IPass install under nose cone

I should give that a try. I have mine in the window spot, and it seems to work flawlessly when passing through the open toll lanes, but I have trouble getting it read on the Skyway and in Indiana.

Too bad it is such a big ugly thing that I DO NOT want on the outside license plate. Wouldn't it work under the nose cone but placed to the side of the plate? Has anyone else tried placement options?

Is the nose cone easy to remove, and if so, are there directions somewhere, or is it pretty easy to figure out?

Longhorn92 said:

Is the nose cone easy to remove, and if so, are there directions somewhere, or is it pretty easy to figure out?

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Not hard at all. Staring with either top corner (I use this term loosely, given the shape) insert a removal tool, or something hard and plastic and just pry a bit, working your way around. If I recall correctly the clips on the bottom are hinged a bit, so remove it from the top first before trying to pry off the bottom.

Neech said:

Too bad it is such a big ugly thing that I DO NOT want on the outside license plate. Wouldn't it work under the nose cone but placed to the side of the plate? Has anyone else tried placement options?

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Yes, this works. I installed the iPass license plate transponder off to the side (such that the front license plate wouldn't block it once I get my permanent plates). I have only tried it twice, but it worked no problem both times. See pictures below. The second picture is the mounting tape I used to tape the transponder to the bumper (picked up at Home Depot).

Interesting--the SF Bay Area FasTrak license plate transponders have 2 tabs on 1 long edge, so it would not sit neatly in the channel between the upper and lower ridges of the black bumper. When I tried to set it in at a bit of an angle, it protruded just enough so that the nose cone would not snap back on. I had to mount mine vertically on the top edge of the black bumper with heavy duty Velcro, with the transponder kept proud of the front edge of the bumper as much as possible to get it out from uner the hood. I also shifted it a bit towards the driver's side to get it from behind the Tesla T on the nose cone.

BTW, as noted by PattyChuck, if you use your fingers to gently push up from the bottom of the nose cone, you unlock some plastic tabs and then rotate the nose cone up. Then you gently pull out the top to detach the clips. No tools for me.

I had the Villa Park Service Center install my iPass plate transponder behind my nosecone. I'm not sure where they put it, but it has only worked once out of the first eight times I've passed through a toll collection point. On the plus side, the VTOLLs have been posting regularly about two weeks after missed tolls.

Bucket22 said:

I had the Villa Park Service Center install my iPass plate transponder behind my nosecone. I'm not sure where they put it, but it has only worked once out of the first eight times I've passed through a toll collection point. On the plus side, the VTOLLs have been posting regularly about two weeks after missed tolls.

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Is your front license plate installed on the nosecone? If so, they may have installed it behind the license plate. In the past two months (since I installed it under the nosecone), I haven't had even one missed toll. If you want, I could help you look where they mounted it, and we could remount it if necessary.

BTW: I was at Villa Park the other day, and a co-worker of yours was picking up his grey 85. He didn't even know you had a Model S. That makes at least four now in WS.

I went in from the frunk and pulled out the trim instead of the nose cone... I zip tied my ipass license plate transponder to the wiring loom in there and it isn't working at all. (just checked my ipass account)

just a heads up.. seems like it really needs to be where you guys are mounting it.


I put mine there because I was too scared to be forceful with my nosecone. Guess I'll give it another shot.

rdrcrmatt said:

I went in from the frunk and pulled out the trim instead of the nose cone... I zip tied my ipass license plate transponder to the wiring loom in there and it isn't working at all. (just checked my ipass account)

just a heads up.. seems like it really needs to be where you guys are mounting it.

I put mine there because I was too scared to be forceful with my nosecone. Guess I'll give it another shot.

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It's really not hard. I used more force than necessary (going from the top corner with a small pry bar), but once I had it off, I realized that you really could just lift and pull from the bottom center without a tool (as PattyChuck and JPP mention on page 1 of this post).

rdrcmatt--just use easy hand pressure (no tool) on the lower lip of the nose cone to press the plastic tabs up, then gently pull it off. No spudgets/tools for me. You need to mount the transponder pretty far forward to clear any sheet metal and the bumper. If it fits, best place is the horizontal groove between the top and bottom rails of the black bumper.

