OK fellow motorers, this is a question for my fellow NY/NJ/CON mini-philes. I am expecting delivery of the MINI S first week in July and was curious about something. I have the Auto Dimming option, and it says in the manual (which I have actually read a few times!) not to put toll tags behind it. What hapens to my ez-pass, or is this not even a problem?

Thanks

 

My guess (and that's all it is) is that they're afraid that the EZPass will block the sensor for the mirror..not that the mirror would do anything to the EZPass transponder.

If this is a problem, you could probably experiment with moving the transponder to the left or right behind the mirror...of course, this will mean that you'll probably see the thing while driving. I like how my mirror (non auto dimming) nicely covers the ugly transponder from the inside. OR, you could be one of those people who hold their transponder up with one hand against the windshield when you go through the toll. That seems sort of a pain...

BTW, you mention "rain sensing" in your title, but not in the actual post. If you actually DO have the rain sensing windshield, there MAY be a problem with the transponder working behind the special glass. I'm assuming that the rain sensing windshield IS special glass (maybe someone who has this can confirm?). But if it's just the auto-dimming mirror you're concerned with, my previous comment holds...

 

I thought the rain sensing and auto-dimming were the same package??

 

you shouldn't have a problem. The rain sensor is mounted to the inside of the windshield by the mirror. The glass is just normal glass. My friend has a GTI with rain sense/autodim and has a regular window mount ez-pass. You can also get an ez-pass that attaches to your front plate.

 

We live in NJ, have EZ pass and have auto dimming/rain sensor and no problems. Auto dimming doesn't look forward and wouldn't care anyway.

When we ordered our MCS last fall, the electronic front windshield defrost was part of the package and it could cause problems with EZ pass, but MINI dropped that option, so you shouldn't have a problem.

 

i remember meeting some guy last winter who had his EZ-pass mounted behind his lower grille, i don't know if he had it incased in anything (i remember it being painted black), i wonder how it held up over the winter

 

Kumquat78:
To be on the safe side you should contact the EZPass athority, ( http://www.ezpass.com )they will have a listing of cars whose windshields do not work with the normal EZPass transmitter.
To fix the problem, EZPass will issue you a different transmitter that attaches to your license plate frame, or other preferred area in the front nose of your car.
We have a Saab 9/3 and experienced the problem with the windshield not working with the standard transmitter. Its an easy fix and costs you nothing except the time for the research and communications.

 

No worries. We have the wipers/mirror and do not have a problem.NJ EZ-PASS did not even know what a Mini was,so they gave us an external tag.It mounts to the front plate.I'm not too fond of it in that location,but it works fine.If your cool with that,just ask for an external tag.Good luck. Jaydawg.

 

>>No worries. We have the wipers/mirror and do not have a problem.NJ EZ-PASS did not even know what a Mini was,so they gave us an external tag.It mounts to the front plate.I'm not too fond of it in that location,but it works fine.If your cool with that,just ask for an external tag.Good luck. Jaydawg.

it sounds like you had the same conversation with EZ-pass as i did

 

>>We live in NJ, have EZ pass and have auto dimming/rain sensor and no problems. Auto dimming doesn't look forward and wouldn't care anyway.
>>
>>When we ordered our MCS last fall, the electronic front windshield defrost was part of the package and it could cause problems with EZ pass, but MINI dropped that option, so you shouldn't have a problem.
>>
>>

I have rain sensing and auto dimming, and AD DOES look forward as well as backward. You can see the back facing sensor under the mirror, and you can feel the front sensing mirror on the other side. Keep a finger over it and the mirror will turn dark!
I had a parking tag on the mirror, and noticed that the mirror was always a shade dark. Removed the tag and all is fine now. I dod suspect that an EZ tag in some positions may cause the mirror to go ever so slightly darker.

 

I second MG. My school's parking pass hangs from the rear view mirror, and I can't leave it there constantly because it blocks the back auto-dim sensor. I've never seen an EZ pass, do they attach permanently? If so there will probably be problems. My solution with the parking pass was to keep it on the dash(snuggled in between the windshield) untill I arrive at school, when I then put the pass on the mirror.

 

i just hold my ez pass up... dont want crap on my windshield, esp since you never know how long they're gonna last!

 

I have expass on have'nt had any problems, however I did have another MINI owner ask me if I had problems with ezpass. Apparently his was not working and he was getting fines.

Go figua.
denny

 

Very nice. Reason I ask, I saw one at the movies with an ez-pass mounted on the right side of the windshield. Wasn't sure if this would work. I could go for the license plate mount, but, I'm kinda afraid it would be be stolen. Thanks for all the responses though.