Does ETC Stop Working When Removed from the Windshield?

[OBennett]

ETC stops working when removed from the windshield because the ETC device has an anti-tamper feature. There is a small switch on the back of the ETC electronic tag. Once it is peeled off the windshield, the internal switch automatically deactivates. Therefore, you must bring the vehicle's registration certificate to the ETC service provider for reactivation. ETC Billing Principle: Highways have one or more ETC lanes. Using dedicated short-range microwave communication between the vehicle-mounted electronic tag installed on the windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at toll stations, along with computer networking technology for backend bank settlement, vehicles can pass through toll stations without stopping to pay bridge and road fees. All of this operates on the principle of "pass first, deduct later." Benefits of Installing ETC: Time-saving: Eliminates the hassle of waiting in queues. Green and eco-friendly: Promotes low-carbon travel by reducing noise and exhaust emissions since vehicles don't stop at toll stations. Reduced wear and tear: Saves costs by minimizing frequent starts and brakes, lowering vehicle wear and fuel consumption. Improved efficiency: ETC lanes can theoretically increase traffic flow by 2-3 times, making traditional ETC faster, more advanced, and more efficient. Compared to license plate payment, ETC technology is more mature and advantageous. More policy support: The State Council explicitly stated in the "13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of a Modern Comprehensive Transportation System" that "by 2020, key city clusters should achieve interoperability of transportation smart cards, and the proportion of vehicles equipped with ETC should significantly increase." The plan also set a target of "50% ETC usage rate for road passenger vehicles by 2020." Future possibilities: Beyond improving the convenience of ETC installation and usage rates for passenger vehicles, efforts will be made to promote ETC adoption for trucks and explore deeper integration of ETC systems with vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, and other smart transportation developments. This will provide comprehensive travel services for vehicle owners, meaning more application scenarios will support ETC. ETC Installation Notes: Avoid obstructing the driver's view—install it behind the rearview mirror: Many car models have steeply angled windshields, which can reduce the driver's field of vision. Installing ETC without considering this may increase blind spots. Placing it behind the rearview mirror on the right side avoids blocking the view. Do not interfere with charging: The ETC electronic tag consumes power but generally does not require charging or battery replacement because it has a built-in solar panel for self-charging. Therefore, avoid installing it on the windshield's blackened areas or where the solar panel might be obstructed. Do not remove it once installed: The adhesive in the middle has an anti-tamper rod connected to a switch. Once installed, the windshield presses the rod in. If removed, the rod pops out, triggering the switch and locking the tag, requiring a visit to an ETC service point for unlocking. This prevents multiple vehicles from sharing one device. ETC Usage Tips: The ETC transaction sensing range is 8 meters. To avoid paying for the vehicle ahead due to its faulty ETC device, maintain a distance of over 10 meters. The ETC lane recognition speed is 20 km/h—exceeding this may cause failed transactions due to unreadable device information. If using a debit card linked to ETC, insufficient balance will also result in failed transactions.

[DiMicah]

As a car owner with years of driving experience, I never touched my ETC device after installation until one day when I took it off to clean during a car wash. After putting it back, it completely stopped working! The service center explained that the device has an anti-tamper mechanism: there's a spring switch under the adhesive surface that triggers a lock once it's detached from the windshield to prevent misuse. At this point, it requires professional tools to reset or reactivation via an app. Worse still, if left detached for too long, the solar battery might lose power and the device could completely die. My advice is to leave it untouched, firmly adhered to the upper right corner of the windshield to ensure strong signal reception. Sudden failure on the highway is extremely dangerous, so it's best to regularly check if the adhesive is aging. In most cases, the device won't work after removal, but contacting the service provider can restore it with some time—don’t skip this step to avoid trouble.