Front Windshield ( metal oxides )

kwalsh · Post by **kwalsh** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:22 pm

Do we have a front windshield that contains a metal oxide? I am about to register with EZPass and they ask this question. The customer service rep told me that my truck has this in our windshield; I disagree. I haven't been able to find anything that tells me otherwise. Do any of you know?

Thanks.

Post by **HenryJ** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:26 pm

That is a good one

What is EZpass and what does it do?
How is metal oxide used in windshields?

BTW, I have no idea, but would like to know more.

kwalsh · Post by **kwalsh** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:33 pm

Definition: E-ZPass is a toll collection system in the northeastern U.S. that uses RFID technology to allow a driver to pass through a tollbooth and pay the toll without stopping the vehicle; toll readers allow the driver to exit through the reader between 5-35mph. Typically, the driver pre-pays a month of access tolls and is issued a transponder (a tag about the size of a deck of cards) that gets mounted on the inside of the windshield or above the license plate if the windshield contains a metal oxide. When approaching a toll, the E-ZPass driver passes through a special booth that has an antenna. The antenna emits a radio frequency (RF) field that activates the driver's transponder, which in turn, sends back information about the driver's account to the antenna. The toll is then deducted from the driver's pre-paid account. E-Z Pass significantly cuts down on labor costs for toll collection and keeps the lines of traffic moving faster.

kwalsh · Post by **kwalsh** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:38 pm

metal oxides are what make sunscreens work. The active ingredient in sunscreens are metal oxides, frequently zinc oxide is used to absord the harmful, cancer causing, UV rays. Your favorite car wax will have metal oxides in the compound to absorb these rays and prevent damage to your paint. This will allow your paint to "live longer".

Post by **HenryJ** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:39 pm

Thanks! I thought it might be something like that.

I assume the metal oxide is something used in the manufacture of the windshield.

I have had mine replaced, I wonder how one would distinguish between those that use metal oxide and those that do not?

BADs Crew · Post by **BADs Crew** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 3:17 am

I just received my EZPass here in Maryland and was never asked the question. There is one S-10 Crew at work that uses one so I don't think you will have a problem.

barch97 · Post by **barch97** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 4:38 am

I've seen several s series vehicles in NJ with windshield mount ezpass transmitters. If they give you the option though... I very much prefer the cleaner look of the license plate mount transmitter whether your windshield interferes or not.

barch97 · Post by **barch97** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 5:03 am

That being said... ezpass has been available here in NJ for several years. I have an 80 mile daily commute that includes 6 tolls. If ever there were a target customer for ezpass, it is me. I DO NOT USE EZPASS. and, I'll tell ya why:

It's fundamentally a device that increases profit by reducing overhead without increasing consumer cost. How is this accomplished? by reducing labor cost. Get rid of all the reasonably paid skilled employees that cost the company millions in salary and benefits and uniforms and so on... and replace them with minimum wage part time data entry drones. So, right off the bat, you're putting people with dependant families out of work.

Then there's the issue of fines. The most profittable aspect of ezpass is in collecting fines. This may seem dastardly but it's really nothing new. Any municipality that has parking meters knows all about making a profit from fines. There's no money in charging people a quarter to park for a half hour. It costs more to collect all the quarters than it's worth. The money is in the fine charged to vehicles parked at expired meters. The same is true of ezpass toll collection. If no one ever went through the wrong toll lane or had their transmitter malfunction, expass would be bankrupt.

That brings me to the bankrupt issue. When ezpass first came to the north east back in the late nineties, it was opperating in new york in the red to the tune of about four hundred million dollars a year. It wasn't until the system was implimented in new jersey a few years later and the two states (under the same private toll collection company) combined their earnings statements that ezpass ever even broke even. It takes "fuzzy math" to make ezpass appear to be a sound profittable system.

