[cvmurrieta]

I am thinking about buying an Illinois IPASS transponder to pay for tolls since I will be going to Illinois in the next couple of months. The instructions I have downloaded from a Google search state that I need to place the IPASS transponder at least 1 inch below the top of the windshield (easy enough) and on the left side 1 inch away from the rear view mirror post (not easy because of the plastic island surrounding the post).

Anyone else on this forum have issues with this? How have you worked around it?

 

[Eddy Cruze]

There are only certain areas that you can place electronics without violating your State laws or obstructing the air bags. I would have this unit professionally installed if you have any doubts

 

[brian v]

OP you will find that you will be able to place the I Pass a couple of inches over from the rear view mirror easily. .

 

[Robby]

OP: I place mine at the top of the windshield to the right side of the plastic mirror base and have for, jeeze, almost 20 years. This way I don't have to look at it.

Reads (and charges me) just fine.
The biggest two benefits are using the I Pass lanes and the toll charge is 1/2 of the cash charge.

Rob

 

[Eddy Cruze]

Half off for having one of those readers, incredible! Personally I don't believe in Toll Roads. In Florida they had some and drivers would use it like the Autobahn because they paid to.

Here in Southern California in Orange County someone built their own Toll roads (yes you can do that) and I just saw the commercial which allows you to pay for your tolls if you purchase a reader up to 7 days after use of the road, that's different?

 

[jblackburn]

I kept my EzPass in the little dash compartment and it's always worked fine through tolls.

 

[dhpnet]

I keep my Fastrak in the glove box. I just hold it up to the windshield when I drive through the toll lanes on the Bay Area bridges, and then I put it back in the glove box. I hate having stuff stuck to my windshield. It looks ugly. But, I don't cross the bridges very often.

 

[MP81]

We didn't mount our I-Pass, just holding it to the windshield when going through a toll booth was enough to trigger it. In Illinois, you don't even have to stop - it just picks up your plate, rather than the transponder.

 

[IndyDiesel]

I have the iPass and I put mine on the right side of the mirror on the windshield. Just one additional point, it works for many other tolls as well, when I went to NYC and New Jersey and PA last summer it worked on those as well even though it wasn't called iPass. Well worth it and saves time and money.

 

[EricSmit]

I am thinking about buying an Illinois IPASS transponder to pay for tolls since I will be going to Illinois in the next couple of months. The instructions I have downloaded from a Google search state that I need to place the IPASS transponder at least 1 inch below the top of the windshield (easy enough) and on the left side 1 inch away from the rear view mirror post (not easy because of the plastic island surrounding the post).

Anyone else on this forum have issues with this? How have you worked around it?

Hey Chris! If you want, feel free to stop by the dealer some time and I can show you the best way to install it.

 

[BrightParrot]

I just have my ezpass to the left of the RVM. Works fine. If you don't want to use their velcro strips, you can get a suction cup holder for it. Does IPass have any admin fees? The new york ezpass does not (I think jersey does - $1 / mo.) and NY is the one I have, it works fine in IL. And IL does read the tag, but if it can't it also gets the plate to match it up to a IPass account, if you register your plate in your account. Most of the toll systems that use these tags are like that.
They may also offer what they call the "external" tag - it mounts using the top 2 bolts on your front license plate. I've had those before, but I found that after a while, the elements eventually make them less than reliable.

 

[MP81]

Does IPass have any admin fees? The new york ezpass does not (I think jersey does - $1 / mo.)

No, it is free. And yeah, they can usually be used interchangeably with an EZ-Pass. We got one since we were driving down to the in-laws house in North Carolina, and went through a few toll roads. Coincidentally, we used it for one trip before they moved to Atlanta, where we go through zero toll roads, haha. But the rest of my wife's family lives in the Chicago area, so we'll still get use out of it.

 

[Blasirl]

I am thinking about buying an Illinois IPASS transponder to pay for tolls since I will be going to Illinois in the next couple of months. The instructions I have downloaded from a Google search state that I need to place the IPASS transponder at least 1 inch below the top of the windshield (easy enough) and on the left side 1 inch away from the rear view mirror post (not easy because of the plastic island surrounding the post).

Anyone else on this forum have issues with this? How have you worked around it?

Like @Robby, I just mounted it to the right of the mirror. I have a dash cam that replaces the "plastic island" and my radar detector hangs below the mirror. Even with all that junk there, it picks up the transponder and charges me with no issues. I have been using it for about 12 years like that - only 3 in my Cruze though.

This is small, but if you go here there is a larger version. If you look above the mirror and to the right, you can just make out the transponder.

We didn't mount our I-Pass, just holding it to the windshield when going through a toll booth was enough to trigger it. In Illinois, you don't even have to stop - it just picks up your plate, rather than the transponder.

While the cameras will pick up your plates, don't let your transponder run out of money. You will get a phone call within days threatening you if you don't pay up. I do not use auto reload with my credit card as I do not think they need that information so it may be possible they just charge it. I just use an "iPass gift card" from Jewel to reload. I usually run route 41 instead of I-94, but occasionally we make trips to Chicago or Iowa and using the iPass is easier.

