Federal law prohibits the following acts or the causing thereof: (1) the removal or rendering inoperative by any person, other than for purposes of maintenance, repair, or replacement, of any device or element of design incorporated into any new vehicle for the purpose of noise control prior to its sale or delivery to the ultimate purchaser or while it is in use, or (2) the use of the vehicle after such device or element of design has been removed or rendered inoperative by any person.
Among those acts presumed to constitute tampering are the following:
Removal of the air cleaner.
Removal of the air cleaner filter element from the air cleaner housing.
Removal of the air ducting.
Removal of, or rendering inoperative exhaust system components including the muffler or tailpipe.
Removal of, or rendering inoperative the fan clutch.
Removal of the fan shroud.