New Ram California DMV issues

[Orcadrvr]

Just took delivery of a brand new 2018 Ram 3500 Laramie Diesel, which I really like. I bought it from Dave Smith in Idaho, and could not have had a better buying experience!
However, California DMV is being their usual obnoxious self: I have to get a smog check before I can register it, bcause I bought it out of state! It has about 51 miles on it!
So I took it to the smog check place, waited a while, and the tech showed me the printout which said that it "wasn't ready" for the smog test. I need to drive it some more before it is "ready" for the test.
Anybody have any ideas about how much to drive it before the retest?

[toedtoes]

The form is REG 31, Verification of Vehicle.

You can go to AAA and get it completed also.

It verifies the VIN, emissions, FMVSS, etc. And should be sufficient.

[toedtoes]

Many DMVs have a drive through for verifications. I had to do that with a TT I bought out of state.

You can also see if a local dealership has a vehicle verifier on staff who can verify and complete the form for you. Or a local law enforcement officer. Then you should be able to bring in just the paperwork.

You can find the form online. I will post the form number when I get back to my desk.

[Orcadrvr]

Well, I went to DMV and spoke to a supervisor (a small miracle, I might say). I got a temporary registration until the end of the year.
I still have to get a smog check completed, and I have to bring the truck back to DMV for a "verification". This will be interesting, as parking for a vehicle that size at DMV is going to be a challenge.
If it's so simple to cycle the OBDII system as one poster suggests, maybe he could give me a link for it, as I have spent a good while with my pal google looking for that info without any luck. The dealer claims not to know. Maybe I will call another one.
It is absurd to require all this nonsense on a brand new vehicle, which was built to 50 state smog compliance. This will cost me at least two paid days of lost work to complete this.
I am never going to buy a vehicle out of state again. I don't have time for this.
Thanks again for all the good wishes and info.

[FishOnOne]

OP,
That's a shame you have to go through such non sense.

Good luck...

[SweetLou]

Lynnmor wrote:
How long can you drive an unregistered vehicle? Since you have little control over the miles and time required to make the truck ready, how is it possible to make this work?

You go into CA Dmv office and begin paperwork. They issue you the pink temporary registration you place on your window until you complete the their requirements. Fees will be paid and you will have a time clock started . Good luck. Not as bad as you think

[ItsyRV]

Orcadrvr wrote:
I appreciate all the info. I am going to try and get in contact with a supervisor at DMV and see exactly what they need.
It takes forever to get an "appointment" at DMV; without it, you will stand in line for hours.
I only have 20 days to get it registered, so I need it to go right the first time.
I was born in California, but this place is basically nuts. If I can get the daughter and son in law to move with us (and grandkids!), we are gone!

You don't have to call anyone at DMV since odds are all they will tell you is to call the dealer and ask for the OBD drive setup cycle. You're making way too much out of absolutely nothing. Your on-board computer that holds the emission system information was wiped clean due to a dealer reset or the removal of the battery for too long. As a result there is no complete emission report in the chip at this time. Isn't that what they told you initially? All you have to do is do a basic, easy, simple as pie, less time than reading this thread drive cycle to set the chip and you would have been good to go in under an an hour after you wrote the initial post.

My neighbor has a similar (slightly older) truck like yours. I asked if he knew the drive cycle and this is what he does after a reset or he has the battery disconnected.
Start engine and idle with no load for about 3 minutes. Drive about 5 miles or 10 minutes between 35 - 45 mph. Stop and idle for another 3 minutes or so. Drive about 5 miles or 5 minutes at 50 -65 mph. Stop and idle for about another 3 minutes. Shut off engine for about 1/2 hour. Restart and the chip will now show ready with no emission faults. That is all he said it would have taken. Not hard is it?

As an FYI, in any jurisdiction in any state where emission are read through the OBD, you would have failed those as well since your chip was not ready for testing.

[Me_Again]

theoldwizard1 wrote:
Not only does the engine have to be HOT, you should have had a recent oil change and possibly air filter change.

OP's truck is brand new!

[ktmrfs]

rhagfo wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:

virtually all vehicles sold in the U.S. today are certified to California emissions standards regardless of which state they are shipped to. Not sure why it would require any additional testing as a new vehicle if it was CA emissions certified.

My 2015 Denali was first shipped to dave smith. It turned out to be the only one in 4 states that had everything I wanted on it. Local dealer beat Dave smith price and got the truck from Dave smith, had it shipped by truck to his dealership, and it then became an oregon vehicle for registration. It was California emissions certified even though it was originally shipped to Idaho which doesn't require CA emissions. BTW oregon and something like 15 other states require CA emissions. I even have all the original paperwork from GM showing it's original order and shipment to dave smith then the paperwork transferring it to the dealership I got it from.

