Coated windshield impacting door openers and EZpass

[bob_p]

Went to a local EZ Tag store in Houston yesterday with my new Model S - and after multiple passes through the test lane and trying different locations, actually found a simple solution that appears to work well.

I was able to slide the windshield EZ Tag partially underneath the mount for the rear view mirror on the right side, and up into the joint between the windshield and the roof. This results in hiding the upper half of the tag from the inside of the car, and about 1/3 of the left part of the tag. The fit in there is snug enough, doesn't appear I may need to peel the backing off the tag and glue it to the windshield.

The tag is sitting on the portion of the windshield that has the small black dots.

 

[ElSupreme]

I was able to see the metalic film in the windshield yesterday, sort of flat lighting from overcast skies. It is only on the visible portion of the window (i.e. not on the solid black surround) but it does go over the 'dots' section just to the right of the rear view mirror. I don't see where there is a 'clean' spot. The whole rear view mount area is not coated.

I would suggest pushing the tag up into the headliner or down near the VIN. It may read in those locations. I don't use the tolls around Atlanta enough to mount my tag, and we use license plate recognition as a first pass so I am not too worried about not installing mine. It will be in the car, and I might hold it up but won't install it.

 

[eelton]

Went to a local EZ Tag store in Houston yesterday with my new Model S - and after multiple passes through the test lane and trying different locations, actually found a simple solution that appears to work well.

I was able to slide the windshield EZ Tag partially underneath the mount for the rear view mirror on the right side, and up into the joint between the windshield and the roof. This results in hiding the upper half of the tag from the inside of the car, and about 1/3 of the left part of the tag. The fit in there is snug enough, doesn't appear I may need to peel the backing off the tag and glue it to the windshield.

The tag is sitting on the portion of the windshield that has the small black dots.

If you could post a picture, that would be great.


sent via Tapatalk

 

[aviators99]

I was poking around the Sunpass site today, and discovered that you can look at all of the pictures from when the Sunpass doesn't work and they bill you based on your plate. I've got another 100 pictures of my car! This one was pretty funny, as it was during a time I was trying *everything* to get it to work. I'm surprised that this one failed:

 

[bob_p]

Seems to work great - I've checked the online activity log - and the tag has registered every time when passing a toll sensor

 

[aviators99]

View attachment 15394

Seems to work great - I've checked the online activity log - and the tag has registered every time when passing a toll sensor

But I don't think the I-95 Express Lane shield will work in that location.

 

[DJ Frustration]

Hey, aviators99 how did you get that picture from the Sunpass website? I've dug around and can't find the section.

 

[JakeP]

I was poking around the Sunpass site today, and discovered that you can look at all of the pictures from when the Sunpass doesn't work and they bill you based on your plate. I've got another 100 pictures of my car! This one was pretty funny, as it was during a time I was trying *everything* to get it to work. I'm surprised that this one failed:

I remember being sent one of these pics of me in my Porsche Boxster, with the top down, clearly holding the EzPass aloft...all I could surmise was that maybe I was holding it upside-down?

 

[steve841]

I was poking around the Sunpass site today, and discovered that you can look at all of the pictures from when the Sunpass doesn't work and they bill you based on your plate. I've got another 100 pictures of my car! This one was pretty funny, as it was during a time I was trying *everything* to get it to work. I'm surprised that this one

This proves the point: Lets not put too much stock in to the government's systems...

 

[aviators99]

Hey, aviators99 how did you get that picture from the Sunpass website? I've dug around and can't find the section.

Under "Activity" go to "Advanced Search" and filter on "Image Toll".

- - - Updated - - -

This proves the point: Lets not put too much stock in to the government's systems...

Actually, I think I did it too late...

 

[MikeK]

I was poking around the Sunpass site today, and discovered that you can look at all of the pictures from when the Sunpass doesn't work and they bill you based on your plate. I've got another 100 pictures of my car! This one was pretty funny, as it was during a time I was trying *everything* to get it to work. <snip>

Awesome picture. Perhaps the battery in the transponder is bad?

