Mounted MA EZ-Pass behind front grill: here's how

[Jack]

ADN, thanks for the post. I'm out in Southborough, having the same issues - tried to positioning the EZpass in the cut out, but it's only working 50% of the time. Drove to the auto show yesterday, and had issues in 2 of 4 passes. Is it still working for you 100% of the time. I've had issues on other cars at exit 12. Also, are you considering rader and do you have any thoughts on that?

Congrats on your delivery - hope we all can get together in the Boston area in the spring!

 

[NJS1207]

ADN, I am also curious to know if your EZ-Pass is working reliably. I still have not been able to get mine to work (0-2 so far on the Garden State Pwky). I am going to order the license-plate mounted version and put that inside the nosecone as you suggested earlier in the thread.

 

[andrewket]

Not sure what they do up in MA, but here in VA we frequently have county police officers standing outside of theirs cars just after the toll booths. While they should be looking for cars that pass without PAYING the toll, I can speak from first hand experience that what they are really looking for are cars that pass through without the obvious white transponder in the window. If you have one of the license plate transponders I'm sure they will quickly wave you on, but having a transponder concealed in the nose cone is likely a recipe for trouble, at least here in VA. I've seen them pull people over who hold up the transponder, even if it was detected and the toll paid. "It's not mounted correctly."

$.02

A

 

[artsci]

Not sure what they do up in MA, but here in VA we frequently have county police officers standing outside of theirs cars just after the toll booths. While they should be looking for cars that pass without PAYING the toll, I can speak from first hand experience that what they are really looking for are cars that pass through without the obvious white transponder in the window. If you have one of the license plate transponders I'm sure they will quickly wave you on, but having a transponder concealed in the nose cone is likely a recipe for trouble, at least here in VA. I've seen them pull people over who hold up the transponder, even if it was detected and the toll paid. "It's not mounted correctly."

$.02

A

Virginia is a police state if there ever was one And that's a really productive use of police time.

 

[jerry33]

Virginia is a police state if there ever was one And that's a really productive use of police time.

In many places police = revenue. Protecting the public is a distant second.

 

[ADN_ModelS]

ADN, thanks for the post.. Is it still working for you 100% of the time. I've had issues on other cars at exit 12. Also, are you considering rader and do you have any thoughts on that?

Hey there. So... Truth in advertising... Mine is only working 50% of the time. I'm thinking of getting the transponder that goes on the license plate holder (and mounting it behind the nose). I figure that its "designed" to be read from that position.

I don't have a radar, so not considering that.

 

[RDoc]

Hey there. So... Truth in advertising... Mine is only working 50% of the time. I'm thinking of getting the transponder that goes on the license plate holder (and mounting it behind the nose). I figure that its "designed" to be read from that position.

Can you get one in MA?

 

[mitch672]

Can you get one in MA?

Yes, I got 2 of them in fact yesterday (one for the Model S, another for the old 1994 Suburban I plow with), at the "Natick Service Center" on the Mass Pike. They warn you that if you lose it, it will cost you $33 or so to replace it.
The front license plate screws are also not long enough (though they are "star" style which I liked, but couldn't find them at Home Depot), I ended up getting 1 1/4" stainless steel #8 phillips head screws at Home Depot, they where a lttle long so threaded into the plastic nosecone a bit (which will make removing them more difficult, also good)

What we could use is some security screws, the kind that are hex with a post in the middle, anything to make removing the plates/transponder more difficult.

Mine is now mounted on the front plate, but I havn't gone through a toll since. I did yesterday with my windshield style one on the way to the MA pike easypass/fastlane service center, I hand held, once it worked, and twice it lit up "call fastlane", that's going to cost me the toll plus $1 extra each time..

 

[artsci]

In many places police = revenue. Protecting the public is a distant second.

Sad but true!

Mine is now mounted on the front plate, but I havn't gone through a toll since. I did yesterday with my windshield style one on the way to the MA pike easypass/fastlane service center, I hand held, once it worked, and twice it lit up "call fastlane", that's going to cost me the toll plus $1 extra each time..

That would be more stealth if you mounted it without the license plate:wink:

 

[stevem]

So I just got my external ezpass and wanted to try to mount it behind the nosecone. Instead of mounting it to the bumper, I figured I would double sticky tape on the back of the nosecone and have it "out front" as much as possible. Also moved it a bit to the side to get it away from the "metal t and dip in the chrome strip". Maybe it doesn't mater. But I figured I would try this.

 

[JPP]

So I just got my external ezpass and wanted to try to mount it behind the nosecone. Instead of mounting it to the bumper, I figured I would double sticky tape on the back of the nosecone and have it "out front" as much as possible. Also moved it a bit to the side to get it away from the "metal t and dip in the chrome strip". Maybe it doesn't mater. But I figured I would try this.