When I was looking for my truck I searched Idaho, WA, CA, OR and MT dealer to see what was available. Every truck that I found was CA emissions certified.

In Oregon you can get a exception from smog testing for any diesel over 8,500# GVWR.

actually you don't need an exception anymore DEQ testing never applied to diesels over 8500lbs. DEQ won't even let you go through a test, they turn you around, and DMV FINALLY got their act together and registration or plate renewal can be done online since the registration shows it doesn't need to go through DEQ.

A few years ago DMV registration would state you needed to go through DEQ, DEQ would state it doesn't apply and turn you away and then you had to fill out paperwork. It finally got fixed in DMV!!

[Orcadrvr]

I appreciate all the info. I am going to try and get in contact with a supervisor at DMV and see exactly what they need.
It takes forever to get an "appointment" at DMV; without it, you will stand in line for hours.
I only have 20 days to get it registered, so I need it to go right the first time.
I was born in California, but this place is basically nuts. If I can get the daughter and son in law to move with us (and grandkids!), we are gone!

[theoldwizard1]

Not only does the engine have to be HOT, you should have had a recent oil change and possibly air filter change.

[discovery4us]

Orcadrvr wrote:
I bought the truck, brand new in Idaho. The dealer wrote a cashiers check to the state of california for taxes, license, and registration. I will hand it to DMV when I go there.
The truck meets Cal. emissions standards.
I have 20 days to register it in Cal, from when it comes into the state. It was delivered by truck (a much bigger truck than mine!) to my door.
I am not trying to avoid any taxes or fees.
I just want to get my truck registered without running around in circles for the next two weeks.
Thanks for all the input.

This makes it easier. You will need to go to the DMV and get one of their employees to fill out a vehicle verification form, you will need to fill out a request for registration and title and will need a weight certificate so they can assess the proper fees. Also will need a odometer verification. Don't be surprised if the DMV fees are more than the estimate on the cashiers check. You cannot leave a CA DMV office with out giving them money.

As far as the smog find a different station. The smog shop can input all the info into the system and have it accessible to the DMV regardless of miles. My last truck was out of state and not CA compliant but was over two years old and had more than 7500 miles. Smog station had no problem testing and inputting the info prior to my DMV visit.

You will probable miss out on the first five years of no smog and be required to smog every other year and possible every year depending on the weight certificate.

[SidecarFlip]

Glad I don't live in Kalifornia.

[rhagfo]

ktmrfs wrote:

virtually all vehicles sold in the U.S. today are certified to California emissions standards regardless of which state they are shipped to. Not sure why it would require any additional testing as a new vehicle if it was CA emissions certified.

My 2015 Denali was first shipped to dave smith. It turned out to be the only one in 4 states that had everything I wanted on it. Local dealer beat Dave smith price and got the truck from Dave smith, had it shipped by truck to his dealership, and it then became an oregon vehicle for registration. It was California emissions certified even though it was originally shipped to Idaho which doesn't require CA emissions. BTW oregon and something like 15 other states require CA emissions. I even have all the original paperwork from GM showing it's original order and shipment to dave smith then the paperwork transferring it to the dealership I got it from.

When I was looking for my truck I searched Idaho, WA, CA, OR and MT dealer to see what was available. Every truck that I found was CA emissions certified.

In Oregon you can get a exception from smog testing for any diesel over 8,500# GVWR.

[turbojimmy]

NJRVer wrote:

turbojimmy wrote:
It depends. Invest in a cheap OBDII scanner and it will tell you when the monitors are ready. Or drive it 100 miles or so and try again. In NJ you can pass with 2 monitors not ready (except for O2 and catalyst I think), but I'd suspect that Kalifornia wants them all to be ready. EVAP is usually toughest to show ready - takes a long time as it's a combination of cold starts, highway driving, stop and go driving, etc. I never drive on the highway and my EVAP monitor on my truck didn't show as ready even after about 75 miles of around-town driving last year. I passed inspection because the other 6 monitors were ready.

Diesels aren't required to be inspected in NJ according to the inspection station.

Yeah I missed that it was a diesel. Mine's a gasser.

[deltabravo]

discovery4us wrote:
If the truck does have all the necessary CA smog factory installed you will need the out of state title,

It's a new vehicle, it has no title yet, from any state.
Dealer should have provided the MSO.