BigBluu

Call me crazy, but I think I've found the perfect spot to stick these electronic toll transponders. I've tested it and the signal reads fine through the toll booth. Where is this perfect spot you ask? On top of the sliding sunshade. With the moonroof closed, slide the shade half way open, then slip the transponder through the opening between the shade and the moonroof and stick it on top just beyond the hump at the front of the shade. It does not get in the way (for Fastrak at least) of the shade or moonroof operation. No more ugly white boxes on the windshield to clash with the interior or exterior of your car.

Let me know what you guys think.

te3point5

And it works with the moon roof all the way open?

go4heat

i will have to try this, nice find. i am not sure exactly where you are talking about, but i will figure it out.

racersky

i just painted my transponder black and you can't reallie tell it's one unless your looking closely to the sticky i put on it but from far distance it looks like a hardwire radar detector. Wish i had pics to show it but i'm in school and don't have my car with me

BigBluu

ooh...haven't tested that out yet.

Lore

I have a FasTrak and I just placed it in the topmost compartment (the two little ones by the shifter). However, I like your idea - I'm just concerned that when the moonroof slides all the way back, it'll jam with the FasTrak unit there. When it slides all the way back it also takes back the manual shade, so how are you putting it so it doesn't conflict? Can you take a picture?

racersky

i don't think the shade thingy goes back that far. Cause my CL moonroof should be relatively the same as your TLs. It will leave like at least 3 inches of it and won't go back any further. That's what my cl does.

BigBluu

I've tried the compartments (and the door bin and the under the armrest) and it's a hit or miss. GG Bridge will never read while it's there.

The shade goes all the way back when the roof is open, but if you put it where I stated (must be behind the front hump), it will not interfere with either the sunshade or the moonroof's operation. I'll try to take pics, but the moonroof's heavily tinted...so.

direk_04TL

the sunroof and shade opens all the way, even hides the handle for the shade behind the headliner. but im sure you knew that already.

xristos

Correct me if I'm wrong, aren't you renting the transponder and must return it when its service is no longer needed?

I would like to paint it black, but I wouldn't want to be charged for altering its appearance.

racersky

oh wells....i just pay my cash so i didn't know about it and plus when it is nearly running out they call me and also send a mail home so it's cool for me.

rets

Aditional threads if you guys like to know...

http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77347
http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83102

yano_jl

How much could it be? 10 bucks? I say paint it if you'd like, as long as there is no transponder interference.

Lore

Yeah, the transponder is hit or miss even if I'm holding it on my hand. It used to work very well in that little compartment but for some reason it stopped working so well (I even had a new one sent to me just in case).

However, with FasTrak as long as the license plate is registered they'll just take it out of your account, so even if it doesn't take you should be okay.

I just walked downstairs to the car and now I know what you're talking about. That's gotta be hard to get out after you stick it on there...

Thanks!

BigBluu

I tested with the moonroof fully opened yesterday...no go. I guess I'll just have to close it each time I pass through the toll booth.

Lore

That's almost as much work as me taking out the transponder and throwing it on the dash as I drive by, which is what I do right now.

BigBluu

with SF weather, i have it closed most of the time anyways.

DanL

iTrader: (2)

EZPass at least will requires you to purchase the tag (from the EZPass FAQ). I believe the cost is roughly $24 for an interior tag, $30 for an exterior:

Can I alter the appearance of the tag?

Customer damaging or defacing a tag through misuse or abuse will be required to pay the full cost of the tag (minus any tag deposit). This includes pencil, pen, permanent marker, stickers, and any writing whatsoever.

rsinisi

Can I alter the appearance of the tag?

Customer damaging or defacing a tag through misuse or abuse will be required to pay the full cost of the tag (minus any tag deposit). This includes pencil, pen, permanent marker, stickers, and any writing whatsoever.

But it doesn't say anything about using black duct tape.

xristos

Thanks DanL !

rsinisi , how would you use the black duct tape?

xristos

What if the transponder is placed inside the rear brake light cover?

When my tint was being applied I took a look at the cover & seems big enough to hold the transponder out of view.

Since I'm on vacation I won't be able to know if it works when you go thru the toll booth.

Anybody try this option?
http://home.comcast.net/~xristos/IMG_0222.JPG

xristos

Wow, sorry that was a big pic!

That link doesn't work anymore, I'm new on posting pics.

This is much better.

BigBluu

what is that pic supposed to show?

xristos

The third brake light. It's the first time I posted a pic & wanted to see if it worked.

I'll try and put the transponder inside the third brake cover & see if it fits.

gregory28_RENAMED

I just have my EZ PASS velcroed on the windshield above the rear view mirror. It's hardly noticable since it's almost entirely covered by the rear view mirror.

xristos

Well the transponder doesn't fit inside the third brake light, but if you want you can velcro it under the light cover instead of putting it behind the rearview mirror.

Steerpike

Not sure if it's best to start a new thread for this, but I figured I would add my contribution to this thread. I too was struggling to find the best place for my FasTrak transponder, and hit upon the idea of the sunroof. Here are some pics of my installation, and some thoughts.

Before settling on this location, I tried just holding the transponder in that spot on a few passes through the San Mateo Bridge Toll Plaza (bay area), which I cross every day. Seemed to work every time. My first thought was to use the supplied velcro strips, but the grip is so strong, and the location so inaccessible, that I worried that I'd never be able to get it out when needed (like when the battery dies or whatever). So then I thought about using just a few small pieces of double-sided tape, enough to hold it in place but not enough to make it immovable in the future. But then I worried that, if it happened to work itself loose, and slide backwards into the rear area, the two-sided tape may make it impossible to dislodge without major dis-assembly. So my final idea was to cut very small pieces of velcro for the base, so the grip would be relatively light, thus allowing for easy removal. And if the unit should come loose, there is no sticky material to get it stuck elsewhere. Whether or not this is good logic, only time will tell.

Here's the area of the sunroof that everyone is talking about - a perfect little area for the device (this is the area right above the driver's head; there is an identical area on the passenger side, if you wanted to do it there instead):

and here is another view:

As you can see, there are some long reinforcement ridges that run side to side, but for some reason, they stop at this point, just enough to fit the transponder.

Here's the amount of Velcro I used - hopefully, just enough to grip, not enough to make it impossible to remove (one fear - that the velcro-velcro bond will not break, but instead, the glue will come loose as there is very little glue surface - time will tell).


And here is the final installation:

Note - to fit it, you open the inside sliding cover about 40%, then slide the device past the 'pillar' (to the side of it), then position it behind the pillar. I moved it away from the pillar by quarter of an inch, to avoid any possibility of rattle. You should do a dry run of this BEFORE attaching the sticky velcro, otherwise it may get stuck in the wrong place.

And here's the final installation, taken through the gap having raised the rear of the sunroof:


My one concern now is, HEAT! It's hot enough sticking this device to the windscreen, but at least there is a lot of air circulation inside the car. But this sunroof 'cavity' is fully exposed to the sun, and has virtually NO air circulation ... so it may cause the device to malfunction. Oh well, I guess I will just turn it in for another one!

I did verify that both the inner cover and the sunroof itself continued to function un-impeded by this installation - but make sure you check this yourself before deciding the project is complete!

Sohan24

This location also works for the newer rectangle FasTrak transponders. No issues with opening or closing the moonroof, or sliding back the sunshade cover.
It helps to tilt the sunroof when sticking it in place.