 

[MP81]

While the cameras will pick up your plates, don't let your transponder run out of money. You will get a phone call within days threatening you if you don't pay up. I do not use auto reload with my credit card as I do not think they need that information so it may be possible they just charge it. I just use an "iPass gift card" from Jewel to reload. I usually run route 41 instead of I-94, but occasionally we make trips to Chicago or Iowa and using the iPass is easier.

Ours has auto-refill, so it's all good.

 

[JoeInMilwaukee]

As others have suggested, the mounting position of the I-PASS transponder isn't super-critical. Just make sure your vehicle information is kept up-to-date on the I-PASS web site so that if the transponder can't be read, the cameras can identify your vehicle and deduct the appropriate toll from your account.

I purchased suction cups from a hardware store and use these to mount my transponder to the windshield. This way I don't have to attach the mounting strips to my windshield. I also use the I-PASS when renting cars locally for business travel to Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

The suction cups in the picture are about 1.25" in diameter; I also have some that are 1.75" in diameter. The smaller ones seem to work better on my Gen1 Cruze's windshield.

Each suction cup has a small square of mounting strip attached to it so that I can easily change suction cup sizes on the transponder.

The only drawback to the suction cups is that sometimes they don't work too well when the windshield is cold. Typically one of the suction cups will come loose while driving, or once in a while the entire transponder comes crashing down onto my dashboard!

 

[cvmurrieta]

Thanks for all your input, everyone! I will mount it to the right as others on this forum have suggested. Yes, I will take up EricSmit's offer since I know him personally and the service shop he works at has always treated me well.
@Eddy Cruze: yeah, I recall taking the toll road on CA-73 in my younger days when I drive from San Diego to Long Beach. Since I didn't take toll roads very often or use I-15 in San Diego, I never signed up for FasTrak. I-215 going up to Riverside also never had FasTrak near where I lived, Murrieta.

I kind of had an idea that transponder placement may not be super-critical because the State of Illinois tells us to send back transponders wrapped in aluminum foil in order to not set off toll road sensors. If placement on the windshield were super-critical, then a transponder wrapped in a plain envelope nestled among other packages theoretically shouldn't set off the sensors. Thank goodness for great sense of the people on this forum to give a realistic view of the situation :rock:

 

[Eddy Cruze]

Thanks for all your input, everyone! I will mount it to the right as others on this forum have suggested. Yes, I will take up EricSmit's offer since I know him personally and the service shop he works at has always treated me well.
@Eddy Cruze: yeah, I recall taking the toll road on CA-73 in my younger days when I drive from San Diego to Long Beach. Since I didn't take toll roads very often or use I-15 in San Diego, I never signed up for FasTrak. I-215 going up to Riverside also never had FasTrak near where I lived, Murrieta.

I kind of had an idea that transponder placement may not be super-critical because the State of Illinois tells us to send back transponders wrapped in aluminum foil in order to not set off toll road sensors. If placement on the windshield were super-critical, then a transponder wrapped in a plain envelope nestled among other packages theoretically shouldn't set off the sensors. Thank goodness for great sense of the people on this forum to give a realistic view of the situation :rock:

Thank you so much for that mention! California is an insane State when it comes to placing anything on your dash or window and also new laws with tinting as well. Then there are the gun laws which allow only the criminals to carry these days.

 

[BrightParrot]

I kind of had an idea that transponder placement may not be super-critical because the State of Illinois tells us to send back transponders wrapped in aluminum foil in order to not set off toll road sensors. If placement on the windshield were super-critical, then a transponder wrapped in a plain envelope nestled among other packages theoretically shouldn't set off the sensors.

You should always keep the tag in one of those bags they give you if you don't want it to be read. (Or wrap it in tinfoil, that'll work too.) The antenna (you can usually see it if you look up as you go through the toll booth - usually a white rectangle on the ceiling slightly angled towards traffic flow) has a cone shaped pattern down to the traffic lane. If the tag were just in a paper envelope, if the angle of the tag (flat side towards sky) was right, it could certainly be accidentally read. The main reason the toll authorities tell you not to hold the tag up by hand while passing through is mostly because you need that flat side of the tag to be towards the antenna for it to read correctly. If you were to hold the tag flat side forwards you reduce the chance of the antenna reading it correctly. Having the tag mounted on the front window is the optimal angle for the antenna to see it properly, especially when you have the toll-at-speed (the gantry with the cameras and the antenna over each lane, no toll booth) that a lot of toll authorities are going with these days. For those that don't like to have it mounted with those velcro strips they give you (or if you are in CA!) the suction cup tag holder works great and is easy to throw up on the window and take down after you go through the toll.

 

[Blasirl]

Just a last minute addition.

I purchased some of these so I could mount mine in different vehicles without an issue.

4-Strips Replacement E-ZPass Mounting Strips - Original TollTape

 

[BrightParrot]

Just a last minute addition.

I purchased some of these so I could mount mine in different vehicles without an issue.

4-Strips Replacement E-ZPass Mounting Strips - Original TollTape

I don't know about your toll agency, but I can log into my account for my NY toll tag and order up to 4 pair of those and read prevention bags for free.. I do so every so often so I have plenty on hand. They come in handy for all sorts of things!