Dead E-ZPass Batteries Causing Problems

If you've been a New Jersey E-ZPass user from the beginning, you might want to check your battery.

A lot of people are finding out their transponders have stopped working and that could mean violation notices aren't far behind.

E-ZPass users usually don't pay attention to the electronic sign that tells them the toll is paid. If they did, they might see a notice that says "toll unpaid." That is an indicator that the battery is dead in the transponder.

The E-ZPass system on the Delaware River Port Authority bridges went online in December, 1999. The batteries only last for 3 to 5 years. So more and more motorists are showing up at service centers when their transponder starts giving them problems.

"As I went through today, it said 'toll unpaid,' so my next trip I stopped in ... They told me the battery is dead," said Jim Frank, an E-ZPass user.

If your battery dies, E-ZPass will give you a new transponder for free. But a lot of motorists, including Frank, didn't know there was a battery, and it is not written anywhere in the E-ZPass users guide.

"I thought it was magnetic or something.. I didn't realize there was a battery in it," Frank said.

E-ZPass said that users should watch for the unpaid toll signs when you they go through the toll and they should look for the words V-Toll or violation toll on their monthly statements.

The DRPA said that if your battery dies, but your account is up-to-date and in good standing, you should not be fined. They also said it is important to note that the more the transponder is used, the shorter the life of the battery.

"Eventually we are looking at doing a large-scale widespread recall program because the batteries will go dead and batteries, really, the usage on them is when you go through the toll lane, they come to life and sends the signal out. It's not that the transponder is running 24 hours a day," said My Linh Nguyen of the DRPA.

If your battery dies, but your account is in good standing, you will only be charged the toll. To keep an E-ZPass account in good standing, the user needs to make sure he or she notifies customer service if they get a new car or license plate or if they cancel the credit card they use to pay the account.

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