Hello all -- I'm hoping you can help with positioning of toll transponder on new E class -- see signature for details. We've tried multiple locations and only getting intermittent success with SunPass in Florida. I called the dealer and the said to place just to RIGHT of rear view mirror on passenger side where faint screen/grid is visible. We tried this and didn't work consistently. Now thinking a bumper mount transponder but wanted to reach out to see what other owners have found to work.

If you have a bumper mount, any alternate mounting locations since we don't have front license plates / holders?

 

@gujuman DId you see this on page 130 of the owner's manual? https://www.mbusa.com/en/owners/manuals

Look at the manual for the graphic showing locations.

/Quote
Radio-controlled equipment, such as toll sys‐
tems, can be mounted only on areas of the wind‐
shield that are permeable to radio waves 1.
Areas permeable to radio waves 1 are best visi‐
ble from outside the vehicle when the windshield
is illuminated with an external light source.
/Unquote

 

I put mine on dash at lower radio clear part of the windscreen and have not had any issues. I use the transponder only a couple of times a month mainly at KTPA airport.

There is an additional note on the Sunpass site as follows:
* Contact Customer Service for the proper mounting location on
Mercedes-Benz CL, E, & S Class vehicles equipped with “Night View Assist”.

 

Sort of off topic, but FWIW here in California the transponder has been eliminated in favor of a window sticker with a circuit of some sort in it. It's small, about 2" X .75". I expect this will eventually replace transponders all over the country.

 

Figure from page 130 of the user manual

 

We don't use EZ-Pass but something similar and I located mine at center lower front of dash (like the manual explains). I put a rubber backing on it because I did not want to put adhesive on the windscreen.

There have been no miss problems for 2 years since I have owned the vehicle.

 

FYI...these only work if you don't plan on using CarPool lanes or any of the new express lanes that are popping up in California, unless you want to pay full toll every time you do.

 

Thanks fo the replies...and the picture...we currently have it placed on the passenger side permeable area...looks like the lower center area may be working better for folks. I'll try that next and post update.

Agree about the stickers/transponders...the small motorcycle ones that stick to headlight seem to work best, but FL only has 3 options 1. big ugly portable ones, 2. big ugly sticker, or 3. bumper mount near front license plate which isn't required in FL...

Thanks!

 

I've have had bad luck with the stick on decal type of transponders, in Florida I bought one that is portable and sticks on with suction cups and can be moved from car to car. I've had good luck in my E450 and S550 with it either in the lower part of the windshield just above the dash or in that spot just to the right of the rear view mirror pass side.

 

I've had excellent luck with the sticker thingy — excellent from my perspective, that is. About half the time the scanner doesn't pick it up, but it's still there if I should get stopped. 'SNOT MY FAULT! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

I had a stick on one and about half the time it didn’t get read which means the camera takes a picture of the plate and you get a series of bills in the mail at a higher toll rate. Same thing happened with the gate opener where I live. About half the time the gate didn’t open. They got me the box type with the suction cups. Works like a charm.

 

I've never been billed for the missed scans.

 

Can't you associate your license plate with your toll account? That's how it works here. If it fails to read the transponder, it reads the license plate and charges the same account with the same rate.

 

Good idea. On one of my cars the plate is associated with with the transponder. On the other car I’ve gotta plug in the plate on the website. That should do the trick.

 

The Orange County (California) toll roads do that, but those in L.A. use the sticker thing — previously L.A. used the plastic transponder gadgets before switching to the stickers. I suppose that decision (rather than switching to the seemingly simpler license plate reader system) was a matter of the type of hardware installed on the roads.

 

I see. Here in NorCal we still have the plastic transponders. Tolls here are only charged on the bridges and now the new express lanes. Carpool lanes for the bridges are no longer free, instead they have a reduced toll and the express lanes are free if you have enough people in the car, so that's why you need one of those switchable transponders where you can select 1, 2 or 3+ passengers in the car. The stickers don't work for that. My understanding is California is planning on turning most of the HOV lanes into express lanes and start charging tools for single occupancy drivers, but eventually they wanna charge tolls on all lanes during commute hours and have congestion based pricing. The municipal transportation agency here just published a letter on this matter seeking buy-in from all the counties. They also wanna lower the speed limit to 55 for "safety" reason.

 

Pretty much the same in L.A. — there are only a few toll lanes in L.A. County (e.g., the Harbor Freeway from downtown south to the harbor) and no roads that are toll only AFAIK. Orange county does have a couple of roads that are exclusively toll.

 

Just wanted to close the loop and thank everyone for the help. It works flawlessly on the lower central portion of the windshield for this vehicle.

 

I'm late to the party, but I didn't even want to look at my own I-Pass (Illinois) transponder. I simply affixed it to the underside of my pano roof panel at the center of the front edge, and closed the shade. The transponder reads flawlessly through the glass roof panel, and I don't have to see it. I can open and close the shade and the roof, too.

 

I have our I Pass in position 1. No problems. But I don’t understand what you did in terms of rubber backing.