JPP said:

Interesting--the SF Bay Area FasTrak license plate transponders have 2 tabs on 1 long edge, so it would not sit neatly in the channel between the upper and lower ridges of the black bumper. When I tried to set it in at a bit of an angle, it protruded just enough so that the nose cone would not snap back on. I had to mount mine vertically on the top edge of the black bumper with heavy duty Velcro, with the transponder kept proud of the front edge of the bumper as much as possible to get it out from uner the hood. I also shifted it a bit towards the driver's side to get it from behind the Tesla T on the nose cone.

BTW, as noted by PattyChuck, if you use your fingers to gently push up from the bottom of the nose cone, you unlock some plastic tabs and then rotate the nose cone up. Then you gently pull out the top to detach the clips. No tools for me.

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Has anyone done this removal with the Signature nose cones? Does it pull off? I can open the little panel in front of the battery terminals, but it doesn't seem that the Sig nose cone "pulls" off. Anyone have pictures??? Experience?? I have the external transponder of FasTrak.

Also wondering if it can't just be zip tied to the grille work below the bumper.

roblab said:

Also wondering if it can't just be zip tied to the grille work below the bumper.

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Well sure, if you want it to look hokey. :biggrin:

scaesare said:

Well sure, if you want it to look hokey. :biggrin:

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You know I don't. But the Sigs don't seem to have the easy access nose cone, and it doesn't look like there is room if it did come off. The exterior FasTrak is black, narrow, would fit under the bumper, and unless I am down on my hands and knees in front, I can't see that little bit of black grille. Might look OK, might not.

I was hoping someone might have tried it, but looks like Sig holders don't use Bay Area Bridges :smile:

roblab said:

You know I don't. But the Sigs don't seem to have the easy access nose cone, and it doesn't look like there is room if it did come off. The exterior FasTrak is black, narrow, would fit under the bumper, and unless I am down on my hands and knees in front, I can't see that little bit of black grille. Might look OK, might not.

I was hoping someone might have tried it, but looks like Sig holders don't use Bay Area Bridges :smile:

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I guess after my goofy comment, I should try to be helpful.,,

I don't have a sig, but when I took the nosecone off my S, I used the "pry at the top edges to disengage the sprig clips" method I had seen described here. While that worked, once I got it off, I found that there are actually 4 "tabs" on the bottom of the cone that engage the plastic section at the top of the grill work. These are the type that you depress slightly to release. You can see them if you look up carefully at the underside edge of the nose cone... they are about 3/4" wide and have slots they fit in to in the grill work.

I had made a mental note that next time I remove the nose cone, I'd start by depressing these on the bottom, and then once released, work my way around the edge towards the top spring clips.

I don't know if the Sig is different... but it may be worth giving it a close look with a flashlight to see if it's similar...

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Longhorn92 said:

Is your front license plate installed on the nosecone? If so, they may have installed it behind the license plate. In the past two months (since I installed it under the nosecone), I haven't had even one missed toll. If you want, I could help you look where they mounted it, and we could remount it if necessary.

BTW: I was at Villa Park the other day, and a co-worker of yours was picking up his grey 85. He didn't even know you had a Model S. That makes at least four now in WS.

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I have the same issue. I'll be going in to Villa Park to have it reinstalled. Can you explain the location you used to make it work? It's at least good to know it will work once located in the right spot.

Ravarju said:

I have the same issue. I'll be going in to Villa Park to have it reinstalled. Can you explain the location you used to make it work? It's at least good to know it will work once located in the right spot.

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This is where I have it mounted (although I hear if you have the proximity sensors, this location might not work). Look at the first picture on the following post:
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/15978-IPass-install-under-nose-cone?p=355149&viewfull=1#post355149