Auto-Import Fails to see exported (RaidZ striped across 3 zpools) volume

[echonas]

Running FreeNAS-8.2.0-RELEASE-p1-x64 (r11950) with 26 2TB disks. I ran into a problem today with an exported volume not being seen by auto-import. To ensure understanding of when/where in my process the problem occurred, I executed the following steps (note that data was deleted/added to the zpool after each extension to ensure striping across all drives) -

Test 1 – 3 disks
1. Create testExport zpool
a. 3 2TB drives
b. RaidZ
2. Export – all options unchecked
3. Auto-Import
Result
1. Auto-import Works

Test 2 – 6 disks
1. Add to existing zpool – testExport
a. 3 2TB drives
b. RaidZ
2. Export - all options unchecked
3. Auto-Import
Result
1. Auto-import Works

Test 3 – 9 disks
1. Add to existing zpool – testExport
a. 3 2TB drives
b. RaidZ
2. Export- all options unchecked
3. Auto-Import
Result
1. Auto-import Fails

From CLI, the pool is identified -
[root@freenas] ~# zpool import
pool: testExport
id: 2891397003920891409
state: ONLINE
action: The pool can be imported using its name or numeric identifier.
config:

testExport ONLINE
raidz1 ONLINE
gptid/862ba1a7-116c-11e2-8eb0-c860008b53a4 ONLINE
gptid/870db4dc-116c-11e2-8eb0-c860008b53a4 ONLINE
gptid/87e9b20e-116c-11e2-8eb0-c860008b53a4 ONLINE
raidz1 ONLINE
gptid/28792dd5-116e-11e2-8eb0-c860008b53a4 ONLINE
gptid/2954ce0c-116e-11e2-8eb0-c860008b53a4 ONLINE
gptid/2a2b3d1b-116e-11e2-8eb0-c860008b53a4 ONLINE
raidz1 ONLINE
gptid/fe45983f-116e-11e2-8eb0-c860008b53a4 ONLINE
gptid/ff180e77-116e-11e2-8eb0-c860008b53a4 ONLINE
gptid/ffeb0328-116e-11e2-8eb0-c860008b53a4 ONLINE

Earlier, I tried offerings from similar threads -

zpool import -f -R /mnt testExport
zpool export testExport

but auto-import did not recognize the zpool.

Incidentally, the earlier zpool would only 'disappear' from zpool import after I created a single pool from all 26 drives and then detached with destroy option selected.

Ideas why this config does not work with auto-import?