ADAS, or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, are designed to help drivers avoid accidents. These systems exist in most new vehicles these days and include systems like adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, automated parking, and others.
ADAS is becoming more popular as it not only prevents accidents but also lowers fuel consumption by reducing acceleration and braking. However, if they’re not calibrated correctly, these systems might be less reliable than expected.
There are many myths about the re-calibration of vehicles that often cause people to underestimate the negative effects that a malfunction in the ADAS system can cause. Today, we will talk about the re-calibration of vehicles to clarify when it is needed and why you should not skip this step.
When Is the Re-calibration of the Advanced Driver-assistance System Required?
The advanced driver-assistance system is standard equipment for many vehicles nowadays. These systems include different sensors such as video cameras, SONAR (or ultrasound), radar, LiDAR and GPS (satellite interface). Each of these has a different role in the ADAS system, aiming to prevent accidents by providing the driver with more advanced safety features and applications. Some of the essential applications are:
Pedestrian detection and avoidance.
Lane departure warning.
An automatic emergency brakes.
Blindspot detection.
Traffic sign recognition.
Having these features is important but not always enough to prevent potential accidents and damages to your vehicle. You need to keep the ADAS system checked and working to detect and prevent potentially dangerous situations on the road successfully. When does the ADAS system need re-calibration?
This service is needed in cases of windshield glass repair or replacement.
You also need to re-calibrate your vehicle if, for whatever reason, the protective cover on the radar has been removed.
This service is also required when changing the size of your vehicle’s tires or when a wheel alignment is performed.
Why Re-calibrating Your Vehicle After a Windshield Replacement Is Important?
One of the main features of the ADAS is the front view camera. The camera is located on the windshield, behind the rearview mirror housing, secured with adhesive and a bracket. In cases of a windshield replacement or any other situation requiring your vehicle’s windshield to be removed, a re-calibration is needed for the front view camera to work properly.
The calibration of vehicles has been often misunderstood or neglected, which raises a major safety concern when we talk about preventing accidents. Many studies suggest that even a small malfunction in any ADAS components can seriously increase the risk of an accident on the road.
At Easy Auto Glass, we can help you not only with a windshield replacement but also can offer you re-calibration services to make sure that your vehicle is in full working order when you pick it up from our auto glass shop. So give us a call today. We will be happy to help.
Myths About Calibration of Vehicles
There are some common myths that can lead to confusion when we talk about the re-calibration of vehicles, especially after windshield replacement.
Myth #1 the Importance of Calibration
The calibration of your vehicle after any major part replacement is important and should not be neglected. As stated above, skipping this step may cause some of your ADAS components not to function properly and therefore fail to detect danger when driving. In addition, many vehicles’ part replacements or windshield repair services require removing some sensors, which instantly means that they need to be re-calibrated before returning the keys to the customer. This is not just another safety concern. This is an important part of any vehicle’s maintenance done correctly and with care for the customer.
Myth #2 Will the Camera Show a Fault Code?
The drivers need to know that vehicles will not always show error codes for miscalibration. Even though, in theory, our cars should show any malfunction on the screen, this is not the case when we talk about miscalibration. To put it simply, your vehicle can not detect this issue, and this is the reason why you won’t see any errors or fault codes on your vehicle’s dashboard display. Not knowing that there is something wrong with your car’s sensors can be extremely dangerous.
Myth #3 Do Auto Glass Shops Provide Calibration Services?
Some body shops can only help you with windshield repair but do not offer calibration services. At Easy Auto Glass, you can find both – our team of experts can help you with any windshield replacement and provide calibration services, so your vehicle is in full working order when you pick it up from our auto glass shop.
The safety of our customers is our priority. This is why we invest time, effort and resources to provide high-quality auto glass services without compromising on any aspect of the vehicle’s maintenance. We use Autel MaxiSys (MA600) for our services, and we provide them in our shop, so there is no need to drive your vehicle to another location.
How Does ADAS Calibration Work?
ADAS calibration is a set of procedures ensuring that your vehicle’s sensors can recognize objects in its environment. With sensors and software, this system can create a 3D model of the surrounding area. For this to happen, the camera must be calibrated with regard to the environment it is placed in.
In terms of windshield replacement, this is an essential step of the process because this service requires the shop to access and disconnect the camera, causing the need for re-calibration. The calibration of your vehicle is an investment in your safety and not a luxury. So don’t hesitate to book an appointment with us. We’re here to help, and we want you to be safe on the road.
Sources:
https://www.genuinegmparts.com/pdf/techinfo/gm-driver-assistance-systems-aid.pdf
