New owner of a 2004 RX330.

We have an electronic toll highway here in Toronto (407 ETR) that uses these transponders which you are supposed to mount on the windshield right behind the rear view mirror.

In the US there is the EZ-Pass which I assume is somewhat similar.

The transponder is basically a low-power radio (RFID) that is picked by sensors when you enter and exit the toll highway. If the signal is obstructed (for example if there's metal between the transponder and the sensor) the signal will not be picked up and you get nailed with an extra charge on top of the regular toll.

Besides the transponder being ugly, the RX 330 has at least 3 sensors on the windshield: raindrops, temperature, light - one of these is actually on the back of the rear view mirror. So mounting this thing behind the mirror might actually screw something up.

Bottom line is I really don't want to glue this thing to my front windshield. Wanted to know if other RX drivers had any luck successfully putting these things anywhere else.

So any suggestions?

 

I don't, but what if you put it in a zip lock bag and secured it in the engine area, but in cool part like near the washer stuff and taped it to the hood. how bout behind the bumper or screw it into the wheel well. Can you place it on the rear window?

 

I have looked around pretty extensively, and there are only two viable places for it:
1) attach to windshield near the mirror
2) attach to back of passengers sun visor (but you will need to have the visor down every time you go thru the toll taker)

I tried it hiding in the glove box and it would not read at maybe 20% of the tolls. The perfect place would be attached to the top of the sun roof sliding fabric screen, but unfortunately the sun roof is designed with no clearance, so you would rip the transponder off if you ever opened up the sun roof by accident.

Anywhere else that is shielding by metal (like inside of the engine compartment) will, of course, not work.

 

Why can't you put it on the right side of the front windshield? Are you sure it will interfere with the sensors? My mom has a speedpass in her Mercedes sedan by the windshield and nothing seems to be affected? it also has rain sensor, compass and etc

 

You can attach it anywhere you like along the top edge of the windshield. You just need it to be attached somewhere near the top of the car where there is not metal obstructing the view to the roof of the toll station (where the antenna is).

One possible place is INSIDE of the plastic spoiler at the back end of the roof. The RF signal will go thru the plastic, and it will be hidden from sight (getting stolen). However, since it is at the rear of the car, you might trip some false alarms when you went thru the toll, especially if you do not slow down a lot. Might be worth a try though.

 

It may be worth it to check with the highway authority to see if they have any other transponders, I know that when I lived in MA they had Ez-Pass transponders that screwed on to the front license plate instead of having to be mounted on the windshield.

 

When I was in Florida. I had my Sun pass located in the center of the front windshield Top center right beghind the rear view mirrow. I used a couple of small pieces of thick foam style double sided tape.

 

That's about the location I have my Sun Pass at.

 

Fredster

My RX still has the velcro strips stuck to the sensor dots on the windshield. The previous owner had a 407 ETR and his parking garage transponders attached there. I haven't attempted to remove them until I find something safe that will dissolve the glue but not damage the sensors. Goof Off works great for glue, but I don't want to take that chance.

 

No problem behind rear view mirror on dark buttons here in Houston. That is the spot most people put the sticker. Think it looks stupid when they put it down lower. If you want to test it out, why not just use some tape or something for a bit and see if any problems.

 

Thank you all for the replies.

An external transponder would have been ideal (as for EZ Pass in the USA) but 407 doesn't offer one...

Sticking it to the windshield 2"-3" to the right of the center of the windshield at the same height as the mirror is what the 407 folks recommend. But since I had problems removing the glue from the windshield of my previous car, I'd like to keep this solution as the last resort.

Right now I have the transponder jammed into the space between the rearview mirror and the roof/windshield, this seems to work fine for the tolls - but it is not very secure in there... (This works perfectly for our Honda Odyssey by the way - fits just right).

So I was thinking to wrap the thing up in one of those stretchy pressure bandages (it's about the size of an iPod, only thicker). This will make it thicker and "spongier". Then jam that into the gap between the rear-view mirror and the windshield. I will give it a try this weekend and will update this thread in case anyone else is going through the same.

 

I Keep my transponder on a rubberized mat on the dashboard https://ssl.static-cache.de/pimgs/32...3_p570853a.jpg and it has always worked just fine... Also facilitates the moving from one car to another process...


Don't know what all the fuss is about

 

That's pretty cool - the picture implies that the mat somehow holds the pen, keys and whatnot securely in place. Is it magnetized or something?
In a previous car I tried to put the 407 on rubberized pegs (the same ones that are sold for bookshelf speakers) but it was sliding all over the dash.

 

+1 here in MA you just tell them it isn't working well on the windshield and ask for the front license plate mount verions - maybe they have that one also!

 

The auto stores like autozone carry the little rubber dash mat that is designed to keep things from rolling off of it like cell phones, pens, keys, etc. My wife has one on her ES330. Comes in different colors.