweetbmxrider]

um are you serious?

[madness410]

at inspection i had the inspector tell me to pop my hood...didnt understand why....

hm would it possibly be because of your insurance? can mvc inspectors check up on that with your car insurance? some insurance companies dont know of rebuilt engines in a car with alot of performance parts, so the insurance companies think it would be a stock 1985 camaro when you have a 406 in there, which would affect your rates ALOT

[sweetbmxrider]

call me crazy, but i think there are other reasons why a state inspector would pop your hood. and know a hell of a lot more than most any cop that stopped you. but thats just me.

:-Pwhich do you sense more, me being a dick or me being sarcastic?:twisted:

[madness410]

call me crazy, but i think there are other reasons why a state inspector would pop your hood. and know a hell of a lot more than most any cop that stopped you. but thats just me.

:-Pwhich do you sense more, me being a dick or me being sarcastic?:twisted:

sounds like you are being serious hahah

[Slo86Bird]

idk he asked me what i had in it and i said 305 and he said pop the hood...i was confused. lol

[madness410]

idk he asked me what i had in it and i said 305 and he said pop the hood...i was confused. lol

maybe he was just interested in seeing the motor? did he touch anything under there?

[Slo86Bird]

not to my knowledge he didnt.

[Tru2Chevy]

It's a visual inspection to make sure that none of your emissions equipment has been tampered with....and it's perfectly normal.

- Justin

[NastyEllEssWon]

ok let me get this right here...

i used to live in san jose california. It is ILLEGAL IN CALIFORNIA TO TAMPER WITH EMISSIONS EQUIPMENT, afterall they come with extra emission equiptment cause of their stricter regulations. ALL POLICE OFFICERS IN CALIFORNIA TAKE A MANDATORY TRAINING EXERCISE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO TICKET YOU FOR THE FOLLOWING...

OPEN AIR FILTER ELEMENTS
MUFFLERS
HEADERS
EGR DELETE

also for the searching

IN CALIFORNIA ONLY - HOOD IS PROBABLE CAUSE FOR SEARCH IF YOU HAVE VISUAL EXHAUST MODIFICATION FROM THE BEHIND.

now for the nj stuff.....

Martin i went to the same high school as you did...and learned the same thing as you...the difference is? i live in the real world. Hamilton PD has no problem issuing a warrrant for on the spot searches. IF YOU DO NOT CONSENT TO A SEARCH AND THEY GET A SEARCH WARRANT ANY DAMAGES DONE TO SAID VEHICLE DURING SEARCH THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR. IF YOU ALLOW THEM TO SEARCH THEY ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO DO A BRIEF FRISK...SAME AS YOUR BODY...TO DETERMINE IF FURTHER SEARCHING IS NEEDED....IF PROBABLE CAUSE FOR SEARCH IS FOUND THEY WILL GET A WARRANT.
ASKING FOR A WARRANT IS ASKING FOR THEM TO RUIN YOUR CAR...TRUST ME THEYVE DONE IT TO PAST CARS.

i just had my car searched by hamilton pd a week or so ago....freaking cops

[Tru2Chevy]

ok let me get this right here...

i used to live in san jose california. It is ILLEGAL IN CALIFORNIA TO TAMPER WITH EMISSIONS EQUIPMENT, afterall they come with extra emission equiptment cause of their stricter regulations. ALL POLICE OFFICERS IN CALIFORNIA TAKE A MANDATORY TRAINING EXERCISE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO TICKET YOU FOR THE FOLLOWING...

It is illegal to tamper with emissions equipment in any state, regardless of what they check during the inspection process (if they even have one). Emissions equipment is regulated on the federal level, IIRC.

- Justin

[madness410]

It is illegal to tamper with emissions equipment in any state, regardless of what they check during the inspection process (if they even have one). Emissions equipment is regulated on the federal level, IIRC.

- Justin

what exactly does "tamper with emissions equipment" mean though...what has to be tampered. (sorry for n00b question)..like headers and everything?

[BigAls87Z28]

If someone tears into my car without cause, I will have a holy **** fit, and I will press charges.

[79T/A]

what can anybody put under the hood that could be illegal? guns? narcotics?

Yes. ****bags hide stuff in the funniest places. Under the hood is not out of the question.

NastiEllEssWon answered it the best. In NJ, officers cannot search a vehicle without probable cause or consent, and they can't ask for consent without a reasonable suspicion that something is in the car. The only clearcut incident in which an officer can search the car is if he/she smells marijuana. In this instance, the officer can search any area in which marijuana can reasonably be hidden and accessible to a driver, including the driver's person. If need be, the officer can even request a narcotics canine to sniff the vehicle and point out a specific area to search. Nothing's better for your interior than a big angry dog stomping around on your leather seats.

