Does this work at the SFO parking garages? There the FasTrak antennas are above the entrance and exit gates and you can't drive forward enough to "expose" the rear hatch to the antenna.
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FloridaGary
Member
I mounted my SunPass License Plate Transponder to the inside of my nosecone with velcro and a couple strips of tape for insurance. It's not pretty but it works.
Fanatic1
Member
Fanatic1
Member
Here in Northern California, if your license plate is registered with FasTrak, there is no penalty fine if your transponder isn't detected since the cameras will just pick up your license plate and just charge the regular toll fee. Thus, experimenting with different options for where to put the transponder doesn't trigger any fines.
Fanatic1
Member
According to our FasTrak program here in NorCal, the regular transponder is not waterproof and the inside of the nosecone can get wet so the external version is better as you are doing. With the newer internal transponders, there is a 3 position switch that you should at least access once to use in the Express lanes and in SoCal so it's handy not to have it in the nosecone. Of course it's not impossible to pop off the nosecone to change the selector switch just a little troublesome.
For the selector switches, you can set it and forget it, and mount it in the nose cone. Every couple of years you might need to change the battery, but it's not that big a deal. You'll know the battery is dead when you start getting the plate charges.
Fanatic1
Member
No need to change the selector switch since it always needs to be in number 3 position at all times.
cdhowe
Member
I just got back from taking my one week old S90D from Massachusetts to Maine and back and discovered that my 11-year-old MA FastLane transponder (it predates the EZ-Pass transition) mounted in the black area of the windshield (no dots on the new windshield -- you get transparent or black) was read in NH, but not in Maine.
Figuring it was the battery, I brought it to the Boston EZ-Pass office today and asked for a replacement. They tested it and said that it works fine and therefore will not replace it with a new interior transponder -- only with the big black license plate one. Knowing the problems people have had with license plate mounts and autopilot hardware (my model S has that), and not having a nosecone to hide it in (I have a refreshed design model S), I've decided to keep my FastLane transponder and try the rear parcel shelf mounting, but given the age of the transponder and its batteries, I'm skeptical it's going to work.
I'll update when I've tried the new mounting with this ancient transponder, but a colleague here offered a good solution that I might consider if the parcel shelf mounting doesn't work: register with the Pennsylvania Turnpike to get one of their EZ-Pass transponders. The claim is that they don't care if your plate is from out of state, and they would give me a more modern interior transponder.
in the meantime, I'd love to hear more stories of EZ-Pass mounting successes from owners of the new design model Ss.
Figuring it was the battery, I brought it to the Boston EZ-Pass office today and asked for a replacement. They tested it and said that it works fine and therefore will not replace it with a new interior transponder -- only with the big black license plate one. Knowing the problems people have had with license plate mounts and autopilot hardware (my model S has that), and not having a nosecone to hide it in (I have a refreshed design model S), I've decided to keep my FastLane transponder and try the rear parcel shelf mounting, but given the age of the transponder and its batteries, I'm skeptical it's going to work.
I'll update when I've tried the new mounting with this ancient transponder, but a colleague here offered a good solution that I might consider if the parcel shelf mounting doesn't work: register with the Pennsylvania Turnpike to get one of their EZ-Pass transponders. The claim is that they don't care if your plate is from out of state, and they would give me a more modern interior transponder.
in the meantime, I'd love to hear more stories of EZ-Pass mounting successes from owners of the new design model Ss.
Andyw2100
Well-Known Member
[QUOTE="cdhowe, post: 1594897, member: 46649"
in the meantime, I'd love to hear more stories of EZ-Pass mounting successes from owners of the new design model Ss.[/QUOTE]
That discussion may warrant it's own thread. You may want to consider starting a thread for that specific discussion, as I expect the new nosecone-less design will cause similar mounting issues for many.
in the meantime, I'd love to hear more stories of EZ-Pass mounting successes from owners of the new design model Ss.[/QUOTE]
That discussion may warrant it's own thread. You may want to consider starting a thread for that specific discussion, as I expect the new nosecone-less design will cause similar mounting issues for many.
ArtInCT
Always Learning
FWIW, my large EZpass license plate style transponder is mounted behind the nosecone on the black cross member. It is mounted with tie-wraps and double sided 3M auto tape (no vibration)
It has worked flawlessly in over 20 instances in MA, NY and ME.
It has worked flawlessly in over 20 instances in MA, NY and ME.
