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EZ Pass problems
- Thread starter rds4eyes
- Start date
EVRider-FL
Active Member
Don’t know what kind of transponder you have, but some have internal batteries that eventually die.
bjrosen
Member
Mine is mounted next to the mirror, never had a problem. They have batteries which eventually die so it's a good idea to replace them every now and then.
I had and still have the same problem. I replaced the transponder. The new one works about half the time. I'm billed anyway for those missed (they take a photo of my plate), but I don't receive the discount for the charges missed by the transponder. I've tried locating it on the dash, holding it up to the window, mounting it on the window and even tried locating it on the back of the display. None work every time. Maine DOT does offer a transponder that can be mounted outside on the front license plate, but it seems more trouble than it would be worth.
rtanov
Member
My son has film on all windows of his SUV including the windshield - the EZPass transponder only works if he holds it against the sun roof. Must be the type of film he has.
srs5694
Active Member
Mine is this model:
I mounted it next to the rear-view mirror, so that it's more-or-less hidden from my point of view when I'm driving. I got it in 2014 and it still works fine today (or as of about a month ago, anyhow; I haven't driven on any toll roads since the July 4 weekend). As others have said, they are battery-powered, so the batteries will eventually fail. I found a FAQ that mentions the batteries. It says:
I suspect that somebody with sufficient skills could replace the battery, but I couldn't find any instructions on a Web search. Instead, it seems that most toll authorities want people to turn in old transponders for a replacement. Details of what this will cost vary from one toll authority to another. If yours wants a lot, it might be worth researching what different toll authorities charge. When I got mine, in 2014, prices varied a lot, and it was perfectly legitimate to get a transponder from an out-of-state authority. At that time, Massachusetts offered free transponders with no annual or monthly fees (although you do need to create an account with a $20 initial balance), and that still seems to be the case today, but I didn't research all that deeply, so I may have missed something. Of course, if the roads on which you travel have cheaper tolls for in-state transponders than for out-of-state transponders, getting an out-of-state transponder will cost more in the long run, even if you have to pay a few bucks more up front. I just did a Web search and found this article from 2019 detailing the prices from various toll authorities. Virginia and New York also seem to have good low-cost policies, although they require higher standing account balances than Massachusetts.
I mounted it next to the rear-view mirror, so that it's more-or-less hidden from my point of view when I'm driving. I got it in 2014 and it still works fine today (or as of about a month ago, anyhow; I haven't driven on any toll roads since the July 4 weekend). As others have said, they are battery-powered, so the batteries will eventually fail. I found a FAQ that mentions the batteries. It says:
EZ Pass said:
I suspect that somebody with sufficient skills could replace the battery, but I couldn't find any instructions on a Web search. Instead, it seems that most toll authorities want people to turn in old transponders for a replacement. Details of what this will cost vary from one toll authority to another. If yours wants a lot, it might be worth researching what different toll authorities charge. When I got mine, in 2014, prices varied a lot, and it was perfectly legitimate to get a transponder from an out-of-state authority. At that time, Massachusetts offered free transponders with no annual or monthly fees (although you do need to create an account with a $20 initial balance), and that still seems to be the case today, but I didn't research all that deeply, so I may have missed something. Of course, if the roads on which you travel have cheaper tolls for in-state transponders than for out-of-state transponders, getting an out-of-state transponder will cost more in the long run, even if you have to pay a few bucks more up front. I just did a Web search and found this article from 2019 detailing the prices from various toll authorities. Virginia and New York also seem to have good low-cost policies, although they require higher standing account balances than Massachusetts.
I got the EZ pass but never used them, they are able to see my front Vinyl License plate and will charge me that way.
This is the small Bar Code sticker that goes on the bottle left or right side of the outside of the windshield. Haven’t needed to use it if you have front plates.
Fred
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srs5694
Active Member
EZ Pass is a system used in many East Coast and some Mid-West states. It uses a transponder in a plastic case, about the size of a small pocket calculator. What you've shown (for San Francisco's FasTrack) looks like something different. I checked the Web site noted on the infographic, and it looks like that system uses a much thinner sticker. I haven't researched it in depth, but it looks like it's similar to RFID tags, in that it lacks its own power source and instead relies on power from the reading station. Each system would have its own advantages and disadvantages. An EZ Pass tag, for instance, will eventually stop working because of battery failure, unlike the FasTrack system, which wouldn't be prone to battery-related failures (if I've understood the technology correctly). OTOH, an EZ Pass transponder is easy to move from one vehicle to another, since it's encased in a rigid plastic shell that's held to the windshield with a sort of coarse Velcro-like strip; whereas the instructions you posted for the FasTrack tag explicitly warn against trying to move it, since it would presumably be easily damaged. I've used my own current EZ Pass in four different cars. @rds4eyes is having problems getting his EZ Pass working (Florida is an EZ Pass state, so I'm assuming his tag is basically like mine), and many of the answers have focused on the possibility of battery failure.
bjrosen
Member
NH wants $6.69 for a new EZ Pass transponder, at that price it makes absolutely no sense trying to replace the battery instead of getting a new one. I live in MA but I use NH toll roads much more frequently then I use the Mass Pike so I use a NH EZPass. You get a discount for tolls in the state that your EZ Pass is registered.
puckpurnell
Member
EZPass is super easy to work with. If the transponder doesn't work, simply contact them and they'll send a new one. As I recall, it comes with mounting instructions. EZPass also has a front bumper transponder. For some reason, my wife's car has that option. Mine has always been the small white model that I mount behind the mirror at the top of the windshield.
srs5694
Active Member
As I understand it, the front-bumper location is required on cars with windshields that contain metal oxides. The RI Turnpike and Bridge Authority has a list of cars that require this mounting location here. (I expect this wouldn't vary by state, although of course it's possible that RI's list is incomplete or has errors.) AFAIK, an external transponder will work even on cars that can work fine with interior-mounted transponders. There are no Teslas on the list, and I've never heard of complaints from Tesla owners about non-functioning EZ Pass transponders. Certainly mine has always worked in my Model 3.
