Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Recalibration
Automakers have been slowly adding advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, to vehicles in the last decade without a lot of fanfare, but the features, many of them standard in newer makes and models, make an enormous difference to your safety and the safety of passengers, pedestrians and other drivers.
The locations of ADAS technologies on/in a vehicle are sometimes hard to identify. Your vehicle’s front windshield is an integral part of many ADAS technologies. After a windshield is replaced it’s vital that your car’s front camera is recalibrated. Unfortunately, not all auto mechanics or glass repair shops are equipped to recalibrate your vehicle’s driver assist system. At Glass Doctor®, we pride ourselves on having the knowledge and technology necessary to recalibrate your vehicle’s driver assistance systems after installing a new windshield.
Read on to learn how Glass Doctor can help you recalibrate your vehicle’s ADAS technologies.
What Are Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)?
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are built-in technologies designed to automate, adapt or enhance already present safety systems. From adaptive cruise control to automated breaking, smartphone connectivity and motion-activated sensors, there are ADAS systems already prevalent in the marketplace and many more in the developmental stages.
What ADAS Features Exist in My Car?
ADAS runs the gamut from what we would now consider to be “everyday features,” like a dashboard backup camera, to the truly cutting-edge, like automatic parking.
Below is a list of the many ADAS technologies found in today’s models:
- Adaptive cruise control (ACC)
- Glare-free high beam and pixel light
- Navigation systems
- Blind-spot monitor
- Collision-avoidance system
- Drowsy driver detection
- Hill descent control
- Lane departure warning system
- Lane keep assistance
- Parking sensor
- Pedestrian detection system
- Tire pressure monitoring
- Wrong-way driving warning
- Intelligent speed adaptation, or intelligent speed advice (ISA)
At Glass Doctor, we expect this list to grow and evolve in the future. In fact, both the US and EU are mandating that certain new vehicles be equipped with autonomous emergency-braking systems, backup cameras and forward-collision warning systems.
Why Does My ADAS System Need to Be Recalibrated After a Windshield Replacement?
If your vehicle has suffered damage and requires a new windshield, it’s vital that the front-facing camera that controls many of the car’s ADAS systems is recalibrated. When your windshield is replaced, every millimeter counts. If the new windshield is even a couple of millimeters off-center, it will affect the view of your vehicle’s forward-facing camera. Millimeters off-center can equal feet in the view of your camera; meaning functions like “lane keep assistance” and “lane departure warning” will malfunction, either overcorrecting or under correcting, causing dangerous driving conditions and increasing the potential for accidents.
It’s vital that every time your windshield is replaced or adjusted, that your vehicle’s front-facing camera is recalibrated.
How Do Glass Doctor Technicians Recalibrate ADAS Systems?
At present, approximately 60 Glass Doctor locations offer driver assist recalibration services using Opti-AimTM from Pilkington. Glass Doctor technicians at participating locations are certified to use the Opti-Aim™ tool to recalibrate windshields and keep drivers safe. Recalibration requires that our technicians work to mimic the conditions under which the car left the factory floor, including cargo weight, fuel amount and tire pressure. The process for recalibration follows four major steps:
- Pre-scan: Is the camera functioning normally? If not, the vehicle will need to be sent to a dealer for camera repair.
- Replacement: Glass Doctor Specialists will replace your windshield to meet or exceed FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) Standards.
- Recalibration: Recalibration is divided into two processes, dynamic and static. Dynamic recalibration requires driving the vehicle, while static recalibration requires the vehicle be calibrated with a fixed target image in front of it at a specific distance.
- Post-scan: The final step to ensure the camera is functioning properly, post calibration.