View attachment 85452View attachment 85453

Lots of threads on this issue (search the forums....). I would not recommend Velcro-ing the external style transponder to the back of the nosecone--a bit heavy. Rather, Velcro it to the black bumper behind the nosecone. It fits perfectly between the 2 horizontal raised ridges in the bumper. Center it on the bumper. Just did my 2nd one for my wife's just delivered S70D. Clean the metal surface well with alcohol or something to remove dirt and grease. Use heavy duty Velcro across the whole transponder (not just a few spots). And, FWIW, for good measure, I use a single long heavy duty zip tie around the bumper and transponder as a 'just in case' double attachment.

 

[stevem]

Lots of threads on this issue (search the forums....).

Trust me, I have. Read them all. I was thinking I would like it as far out front away from that ridge of metal on the bumper as possible. I don't know what the internals of that ez pass tag looks like but if the antenna is anywhere close to the back of it, tucked into that ridge of bumper metal might make it harder for the antennas to read.

Question, you have done what you said, how well does it read? From the lots of other threads, it seems a bit hit or miss (sometimes depending on the state).

I haven't seen any stuck to the nosecone. It does have some weight to it but it's only about 4-6 ounces. I had tried putting my internal EZ pass in the same place and had attached it with 2 half sized strips, and it stayed there for a week or two. Reading was hit or miss at some of the tolls. I was going to put a tie wrap around the front proximity sensor as a "just in case" but the internal one didn't budge at all. Figured I would try this. Who knows, maybe I'll regret it.

Give it the old college try... for science.

 

[rlang59]

Trust me, I have. Read them all. I was thinking I would like it as far out front away from that ridge of metal on the bumper as possible. I don't know what the internals of that ez pass tag looks like but if the antenna is anywhere close to the back of it, tucked into that ridge of bumper metal might make it harder for the antennas to read.

Question, you have done what you said, how well does it read? From the lots of other threads, it seems a bit hit or miss (sometimes depending on the state).

I haven't seen any stuck to the nosecone. It does have some weight to it but it's only about 4-6 ounces. I had tried putting my internal EZ pass in the same place and had attached it with 2 half sized strips, and it stayed there for a week or two. Reading was hit or miss at some of the tolls. I was going to put a tie wrap around the front proximity sensor as a "just in case" but the internal one didn't budge at all. Figured I would try this. Who knows, maybe I'll regret it.

Give it the old college try... for science.

I have mine mounted to the metal bar behind the nose cone, no issues in the 2+ years it has been there.

 

[JPP]

Trust me, I have. Read them all. I was thinking I would like it as far out front away from that ridge of metal on the bumper as possible. I don't know what the internals of that ez pass tag looks like but if the antenna is anywhere close to the back of it, tucked into that ridge of bumper metal might make it harder for the antennas to read.

Question, you have done what you said, how well does it read? From the lots of other threads, it seems a bit hit or miss (sometimes depending on the state).

I haven't seen any stuck to the nosecone. It does have some weight to it but it's only about 4-6 ounces. I had tried putting my internal EZ pass in the same place and had attached it with 2 half sized strips, and it stayed there for a week or two. Reading was hit or miss at some of the tolls. I was going to put a tie wrap around the front proximity sensor as a "just in case" but the internal one didn't budge at all. Figured I would try this. Who knows, maybe I'll regret it.

Give it the old college try... for science.

My CA FasTrak (...same external transponder--mounted on the black metal bumper) reads great all the time on all SF Bay Area roads/bridges. Even the high speed ones (...where you don't slow down).

 

[stevem]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I thought I had seen some others in the other threads have issues with the ez pass affixed to the bumper. Just a report from mine, it's reading great and holding well. Whatever double stick tape I used is holding really well and it has read on every toll I have tried. As long as it doesn't fall off, I might be ok.

 

[wga22]

Can someone who is using their ezpass successfully on the bumper, inside the nose cone, clarify if they have it "facing up" or "facing down". I had a fail with it "facing down".

"facing down" = label to the sky (opposite of how it is when label is to the ground on the inside of windshield).
"facing up" = label to the ground - standard way inside car

If it comes loose, is there way for it to fall out? I cannot see way. how paranoid should I be of it coming loose, and falling totally out of the car?

 

[artsci]

I've had some embarrassing failures with an EZPass mount behind the nose, like that suggested by the OP. It unpredictably fails, like when I got stuck behind a gated toll in Richmond. Not good. So I moved the transponder to the small spot by the rear view mirror recommended by Tesla. There it always works.

 

[Wavemin]

Has anyone tried it on the rear license plate? I have an issue with getting into a parking garage with a headlight tag and the plate transponder canceling it out. Remove the pike tag, my headlight tag works every time.