Why is the ETC light not on?
3 Answers
If the ETC light is not on or the screen is black, it may be due to the ETC card being inserted incorrectly, the battery being dead, or device damage. You can take the ETC device to an ETC customer service center for inspection. More details are as follows: 1. ETC is an automatic toll collection system for highways or bridges: It uses dedicated short-range communication between the vehicle-mounted electronic tag installed on the windshield and the microwave antenna in the ETC lane at the toll station, along with computer networking technology for backend settlement with banks. This allows vehicles to pass through highway or bridge toll stations without stopping to pay tolls. 2. Fully automatic electronic toll collection system: It is one of the service functions of the intelligent transportation system, especially suitable for use on highways or busy bridge and tunnel environments. Currently, there are dedicated ETC toll lanes at highway toll stations. Vehicle owners only need to install a sensor card on the windshield and prepay the toll. When passing through the toll station, no manual payment or stopping is required, as the highway toll will be automatically deducted from the card, enabling automatic toll collection. This system takes less than two seconds per vehicle, and its toll lane capacity is 5 to 10 times that of manual toll lanes. Using a fully automatic electronic toll collection system can make highway toll collection paperless and cashless, fundamentally eliminating toll revenue leakage and addressing financial management issues in highway toll collection. Additionally, implementing a fully automatic electronic toll collection system can save on infrastructure and management costs.
My ETC device also had an issue where it wouldn't light up before, and after struggling for a while, I realized the solar charging panel was blocked. This thing relies on solar charging, so if it's not placed correctly or gets covered by a sunshade, it will run out of power. I also noticed that excessive summer heat can cause internal components to overheat, while winter cold affects battery performance. Last time, I reattached the device to the non-tinted area behind the rearview mirror on the windshield, cleaned the contact surface, let it dry for two hours, and then reactivated it—that fixed the issue. If it still doesn't work, the device itself might be faulty, and you should visit an ETC service point for inspection or replacement. Don't try to disassemble it yourself to avoid triggering the anti-tamper switch, which would require a reinstallation.
Last time on the highway, I suddenly noticed my ETC device wasn't lighting up, which made me pull over in a hurry to check. When this thing doesn't light up, the most common cause is dead batteries, especially in older models without charging ports. Dust on the solar panel or tinted window film blocking sunlight can prevent charging. I touched the device and felt no vibration, which told me the OBU unit might have crashed. Later, I tried inserting and removing my bank card three times to reboot it, but there was no response, so I had to visit a service point. The staff mentioned that these devices have a lifespan and typically need replacement every three to five years. They also reminded me to check my account status, as unpaid fees can lead to device deactivation.