Soundchasr
Member
Fanatic1
Member
In Northern California, velcro-ing the interior white FasTrak transponder under the rear parcel shelf works pretty well on the bridges. Haven't tried in the SFO parking lot yet. Anyone try this method other states' or even SoCal's EZPass/FasTrak systems or in the refreshed S? It's so well hidden there.
I called my SC in MA and they said that the cannot do this because the transponder will interfere with the
I called a Tesla SC and they claim that it is not a good idea to mount it in the nose cone as it "interferes with autopilot" I told them that several Tesla personnel and this forum suggested that it could still be done, even on a early 2016 MS.
I did #2 this morning when I got the exterior transponder. Hopefully it won't matter whether it is mounted. I'll just mount the transponder like the OP did.
Fanatic1
Member
That is totally not true. I have to weekly contact fastrak to remind them that they charged me a fee from my fastrak account from the license plate of my Model s that is ON my account even though they know it has clean air stickers on file with DMV.
What I have discovered is that if the transponder reads just once at any of the points along fastrak zone, then I won't get charged at all the other points on the same road where the transponder didn't read, so after I enter the lane, I have to open the roof and shove the transponder out for just one of the readers and it doesn't matter which one.
Fanatic1
Member
Sorry to hear that. I guess I should add YMMV... I've never had to contact Fastrak for any of my cars.
NYC MTA Crossings (especially the RFK Triboro Bridge) continue to be an issue no matter where you mount your EZ Pass Tag. When I started this post, I had mounted the large external tag that is meant for above the license plate mounting inside of the nosecone. That worked everywhere except for some random lanes on the RFK Triboro. I eventually gave up and mounted the tag outside above the front license plate. That worked pretty well.
Last week at the RFK Triboro (again in a random lane) that externally mounted Transponder refused to open the gate, leaving me stranded there until an MTA Cop intervened. He asked for the toll in cash and I showed him where the transponder was mounted., He walked around to the front of the car and told me he still wanted cash because "there is scannable bar code on the transponder".
Figuring that he was either correct, or about to scam me, I took out a spare EZ Pass that I keep in the foil bag in my glovebox. He took it, tapped it on the tollgate, and voila, the gate lifted.
Moral of the story, if you are using a NYC MTA bridge or tunnel that has a gate that closes after each car, get a spare, keep it in the foil bag and stow it in the glovebox on your Tesla.
Last week at the RFK Triboro (again in a random lane) that externally mounted Transponder refused to open the gate, leaving me stranded there until an MTA Cop intervened. He asked for the toll in cash and I showed him where the transponder was mounted., He walked around to the front of the car and told me he still wanted cash because "there is scannable bar code on the transponder".
Figuring that he was either correct, or about to scam me, I took out a spare EZ Pass that I keep in the foil bag in my glovebox. He took it, tapped it on the tollgate, and voila, the gate lifted.
Moral of the story, if you are using a NYC MTA bridge or tunnel that has a gate that closes after each car, get a spare, keep it in the foil bag and stow it in the glovebox on your Tesla.
HankLloydRight
No Roads
Those two bridges-- the Triboro and Whitestone bridges have given me a few problems with my MS and windshield mounted Ezpass, but overall it's now working pretty well.
I have an older MS (non-AP) with the "black dots" area directly to the right of the rear-view mirror, and I get 100% EZpass reads everywhere else (incl the GW and TappanZee bridges).
But there is definitely something wrong with those two installations. I like the idea of a backup pass just in case.
Oh, and about a month ago I was driving north on the Henry Hudson parkway towards the small bridge toll there, and there was a grey Model S in front of me. He had to open his pano roof and hold out the EZpass to get through. Geeze, I thought, we have the most advanced automobile on the planet, but it forces some owners to do this silly little dance just to pay an *electronic* toll? It makes Teslas look really bad to everyone else who has to see that. Good thing it was summer time, I'd hate to be that guy in a heavy rain or in the winter with sub-zero temps.
I have an older MS (non-AP) with the "black dots" area directly to the right of the rear-view mirror, and I get 100% EZpass reads everywhere else (incl the GW and TappanZee bridges).
But there is definitely something wrong with those two installations. I like the idea of a backup pass just in case.
Oh, and about a month ago I was driving north on the Henry Hudson parkway towards the small bridge toll there, and there was a grey Model S in front of me. He had to open his pano roof and hold out the EZpass to get through. Geeze, I thought, we have the most advanced automobile on the planet, but it forces some owners to do this silly little dance just to pay an *electronic* toll? It makes Teslas look really bad to everyone else who has to see that. Good thing it was summer time, I'd hate to be that guy in a heavy rain or in the winter with sub-zero temps.
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