winkle

Would like your opinions:

I live in Kalifornia and there's the first problem but I can't change that right now.
I am in the process of buying a new to me truck ( 2016 Ram 2500 4x4 swb auto with 23000mi from CarMax. I had it shipped from Texas ($600) because it was $12000 cheaper then one I found on the lot here in Escondido,
It arrived here before Thanksgiving, then they had to send it to the Dodge dealer because of a sensor related to smog which Dodge replaced. CarMax now has had the truck since last Monday 11/27. They are saying that they are having a hard time getting all the sensor to reset for it to pass smog. Apparently after you disconnect the batteries you have to go through a certain process to reset the sensors.

I’m kind of concerned that I might be buying a problem and maybe I should just walk away. Then I tell myself is it worth spending $60,000 for truck here that already in Calif. Any truck I buy will have to pass Cali. smog anyway.

Your thoughts please.

tobyw

Are the trucks apples/apples? Any idea what's driving the $12,000 difference to start with? I guess I'd be a little leery of the huge price gap right out of the gate, and with an electrical problem from a Texas vehicle, I would be asking some questions of the original dealer? Is it a Texas flood vehicle?

winkle

Yes they are pretty much apples to apples down to the color. The only difference was the dealers truck had running boards on it and had 37,000 miles on it. All the trucks I’ve looked at in Calif are a lot more then $48000 for Laramie edition. There’s no flood or any other type of damage. I just talk to Carmax and they said it just talk a looong time for the sensor to reset and they don’t have the man power to drive it all day. So that may just be the problem. 😡

Danderson

Let them smog it and you should be good to go.
The smog tech I use is a master Chrysler tech. He gets out of state trucks all the time that he frequently refers to the dealer.
If and when you get it be sure and not monkey with the power via a tuner. Drive it and enjoy. The next smog should go well he said.

Desert5600

Sounds like the problem is the Kalifornia smog testing procedure. Happened to my BIL. Once a code is thrown and resolved, a certain amount of miles has to be driven until the record of the code is cleared within the computer. Frustrating, but it will probably eventually clear given enough miles. To put it mildly, KA is a PITA.

winkle

Danderson
That is pretty much the way I feel but I wanted a sanity check. I know that any truck that I get 2013-2016 will have to pass Calif smog. Trucks are just so much cheaper out side of Calif I guess it is worth the wait.

FMB

I had the same issue and the sensor they wanted to set before smog testing was a heated O2 sensor, if I remember correctly. I drove all over to try to get it to set only to find out the truck doesn't come with one. The shop said (initially) they wouldn't try to smog test it cause they plugged in one of those little hand held gadgets to see if all the sensors had set and that one had not, so to drive it around. After another 1k miles, and extensions from KA DMV, I took it back and told them to hook it up and fail it so I can take it back to a dealer (it was new, bought in ID).

It passed, the regular guy said it doesn't have that sensor. YMMV
Back to morning brew . . .

winkle

FMB,
Sorry to hear what you went through but it actually eases my mind. I coming to the conclusion that it’s has more to do with California smog then the truck itself. I guess the other plus is CarMax has to deal with getting it smogged, my part is just waiting☹️