Oxygen Sensor Harness Warranty in California

[b3d3g1]

I've got a unique situation here regarding the oxygen sensor harness. I have a 2011 Ram 2500 with 58k miles on it. I bought it certified used in Oregon 8 months ago with 55k miles but I live in California. The Oregon dealer replaced both O2 sensors in the certification process.

The check engine light came on and went off a couple times and I finally took it in to the dealer. The dealer pulled 2 codes off the truck and told me the O2 harness needs to be replaced and quoted me at $450 for parts and labor. I think this should be covered under warranty so I'm pushing them to try to explore any possible avenue I can including the emissions warranty. It looks like the federal warranty is 5 yrs/ 50k miles which I am over but I still could be good for the California emissions warranty maybe?

How would the California emissions warranty affect a used vehicle brought into the state after the federal emissions warranty had expired?
Any advice on who to turn to to try to make this a warranty repair?

 

[Ram4Sam]

Look in your warranty book if you got it, there are additional federal warranties for emission related parts that the feds require Ram to cover. It is probably very parts specific and may not cover everything.

Sam

 

[Bob4x4]

give me the last 8 of your vin I can check coverage

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I hope you find a resolution OP that favors your pocket book. As the technologies progress, so do our expenses to keep the latest and greatest trucks running. I know that Cummins or Ram/Dodge did not chose to incorporate these crazy and overboard emission controls and it's unfortunate that in the end, we'll have to pay for the instability's.

 

[b3d3g1]

just got off the phone with the dealer and they aren't covering it. At this point, I just want my truck back and I'm not got to fight it unless I can find some evidence that it is covered.

Bob4x4 - I sent you a message.

 

[kmcdonough]

I just had the same situation with my 2011 with 67k on it. I was told the harness was covered under my extended warranty but I still had to pay a $100.00 deductible. Maybe you can go back to the Oregon dealer and argue that the overlay harness TSB should have been done when the O2 sensors were replaced as part of the certification. I think the TSB calls for checking the harness when you get any of a number of emissions related codes.

 

[Cooper_D]

Sometimes Chrysler will agree to supply the parts if you pay the labor. Not sure how much of that $450 the dealer quoted is parts.

 

[RVTRKN]

Well there is a California emission fee, when made for the California market, when truck was delivered it did not get paid. California can force the dealer to enforce California's regulations only if the California emissions fee was paid. I believe Bob4X4 will find that in the VIN search.

 

[b3d3g1]

I just had the same situation with my 2011 with 67k on it. I was told the harness was covered under my extended warranty but I still had to pay a $100.00 deductible. Maybe you can go back to the Oregon dealer and argue that the overlay harness TSB should have been done when the O2 sensors were replaced as part of the certification. I think the TSB calls for checking the harness when you get any of a number of emissions related codes.

I might try something like this.

I did a test drive just after the car was traded in and before the certification repairs were done. The check engine light was on and that is probably what prompted the 02 sensor replacement. The only other repair in the records was a back up lamp switch replacement. The TSB 25-004-13 would have been the current TSB at time of purchase before it was replaced by TSB 25-002-14. They are similar but different.

TSB 25-004-13:
The repair procedure requires that both Oxygen Sensor connectors should be removed and
new connectors with pigtails installed. The pigtail splice points should be staggered to eliminate
bulk in the harness.

TSB 25-002-14:
This bulletin involves the installation of an Oxygen (O2) Sensor Overlay Harness for any Oxygen
Sensor related DTC(s). The Overlay Harness will consist of twelve 18 AWG wires (six from
each Oxygen Sensor) that run to a new Oxygen Sensor Module connector. Four wires will be
removed from the original vehicle O2 Module connector and installed in the new overlay harness
O2 Module connector.

I picked the truck up today because I need it for the next week and they didn't have a chance to start the repairs yet. I'll take it back in in about a week and a half so I have some time to do some research and harassing. This dealer only has one lift that can just barely lift the bigger trucks which caused the delay. They don't see a lot of big trucks around here.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

^^^ You need to travel to another dealer that does have the correct equipment and a knowledgable diesel tech on board ^^^

 

[Bob4x4]

just got off the phone with the dealer and they aren't covering it. At this point, I just want my truck back and I'm not got to fight it unless I can find some evidence that it is covered.

Bob4x4 - I sent you a message.

I am not finding the message?

 

[EGroeneveld]

I had the engine light come on about 5 months ago, took to dealer they stated the whole O2 sensors and wiring harness should be replaced. They quoted $700 or so and was not covered by any of my warranties nor extended warranty. Light went off on its own so I let it go. The service manager stated he was not confident that this was fixing the issues though. He said to just keep driving it.

I went in for the front end recall and same service manage asked if my light had been on or not. Told him yes for three days and then off again. He just laughed and said yep. That what they see and the ''fix'' doesn't seem to fix all of them.

Light came on about a month ago on a Monday morning, went off that Wednesday. No change in mileage or drivabilty.

I'm at 83K miles on my 2011 now. This O2 thing is just stupid and Ram/FIAT/Cummins don't really have a fix yet.

 

[DonFitzwater]

" This O2 thing is just stupid and Ram/FIAT/Cummins don't really have a fix yet.".............Too bad the EPA doesn't have to come up with the "fix".

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I vote we fix EPA first, then we can have our reliability back.

 

[Bob4x4]

Just a heads up for everybody the warranty is on the truck not where it resides.

 

[Bob4x4]

I am not finding the message?

got it and pm sent

 

[kmcdonough]

When did you buy the truck?

 

[b3d3g1]

When did you buy the truck?

Middle of May 2014.

It's my main car this week and I'm towing about 200 miles each way this weekend. I'm not going to reschedule the appointment until the light comes back on.

 

[b3d3g1]

Bring this thread back to life...

I had picked up the truck before the dealer had time to complete the O2 harness fix. Light stayed off for a week and then turned back on during a longer drive.
I parked the truck for several weeks and finally got a chance to take it in a month later. The light turned off on my way to the dealer, go figure.

The repair on the O2 sensor harness took only a day or 2 and cost about $450. The dealer asked if the shop foreman could drive my truck home (~60 miles total) to make sure everything was working. They said they would not cover gas but I politely complained enough that the service manager gave me 10% the service when I came in the next day which paid for the half tank of gas they ended up using.

Light stayed off for a longer time but eventually showed itself again. I'm guessing they reset the emissions monitors which kept the light off longer. Now I'm just clearing the code every time I see it and it will stay off for something like 10 hours of driving at a time.

I'm not sure what else there is to do at this point. I hate seeing that light on the dash but I love everything else about this truck. I feel like this condition was already there when I bought the truck used from the dealer but they were able to keep it hidden long enough for them to not know it would come back or know I wouldn't find it for a while. I'll keep monitoring the boards occisionally for a fix but I don't think I'm going to take it back to the dealer for this. Maybe I'll have them read the code again when they do the fuel heater recall soon.