Is there a good way to mount the bumper-mounted smart tag if I don't have my front plate on? I was wondering if I can just attach it to the bracket mounting holes under the bumper. Will it register? Has anyone done this?

 

I would think that so long as you don't tail gate someone through the express lanes and made sure that you tag was exposed enough to get the rf signal out from the car, you'd be fine. In other words, make sure there is line-of-sight between the tag and the receiver.

 

Sorry for sounding like a newbie, I just moved, so I've never had to use smart tag before. The tag relies on line-of-sight? I thought it was just a broadcast signal. In any event, I think I can get the plastic mounting bracket for the license plate, cut off a good portion of the bracket and use that to mount the smart-tag.

 

I would have asked for the windshield mounted smart tag. I've got one on my car and I don't have any problems with it or EZ-Pass working.

You can see where I mounted it in this pic:


Its a little bit lower than where its supposed to be, but when you're sitting in the car its directly behind the rear view mirror so it never obstructs your view.

Not sure why, but both Smartag and EZ-Pass say that you need the bumper mounted tag (something about the front of the windshield having something to prevent the tags from working), but I've never had any problems at all with mine!

 

We used to have bumper-mounted devices here in Orlando, and I had mine mounted inside my bumper - completely invisible. I never had a problem with it. They switched to the windshield-mounted units which I think are just plain ugly, so I keep mine in the center console until I know I'll be on a toll road, then just throw it up on the dash.

 

ok excuse my ignorance, What the hell is a smart Tag?

 

It basically allows you to drive through a toll without stopping. There is usually an EZ-Pass lane for cars equipped as such, and all you have to do is drive through it and it automatically deducts the toll amount from your prepaid amount(I think some states you are billed, dunno?).

 

Well, there's only one problem with messing with where you put the tag here in VA. When I got my last usage statement, there was a newsletter included which had an article about "waivers" (people like me who keep their tag in the glove box and hold it up when going through toll plazas) and people who mount their tags (either type of tag) improperly. The point of the article was "mount the tag correctly, the way the instructions that come with the tag say, or else". They also "claimed" to have started checking for people at toll plazas - they have state police sitting at them from time to time over by the smart tag lanes watching people. Also, they say that putting the windshield tag on your windshield in a funny place may fail your car during a state safety inspection (of course, this depends on how much of a stickler the shop is).

Like I said, I have the windshield mount type and the tag looks like hell - so I'm not mounting it to my windshield. If I see a trooper at a toll plaza, I just go through a regular toll lane and "waive" my tag there. Will a cop catch a license plate tag stuck to the bottom bracket of your car? Doubtful, but they're claiming that they're watching for things like this. Just an FYI.

Finally, according to the Smart Tag people, if you go through a toll plaza and you don’t pay the fee or your tag is not picked up, here’s what you’ll need to do when you get a violation notice:

What do I do if I receive a violation notice?
This is a two-step process. First, call Smart Tag at 1-877-SMARTAG (1-877-762-7824) to verify that your Smart Tag account is in good standing and that your Smart Tag is working. Have the violation notice in front of you when you call. The CSR will help you figure out why you got the violation notice. Second, you will need to contact the toll facility who sent you the violation notice. All violation notices have a phone number for you to contact. You may also contact them in writing at the address they provide on the notice. Explain to them why the violation occurred and make arrangements to pay the toll. Also, please note that Smart Tag cannot resolve your violation notice. Contacting Smart Tag will help you to prevent it happening in the future.

 

I got one of those plastic suction cup holders in black and wrapped my EZPass tag in black electrical tape. It's up just below the black tint on the front windshield and you almost can't tell it's there.

 

nsxnext,
do u have a picture of the suction cup holder? i was thinking of doing something similar. i was gonna paint my ez-tag black and use black/grey 3m tape to mount it in my windshield. your way might be better. i hate the white tag look!
thanks,
peter.