Not terribly important, but annoying...

I went to add the MINI to my EZ pass acct. (electronic toll sensor for those of you not from Mid Atlantic-NY-NJ-PA-etc), and the drop down menu which has to be used for registration has everything from a Yugo to a Triumph, but no MINI

So now we have a BMW, Model-MINI Cooper.

Let's see if they send me a letter about misrepresenting the vehicle.

 

I'm pretty sure I had to do the same with my auto insurance: State Farm has the MINI as a BMW model.

 

I got my EZ Pass a month or so ago and had the same problem. They had my put my car as 'other' bahh

 

Do you have to let them know what car you drive? I know they would like to know b/c the tag doesn't work on coated windshield.

But I never told them what make and model I drive. BTW, if you have the sunroof, mount the tag on the rear portion. Works like a charm.

 

Yeah, if the car doesn't match the plate, I think they ticket you or send you to ez pass hell.

My registration wouldn't process without a Make and Model. They do take a pix everytime you go thru.
You would think they would be happy to just get our money. I go through over $100 month in tolls.

 

yup. caused no end of frustration for my agent when i kept telling him if he couldn't even quote me on my new car i'd have to take my business away to somebody new.

soon as i gave him the VIN, tho, he got into the state farm computer and all was good.

 

my EZ pass is still registered to a 94' Jetta ill switch it when they say something to me

 

I used to rob my mom's off of her Hyundai and put it on my pick up when I used to take a trip out to Pennsylvania.....much easier than having to sit on cash lines!!! We never heard anything about not matching vehicles...maybe that's just some sick ploy to get you to get more EZ PASS's so they make more money. Remember where we live!!!!!

 

I carry my pass on me and use it in all sorts of cars. Only about half of the time is in my MINI.

I'm not a fan of the big white box on my windshield, so I'm not mounting it.

 

I just received the two EZ Pass modules (whatever they're called??) that I ordered online yesterday. One for my 06 MCSa and one for my wife's Honda Pilot. Also noticed they had no option for MINI Cooper, so I chose BMW as the make and typed in "MINI Cooper" as the model. Seems fine, as that's what was printed on the EZ Pass invoice that arrived with the two modules.

No way am I using the supplied double-sided 3M velcro-tape that came with the modules...it seems SUPER STRONG...I'm sure it is removable from the windshield glass, but looks like they meant it to stick for life by using the most adhesive tape possible!

I was wondering what I'd use, even thought of fabricating some sort of plastic holder that hangs from the rear-view mirror or something... then I had this brilliant idea last night... you know those clear plastic sponge holders for kitchen sinks? The ones with the suction cups to hold them onto the side of the sink? heh...I know it would look odd, maybe, but the EZ Pass module would fit perfectly inside one of those...you could just suction-cup the "sponge holder" to the MINI windshield down low in the center (near the dash) and plop in the EZ Pass module. Hey, at least it's removable this way!!!!! Plus, I don't use it often, just for occassional Garden State Parkway/Turnpike trips...

Rock on,

-boognish

 

Just a warning... the other day I held the ez pass up to the windshield when I got to the toll booth. The bar started to go up so I began to roll. I guess I didn't hold it up long enough because as I lowered the ez pass, the bar came crashing back down and began beating on the top of the windshield. I was in my wife's conv, and it broke the base of the antenna. The helpful officer took my ez pass and banged it on something and the bar went up again. You think she would have told me that the antenna was broken......no....not her job I guess.

 

I went online and just had them send the packet. Then you just fill in the info. and mail it back. Sure it took a few days longer, but no problems at all.

 

I had the same problem of not being able to register my EZ Pass as a MINI Cooper. I can't remember if I chose BMW or Other though... But I've heard about the rear sunroof mount. Does it really work every time? Because I'd love to put it back there and not have to worry about it.

 

Im not a fan of that white thing in the middle of my windshield either, thats why i painted it black and with my tinted windows it doesnt even look like its there

 

I had a different problem - at a certain tollbooth near my house, half the time my transmitter wouldn't be detected at all. The sign would light up "CALL EZ-PASS".

I thought it might be because of the steeply sloped windshield, so I took it off and put it on the dash where the bottom of the windshield meets it. That seemed to work, so I stuck it there and made a little black velvet cover for it so I wouldn't get "reflection syndrome".

 

Many, many mini drivers have been putting their EZPass units in the rear sunroof and it works great.

 

The transponders do die after a couple of years. They have an internal battery that can't be replaced and all of a sudden the toll reader doesn't read properly and you get a "call EZ Pass" message.

 

There are a number of EZ Pass holders available if you do not want to use the Velcro. I found one on-line for about $5 that works by simply slipping in the EZ Pass and connects to the windshield with suction cups.

 

I had to do that with my smog check. Luckily I thought to look under BMW, since the guy entering it into the computer didn't.

 

Finally after a year and a half of ownership I called EZ Pass and let them know that I don't have the Miata anymore . I tried to do it online but it wouldn't let me so I called their 800 number. I told the person I talked to that I have a MINI Cooper now. The shocking part was, she knew what I was talking about . She even made sure by asking me if BMW made it.

 

State Farm has my MCS correctly as a MINI, but they have the Classic listed as a BMW. Go Figure.

 

If the system is taking a picture as the car goes through, then the benefit of listing your make-model with them would be for conflict resolution and/or stolen transmitters.

 

When registering for my campus parking pass, there's no MINI, so I have to put BMW - other. Bah.

 

Sometimes the electronic brigde toll booths around the San Francisco Bay Area miss my MINIs transponder. Seems to be related to the speed at which I pass the toll booth sensor. You're only supposed to go trough it about 15 or 20 mph, but experience is telling me about 40 or 45 mph may be the limiting speed for the sensor to pick up the transponder. Dunno, there is something about the MINI S taht encourages me to go through the booths rapidly.

 

Your Lexus was listed as "Other"? (just kidding) I've never heard of receiving a ticket for using an EZPass / Smart Tag in a different vehicle... however as Fool68 suggested, it is important to have the correct vehicle registered with the correct pass, because if for some reason the pass isn't read by the system when you drive through, and the vehicle isn't registered with them, you will likely get a ticket. They are starting to crack down on this, at least here in Virginia. If your vehicle is in their database, they can match it up to your account that way, and simply charge your account the standard toll instead of sending you a ticket.

If you have more than one car, I recommend getting one pass for each car. As I understand it, there is no charge (or a nominal one-time charge) for each pass, and all of your passes can be registered to the same account.Yes - mounting in the very front of your rear sunroof panel works great, since the MINI is so short. It's a "stealth" install - documented very well in the MotoringFile Low Buck MINI Mods story in March of 2005. The only caveat is if you have a metallic-based aftermarket tint installed on your sunroof - it might block the signal... but the stock tint (or a non-metallic aftermarket tint) is fine.Yep - I have seen these $5 suction cup ones at Bed, Bath & Beyond as well, so you might be able to pick one up there. If you don't see them at the front by the registers, ask an associate. I went to BB&B with Scavenger recently because he wanted one, and they had moved them from the front to another part of the store.