 

[smd]

In the SF Bay Area, I've tried the FasTrak transponder multiple times to the right and below the rear view mirror and it just doesn't work for me. I do have my license plate registered in their system, so they are charging me correctly with each pass via their photos. I'll just routinely go without my transponder. The only issue now is using the paid HOV lanes that use the FasTrak system. Once I get my HOV access stickers, that won't be an issue either as I would get free access and would need to shield the transponder from working anyway.

 

[PattyChuck]

There seems to be a lot of response on here concerning east and west coast EZPasses. Anyone have any experience in the IL/IN area with IPass?

 

[MikeK]

In the SF Bay Area, I've tried the FasTrak transponder multiple times to the right and below the rear view mirror and it just doesn't work for me. I do have my license plate registered in their system, so they are charging me correctly with each pass via their photos. I'll just routinely go without my transponder. The only issue now is using the paid HOV lanes that use the FasTrak system. Once I get my HOV access stickers, that won't be an issue either as I would get free access and would need to shield the transponder from working anyway.

Be a bit careful. The FasTrak page says that they may levy a fee if they have to charge based on license plate on a regular basis.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

I've given up on making FasTrak work with the Model S. I'm making do with sticking the transponder out the window (resting my hand on top of the door frame) despite what the ditty says. Doing this while going through the Dumbarton Bridge's carpool FasTrak lane at 50 mph hasn't been a problem. If the weather's poor, I'll occasionally rely on the license plates being recognized (once I get the plates).

This is me:

Hopefully, not this:

 

[DJ Frustration]

Thought I'd share this list of Special Windshield Mounting Instructions from the Sunpass website. Seems like known info. for this group but I didn't know about the front license plate transponder (that I will not be installing).

Special Windshield Mounting Tips

 

[KenEE]

I was all worked up (mainly from this thread) that I would have problems with my ez-pass here in Houston.
Well it was unfounded. Before I put the pass on my windshield I went and tested it with a test unit at the local ez-pass store.
It didn't matter where I put it on the windshield it worked every one of 5 or 6 passes.

Maybe they forgot to coat my windshield?

 

[W8MM]

Maybe they forgot to coat my windshield?

You should be so lucky.

Do you have a panoramic roof? If you do, the transponder may be communicating through it in spite of the coated windshield.

 

[tdubb]

@KenEE, I tried multiple locations on my windshield with the EZTag without success and even went through multiple different tags. Ended up having to get a front license plate mount and open the pano roof to get into my parking garage at work, big time pain. Would be really interested in where exactly you mounted your EZTag....

 

[ElSupreme]

I saw an early signature car, and I have looked at my car. The windshields are slightly different. With that let me lay out a few points.

You can see the coating that is blocking RF signals. It is easier in direct sunlight. It starts along the blacked edges of the glass. Move you head back and forth looking at the very edge. It looks slightly silvery shimmery.

Now look up at your rear view mirror (from the outside). The early Signature had a full black out on both sides of the mirrors. On the drivers side are the light sensors, and probably rain sensors. Inside there is a black housing around this. On the early Signature the passenger side had the same solid black out. This solid black out is NOT coated with the metallic film. Whether or not the black out paint blocks RF or not I don not know.

Now look up at your rear view mirror (from the outside). My car has a full black out on the drivers side. But dots on the passenger side. I can see the metallic film it follows the full black out, so no hole in it for RF to travel.

What does this mean? Well if you want your RFID toll/gate/parking pass to work you need to find a place on the windshield that isn't coated. The only place that isn't coated are the fully blacked portions. There is the small blacked surround along the sides and top, or at the bottom there is a very thick blacked surround. I would try these places first.

I truly think putting these tags on the bottom edge of the window, in the fully blacked area near the VIN is probably your best bet.

As for garage door openers, I think you are going to be stuck with opening a window (or getting line of site through a side window) or sunroof. Or getting them to work with HomeLink. That or mounting your opener in the nosecone, and running the push button to the cabin somehow.