RivNut Posted September 3, 2019 Share Posted September 3, 2019 (edited) I found out today, after the third try, that the 1991 - 1996 Buick Roadmasters and other Buicks that have a windshield that is covered with the special metal oxide coating cannot have E-Z Pass tags scanned through that windshield. If you travel on toll roads often and have an E-Z Pass or other state issued passes, you might want to check out other ways of mounting your tag. You can find lists on the internet of other cars that have the same problem. I only found out because my account with the state had me entering the turnpike at a point before the booth through which I actually entered. That costs me a couple of extra bucks because they billed me based on my license plate rather than the Pass tag. Ed Here's a link that lists automobiles with windshields that won't allow E-Z Pass tags to be scanned. https://ezpassmaineturnpike.com/EZPass/Page.do?id=extTags Edited September 3, 2019 by RivNut (see edit history) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 Thanks for the information. Did not know that but it makes sense with the tinted and solar ray windshields. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecialEducation Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 (edited) I remember when Kansas first started the K-Tags, they had front license plate frames with transponders built-in for cars with incompatible windshields. Great for a state that doesn’t require front plates, huh? lol No idea if they still have anything like that today... Edited September 4, 2019 by SpecialEducation (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted September 4, 2019 Author Share Posted September 4, 2019 1 hour ago, SpecialEducation said: I remember when Kansas first started the K-Tags, they had front license plate frames with transponders built-in for cars with incompatible windshields. Great for a state that doesn’t require front plates, huh? lol No idea if they still have anything like that today... They do. One is on the way. The representative waived the fees because of the situation. Now I need to find a front license plate bracket. 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 That's quite a windshield. With the placement of the defroster the driver can't see out on a humid day and the reader can't see in through the outside coating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y-JobFan Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) I have found that if you hold the ezpass right against the windshield, they will scan. Never had one not work driving the Roadmaster Edited September 5, 2019 by Y-JobFan (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 21 hours ago, Y-JobFan said: I have found that if you hold the ezpass right against the windshield, they will scan. Never had one not work driving the Roadmaster What year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y-JobFan Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 92,95 & 96 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 FWIW, I have encountered no problem with my '92 Roadmaster. Must not be the same windshield. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dship Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 As of yet, I haven't encountered a problem with my 2000 Eldorado. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Roadmaster not the same windshield as my '95 Fleetwood Brougham?? EZ-PASS works on my '95 Fleetwood Brougham - likely the same as a Roadmaster, also works in '02 Suburban and '06 Avalanche, and in '00 Excursion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted September 9, 2019 Share Posted September 9, 2019 Maybe there was some shield option available in the time frame? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted September 9, 2019 Share Posted September 9, 2019 28 minutes ago, JohnD1956 said: Maybe there was some shield option available in the time frame? That's what I am thinking. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted September 9, 2019 Author Share Posted September 9, 2019 More likely there's a difference in the tags themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 What is the purpose of the coating? Part of the uv filtering? I remember the "fluidic control sweep" of the defroster vent, side-to-side, rather than in a dedicated place as most other cars. NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyfamily Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 In MD if the EZ Pass machine doesn’t detect the transponder then it automatically takes a scan of your rear license plate and matches up the account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ply33 Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 On 9/8/2019 at 8:45 PM, RivNut said: More likely there's a difference in the tags themselves. Despite Federal law that requires all toll road authorities to use a unified national standard by last year, there are a number of incompatible systems around the country. It is my understanding that the frequencies and RF protocols are pretty varied and it would not surprise me if some toll road tags would work and others not. As time passes, more and more toll road/bridge authorities will be migrating to systems that are nationally compatible. If/when that happens your local transponder will work on any toll road or bridge in the country. Don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen though. 37 minutes ago, Crazyfamily said: In MD if the EZ Pass machine doesn’t detect the transponder then it automatically takes a scan of your rear license plate and matches up the account. Also true in California for FasTrak. For at least the SF Bay Area FasTrak (might vary based on the toll authority in the State) you can register any number of vehicles on one transponder. If the transponder is not in the car or the battery in it has failed, etc. then license plate readers will detect the car. When I moved to SoCal I kept my Bay Area transponder and it works just fine here. But eventually I noticed that it no longer beeped when I went through the detectors. Come to find out they were billing my account based on license plate rather than on transponder which had died. I know a number of people in the SF Bay area who added their antique cars onto their FasTrak account and never put the transponder in their old cars, just relied on the license plate readers. Seemed to work just fine for them. Actually, better than just fine for at least a while: Apparently there was a window where the license plate detectors on the Golden Gate Bridge had some sort of trouble reading the really old YOM license plates so a few people I know were not billed for using the bridge in their old cars. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted October 7, 2019 Author Share Posted October 7, 2019 14 hours ago, Crazyfamily said: In MD if the EZ Pass machine doesn’t detect the transponder then it automatically takes a scan of your rear license plate and matches up the account. Kansas does that also, but the license is read as the car exits. Not knowing where you got on, you may be charged from a point farther up the road than where you got on. I got charged once for getting on 50 miles farther back than I actually did. On the Roadmaster Estate wagon, I've since found out that a number of owners of other RMEW put the transponder in the forward facing bulge of the moon roof. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 21 hours ago, ply33 said: Despite Federal law that requires all toll road authorities to use a unified national standard by last year Actually Oct 2016. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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