During the course of a "routine" traffic stop for a motor vehicle or equipment violation, probable cause for a search can arise, as illustrated by the underaged fella with the alcohol in the Acura (At least, that's what I'm assuming from the posts, forgive me if I'm wrong). I'm not sure exactly what happened because I wasn't there, but if a cop is speaking with the driver, who is under the legal age to PURCHASE, POSESS or CONSUME an alcoholic beverage, and he sees a bottle of vodka in the vehicle and can articulate that in a report, then he/she can search the "wingspan," that is, any area of the vehicle within the driver's control.

Searches of vehicles also take place during vehicle impoundments. If a vehicle is being impounded, many NJ police departments will search the vehicle and do an inventory. Everything in the car will be listed, as well as its condition, so that the liability for any damage or theft lies on the tow company. In light of many recent Constitutional issues that have arisen from this, many departments are allowing owner/operators the opportunity to refuse such a search, but if anything is lost or missing when the vehicle is retrieved from impound, it's the owner's problem, not the cops.

In some instances, there may be reason to believe that there is something illegal in the car (Information from confidential informants, for example). In this kind of scenario, the officer must seize the vehicle and obtain a warrant to search it.

Any time an officer does a warrantless search of a vehicle, he/she runs the risk of having their case thrown out if any evidence is seized improperly. So you can bet they are going to be sure of what they're doing and be able to put it on paper later on, even if nothing is found in the car.

As for under hood searches in NJ, well, I've lived here all my life and I've never seen it done without a search warrant. I will say this, though. The lift laws for lifted Jeeps and trucks are not in the regular motor vehicle code (Title 39). But a friend of mine got pulled over in Bedminster, where apparently they have a lot more time to handle motor vehicle violations than criminal activity. Said cop PULLED OUT A TAPE MEASURE and told my buddy that his Jeep could not be more than 26" from the ground to the bottom of the door without a stability inspection. Amazingly, he was actually right! He gave my buddy a warning and he has since gottent the Jeep tested and passed. Just goes to show that depending on where you are, the cops may know more about certain things than in other jurisdictions. I wouldn't be surprised if the Old Bridge cops were more savvy about exhaust and emissions laws than the Woodbridge cops are. Still, never been asked to raise my hood or heard of anyone else that was.

Hope that helps.

[Stevoone]

How would they know what the car was supposed to have from the factory? I noticed on a few belt diagrams some of them have the AIR pump and the same size engine with a different RPO does not.

Also thought I'd note, for some reason my car does not have the Emission/vacuum sticker under the hood. It was hit before I bought it and I don't think they replaced it. Without the sticker is there a way to tell what is supposed to be on the engine without decoding the VIN? I know what is missing but how would someone else know?

[sweetbmxrider]

who cares. this thread is getting ridiculous. if you know you are in the wrong, it will catch up to you.

[LTb1ow]

So my cam being a bit lopy will come back to haunt me? :mrgreen:

[NastyEllEssWon]

cops are trained to spot the following.


Open Element Air Filter - which is aftermarket cai and cone filters
After Market Headers
Catalytic convertor delete
EGR blockoff plates
Air Pump Block Off
Capped Vacuum Hoses

those are a few of the following a cop can issue tickets for.
and dont give me no bs about any of this stuff being stock.
if your ls1 didnt come with egr its not going to have chrome block
off plates with rtv silicone leaking from the side. its easy to spot
mods on a car cause it doesnt fit with the stock look. thats why i
love my lid.

[enRo]

Ive been pulled over by a cop who obviously knows his car **** and asked me "Does this car have cat's?" I kinda looked at him for a brief second, and he said "I dont want to have to get my knees dirty" so I told him i didnt. He let me off with a warning.

[madness410]

Ive been pulled over by a cop who obviously knows his car **** and asked me "Does this car have cat's?" I kinda looked at him for a brief second, and he said "I dont want to have to get my knees dirty" so I told him i didnt. He let me off with a warning.

officers see honesty as a huge factor in writing tickets, if you dont make it easier for them they dont make it easy for you. but good decision on your part.

but you got madd lucky either way...it would be a 2,500$ fine for you from what i hear. you always hear the ricers say 10,000$ fine, i dont know about that but that sounds rediculous

[NastyEllEssWon]

ricers always embellish numbers by about 400 percent.

[WildBillyT]

officers see honesty as a huge factor in writing tickets, if you dont make it easier for them they dont make it easy for you. but good decision on your part.

but you got madd lucky either way...it would be a 2,500$ fine for you from what i hear. you always hear the ricers say 10,000$ fine, i dont know about that but that sounds rediculous

A lot of them confuse the fine you may get for not having them with the fine shops get for taking them off for you.

