Can the ETC on a car be installed by oneself?
5 Answers
ETC on a car can be installed by oneself. The installation process is as follows: Upon receiving the device, first check whether the ETC card and the electronic tag (OBU) are damaged. Press the anti-tamper button on the back of the OBU. The red light will briefly turn on, and the OLED screen will display "Sign Invalid" or "Please Insert Card," indicating the device is functioning properly. Clean the front windshield to ensure the glass surface is smooth, clean, and dry. Then peel off the adhesive backing of the OBU and stick it to the installation position. Press firmly for 2-3 minutes to remove any air bubbles. Insert the ETC card with the front side facing the driver and the back side facing the windshield, ensuring the chip is inserted into the OBU device. Where can ETC be installed: For small vehicles like cars and minivans, the OBU device should be installed in the upper middle part of the front windshield. For large vehicles like trucks and buses, the installation position is in the lower middle part. ETC installation position requirements: The height should be no less than 1.2 meters and no higher than 2.5 meters. The installation angle N should be between 30º and 90º (the angle between the surface of the electronic tag and the horizontal plane).
As a car owner who just self-installed an ETC device, I found the whole process quite interesting. I purchased an ETC device from an e-commerce platform at a price about 50 yuan cheaper than professional installation. Before installation, I studied the manual: first clean the area above the rearview mirror on the windshield to avoid signal interference from films or stains; then fix the device with special adhesive tape, ensuring it's firmly attached without looseness. After completion, download the APP for activation, bind a bank card, and it's done in just a few simple steps. During the first test at the toll station, the signal was a bit weak, but adjusting the position solved the problem. The advantage of self-installation is cost-saving and flexible positioning, but the downside is that if something goes wrong, you have to deal with customer service yourself; long-term use requires attention to dust cleaning. In short, friends with strong hands-on skills can definitely give it a try, after all, ETC saves time and toll fees.
As a budget-conscious car owner, I find self-installing an ETC both cost-effective and practical. After comparing prices, professional shop installation typically costs 80-100 RMB, while buying the device and DIY installation only requires a few dozen yuan for the equipment. The process is simple: choose a suitable window position, clean and stick it on, then activate and bind the account via mobile phone. After a week of testing, passing through highway toll stations has become much faster, plus I enjoy a 10% discount—saving both hassle and money. The key is ensuring correct placement that doesn't obstruct vision or affect signal reception; otherwise, you might need to redo it and waste time. I recommend fellow car owners try it themselves, especially when on a tight budget—just test the stability after installation to ensure it works properly.
I'm very familiar with car accessories, installing an ETC is a piece of cake. The key is location selection: stick it at the top of the windshield near the rearview mirror to ensure good lighting and strong signals. Clean the glass with alcohol before sticking to remove grease; after the device is firmly attached, the online activation steps are simple. Precautions include avoiding tinted areas to prevent signal shielding, checking the adhesion strength after installation to prevent detachment, and regularly cleaning the device surface to prevent dust buildup from affecting performance. DIY installation saves labor costs and offers flexibility, but you'll need to adjust the position yourself or contact service if issues arise.
From a safety-first perspective, self-installing ETC requires cautious operation. When installing, I was concerned about the device loosening and falling, so I chose a sunny and dry day to ensure the adhesive sticks firmly; the location was selected in the upper area of the windshield, away from the airbag deployment zone to avoid hazards. Activation was done through the official APP with encryption to protect bank card security. The benefit is cost-saving, but priority should be given to watching tutorials: improper placement can lead to weak signals or driving risks; after completion, repeatedly shake the device to test stability. It is recommended that uncertain car owners delegate the installation to professionals for greater reliability.
