I'm picking up a 2016 F-Type R Coupe from CarMax today in California. Car got shipped from NJ. Just got word from CarMax that they have to reset the sensors and drive the car a bit because it failed smog... He said it's not uncommon due to it being from out of state? Does that make sense?? Never heard that one before. Just want to make sure something won't bite me in the *** later if I buy this car today..

 

If the battery went completely dead and/or was replaced the ready flags set in the ECU that the emissions tests look for can get erased and the car won't pass until it has gone through a couple of drive cycles (start, warm up fully, cool down fully and a few other things I can't recall) to reset them.

That might be what is happening and explain what they are saying.

 

Ah okay. It was in transport for three weeks so I'd imagine the battery could be it.

 

....As long as there was no inferred NJ 'disparagement'...

 

I didn't think cars in CA needed to be smogged for the first eight years. Is this because it came from out of state?