[madness410]

ricers always embellish numbers by about 400 percent.

LOL yeah "my honda has 320 horsepower"...divided by 400% is the actual horsepower of their car...

[BigAls87Z28]

I think now is that time to invest in a sticker I can put under my hood that says "If you can read this, and are a cop, go suck a fat one"
At least he got to see something under the hood of my car.

[madness410]

I think now is that time to invest in a sticker I can put under my hood that says "If you can read this, and are a cop, go suck a fat one"
At least he got to see something under the hood of my car.

lol and then he'll ticket you for EVERY minor thing. exhaust too loud. were u playing your music loud? noise pollution. were you doing 38 in a 35? you were speeding. blah blah blahhhh

[jin1481]

i have never had a single problem with a jersey cop, now NC is an entirely different story and mostly my fault...damn rednecks

[BigAls87Z28]

lol and then he'll ticket you for EVERY minor thing. exhaust too loud. were u playing your music loud? noise pollution. were you doing 38 in a 35? you were speeding. blah blah blahhhh

And Ill drag his/her lame ass to court to fight it all. Hell, Ill spend the money on a great lawyer and even file a harassment suit against the cop if he/she thinks he/she is so damn funny.

I dont play loud music, my exhaust isnt too loud, and he have better have his or her speed gun calibrated and aimed at me and only me when he/she took the measurement of my speed. And if its in my Caprice with my calibrated speedometer, it better dead on balls.

I have ZERO tollerance for cops who think they are above the law. Anyone of them who abuse thier job should be shot.

[madness410]

I have ZERO tollerance for cops who think they are above the law. Anyone of them who abuse thier job should be shot.

+1...

but i do respect the ones that dont abuse their job

[BigAls87Z28]

Of course. But those are few and far between.

[sweetbmxrider]

ummm....they are law enforcement officers....doing anything mentioned would be doing there job....but hey, thats just me...

[jims69camaro]

yeah its 21 to have alcohol in your car. 18 to serve in a restaurant. and a cop needs a warrant to search your trunk or under your hood if you say no. or probable cause.

this is the part that people are getting stuck on. if he wants to search your vehicle, for whatever reason, you are better off letting him (unless you have something to hide) than being a wise ass. he will search your vehicle with or without your consent, is the point.

if he needs a warrant, he will get one. more often than not, probable cause is all he needs to effect a full search of your vehicle. probable cause includes him getting a whiff of marijuana or beer when you open your mouth to respond to him, or if he smells anything emanating from the car other than spent exhaust. he will search your car.

you can be nice and allow him or you can watch from the back seat of the patrol car.

[jims69camaro]

I think now is that time to invest in a sticker I can put under my hood that says "If you can read this, and are a cop, go suck a fat one"
At least he got to see something under the hood of my car.

i like you. you're a good guy. you're solid, funny at times and you've got my respect. but i think you are asking for trouble from 'go' with this one.

[BigAls87Z28]

Oh I know.

[NastyEllEssWon]

yeah i usually dont have anything to hide so i let em search. if you dont theyre just going to get a warrant and search anyway. when they do they will tear **** up:nod:

[BigAls87Z28]

Again...they better have a fantastic reason to tear into my car. They rip into anyone of my cars on a hunch, and I will have thier jobs.

[sweetbmxrider]

ill let them search the PASSENGER compartment, hell even the rear hatch area. but they aren't going under my hood with out expressed written consent from the court of law. oh yeah

[WildBillyT]

you can be nice and allow him or you can watch from the back seat of the patrol car.

Exactly. You are better off letting him search.

[NastyEllEssWon]

you know whats a good reason?

ANY REASON GOOD ENOUGH TO GET A COURT ORDERED WARRANT FOR A SEARCH IS ANY REASON GOOD ENOUGH TO TEAR INTO IT. INSTEAD OF LOOKING
UNDER THE SEAT THEY WILL RIP THROUGH THE TOP. TRY TO FIGHT IT. THEY DID IT TO MY FRIENDS LEXUS. IF YOU PRESS THE ISSUE...IM SURE THEYRE WILLING TO PAY BOOK VALUE IF THEY WERE WRONG, BUT THEN YOUR CAR IS ENDING UP AT A POLICE AUCTION.

[NJ Torque]

Now, I have loud... and fast cars, I do drive them on the street and they do get raced, alot...

I've only been pulled over a handful of times... and never harassed... what am I doing wrong?

[madness410]

Now, I have loud... and fast cars, I do drive them on the street and they do get raced, alot...

I've only been pulled over a handful of times... and never harassed... what am I doing wrong?

officers probably see you as a 'fundraising' target for their next pancake breakfast...some officers pull people over for dumb reasons just to make their municipality some cash