Now, you put all that together... underpaid and overworked employees reviewing numbers in the database of a company that's on the verge of bankrupcy and what do you think is going to happen? mistakes are going to made, that's what. numbers get transposed, decimal points get misplaced, files get crossed, etc... and in the case of ezpass, it's all prepaid. so, when a mistake is made and you're charged thirty thousand dollars in tolls next month, they've already got your money and you have to prove that they made a mistake and owe you a refund. It's not like they send you a bill that you can refuse to pay, they require your account to be directly linked to a credit card or bank account that they are authorised to withdraw from.

Some of you that already have ezpass are probably thinking you should cancel your account. Good luck. How many here have ever tried to quit AOL? Your ezpass account is prepaid and automatically withdrawn. they owe you a refund and they don't want to lose a customer.

All this so that you don't have to lower your window and say hello to a toll attendant?

Don't even start with the it eases congestion and improves traffic flow crap. It's simply not true. Tolls do not cause traffic jams. This is clearly evident on summer weekends southbound on the garden state parkway. Over the past few years the parkway has been phasing out its toll plazas. and traffic jams have intensified in both frequency and severity. Inadequit access infrastructure causes traffic jams NOT tolls.

WVHogRider · Post by **WVHogRider** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 8:38 am

Barch has some good points...I actually used the EZPass system when I lived in Chicago. Yes, there were some times where it charged me twice for one toll. And the times where I didn't even have money left on it, took it off the windshield and put it in the glove box, went through the toll booth and paid cash and also got charged electronically on the EZPass due to being to close to the EZPass reader/lane.

For me, it did seem to speed things up on my commute. I had to go from one of the most northern suburbs of Chicago to the complete southern point. However, I did not have to have it tied directly to any account. I just stopped by the EZPass office and added more money to my account with either cash/check/credit card/etc, but that could have changed over the years. Someone else may be using it currently, or used it more recently than I. The windshield should be fine in our CC's to handle the transmission of the EZPass. How would our radar detectors work then if signals could n't pass through? They wouldn't. The signal could also pass through the door windows to complete the transmission. If it read my transponder while it was in my glovebox, or under my seat (I tried a few differnent places

) the signal will go through our windshield. I really wouldn't worry. And as HJ said he had his windshield replaced, you may actually have to give them the manufacturers name and part #. I know PPG, (Pittsburgh Plate Glass, who I work for) has numerous windshield product lines and each vary in chemical make up..Just my $.02 for what it is worth.

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:29 am

HenryJ wrote:How is metal oxide used in windshields?

BTW, I have no idea, but would like to know more.

My SS has a Sungate Shaded Solar Ray Windshield that blocks out 30% of the incoming UV rays.

I don't think S10's have these windshields since most of the ones I have seen have a stamp on the window (PPG Sungate) indicating that it is a shaded solar windshield and they also appear to have a purple tint when viewed at certain angles.

Here are a few Chevrolet vehicles that had this option:

Venture 97-02
Caprice/Impala 93-96
Corvette (ZR1) 90-95
Lumina APV 90-96

The only downside to (solar) windshields are that they render radar detectors almost useless which requires a remote mount detector and they can interfere with electronic toll booth transponders.

I found out the hard way about the radar detector problem.

only 1 day after purchasing my SS in Iowa I received a speeding ticket in Wyoming (95mph in a 60 zone) by a state trooper.

My radar detector was on, but never made a sound as I passed him doing 90+.

Steve

Steventruck · Post by **Steventruck** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:55 am

Another thing to consider is speeding enforcement. EZpass knows exactly what time you passed one point, and exactly what time you passed another point. There... it knows distance, and it knows time... miles per hour.

And you thought red light cameras or photo radar was sneeky. If they wanted to, they could nab you for speeding with equipment you volentarily installed in your vehicle!

I'll use cash thanks.

Steve

barch97 · Post by **barch97** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:17 am

right... and the first time anyone received a speeding ticket in the mail based on ezpass calculating time and distance... wouldn't everyone that has ezpass rip it out of their vehicle and return it to ezpass?

yes, it's possible but it's not at all probable.