The Dashlight Solutions Guide To Better Understanding ADAS Calibration
With modern vehicles now equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), automotive safety has reached a new level. These cutting-edge systems rely on various sensors to monitor the vehicle’s surroundings, deliver critical safety alerts, and even step in to control braking or steering when necessary.
The effectiveness of these systems depends entirely on how accurately the sensors are calibrated. This is where ADAS calibration comes into play—a rapidly growing and essential service in the automotive industry.
In this guide, we'll explain what ADAS calibration is, dive deep into how it works, and highlight four common types of sensors that require calibration to keep your vehicle’s safety systems functioning properly.
What is ADAS Calibration?
To understand ADAS calibration we first need to define ADAS, or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. These are safety features built into modern vehicles, using a network of sensors and systems designed to enhance driver safety by helping prevent accidents with other vehicles, stationary objects, and pedestrians.
When a vehicle undergoes repairs after damage, it’s essential to recalibrate the ADAS system to restore its precise function. This recalibration ensures all safety features work as intended, maintaining the vehicle’s safety standards and the driver’s expectations.
ADAS calibration (or recalibration) involves accurately aligning, testing, and adjusting the sensors that power systems like forward collision warning (FCW), lane departure warning (LDW), and automatic emergency braking (AEB).
Why is recalibration so important? Sensors must be precisely aligned to know their exact position relative to the vehicle. A small misalignment—by even a fraction of an inch—can cause sensors to aim at the wrong area, which could severely reduce their effectiveness. For instance, as noted by the AAA, if a sensor is just slightly off, it could lead to a significant error in what it detects on the road ahead. Similarly, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) points out that even a shift of 0.6 degrees can cut a vehicle’s automatic emergency braking (AEB) reaction time in half.
When a vehicle is brand new, ADAS sensors are set to factory standards, perfectly aligned. However, over time, events like accidents, minor collisions, or parts replacements can knock sensors out of alignment. For example, if a vehicle’s forward-facing camera is attached to the windshield, any windshield replacement will require recalibration to restore the camera’s accuracy.
Unfortunately, most ADAS sensors don’t have self-diagnostic features, so they can't notify drivers when they’re out of alignment. That’s why it’s vital for automotive professionals to follow OEM standards when recalibrating ADAS systems, ensuring the vehicle’s safety features perform reliably.
Types of ADAS Calibration
Vehicles equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) may require static calibration, dynamic calibration, or a combination of both. The specific type of calibration depends on the vehicle's ADAS systems and the recommendations from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Each calibration technique requires different tools, equipment, and environmental conditions.
ADAS Calibration Equipment
Static calibration also requires specific tools, including:
OEM Specific ADAS diagnostic tools
Necessary for accessing and initiating electronic scans and calibration, per OEM requirements.
Alignment rack
Some OEMs require a wheel alignment prior to calibration. An alignment rack in addition to a flat surface for performing calibrations allows for greater precision.
ADAS calibration tool
Varies by OEM but generally holds targets at a specific, measured distance from the vehicle.
ADAS calibration tool
Depending on the vehicle, you may need one or more targets, often black and white patterns or metal pyramid shapes.
Measuring devices
Precision tools like measuring tapes or laser measuring devices are essential for ensuring accurate distance from the tool to the target.
For certain vehicles, manual adjustments to forward-facing sensors may be required during static calibration, but the final alignment is performed electronically by the ADAS module.
Sensor
Common ADAS Sensors Requiring Calibration
Many ADAS sensors may need recalibration throughout a vehicle’s life, especially after repairs or part replacements. Here are four examples of sensors that often require calibration:
1
Steering Angle Sensors
These sensors monitor the direction the steering wheel is turned, which is crucial for ADAS systems like lane departure warning (LDW) and blind spot detection. Calibration of steering angle sensors is typically needed after events like wheel alignments, suspension repairs, or airbag deployment.
2
Front-Facing Camera Sensors
Mounted inside the windshield, near the rearview mirror, front-facing cameras detect obstacles, lane markings, and traffic signs. These cameras play a critical role in systems like adaptive cruise control (ACC) and automatic emergency braking (AEB). Calibration is required after windshield replacement, airbag deployment, front-end repairs, or wheel alignments.
3
Forward Radar Sensors
Located in the front bumper or grille, forward radar sensors monitor the distance to objects ahead and help maintain a safe following distance. These sensors are essential for forward collision warning (FCW) and other systems. Calibration is needed after structural repairs or bumper removal.
4
Rear Radar Sensors
Found in the vehicle’s rear corners, these sensors monitor approaching objects from behind and the sides. Systems like blind spot warning (BSW) and rear cross traffic alert (RCTA) rely on rear radar sensors. Calibration is typically necessary after bumper replacement or structural body repairs.
Solution
Dashlight Soulutions
ADAS calibration is a highly specialized process essential to ensuring a vehicle’s advanced safety systems function as intended. At Dashlight Solutions we use OEM-specific ADAS diagnostic tools to identify issues with ADAS sensors and systems and offer mobile calibration services, bringing the necessary tools and expertise to the vehicle's location.
Understanding Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
1. What is a Parking Assist System?
A Parking Assist System helps drivers safely maneuver into parking spaces by using sensors placed around the vehicle. These sensors detect obstacles near the car and provide visual and/or audio alerts to prevent collisions while parking. Some advanced systems can even take control of steering to park the vehicle automatically.
2. How do Backup and Surround View Camera Systems Work?
Backup and Surround View Camera Systems use cameras positioned around the vehicle to provide a comprehensive view of the car’s surroundings. The Backup Camera focuses on the area behind the vehicle to assist with reversing, while Surround View Systems offer a 360-degree bird’s-eye view of the vehicle to help with parking and navigating tight spaces
3. What are Forward-Facing Cameras and Lane Keep Assist Systems?
Forward-Facing Cameras are typically mounted on the windshield and monitor the road ahead. They play a critical role in Lane Keep Assist systems which help drivers stay within their lane by detecting lane markings. If the vehicle drifts, a lane departure warning will provide visual or audio alerts and, in some systems, gently steer the vehicle back into the lane.
4. What are Front Radars and How Do They Support Intelligent Cruise Control and Collision Avoidance?
Front Radars are located in the vehicle’s front bumper and are integral to systems like Intelligent Cruise Control, Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Avoidance. These radars detect the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead, automatically adjusting speed to maintain a safe following distance. In collision avoidance situations, the radar can detect an imminent forward collision and activate emergency braking to avoid or minimize impact.
5. How Does Blind Spot Monitoring Work?
Blind Spot Monitoring Systems use sensors located on the sides of the vehicle to detect vehicles in your blind spots. Blind spot detection occurs when another vehicle enters the blind spot. The system alerts the driver through visual indicators, typically on the side mirrors, and in some cases, with an audio alert to help prevent lane-change accidents.
6. What is LiDAR and How Does it Benefit Driver Assistance Systems?
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a sensor technology that uses lasers to measure distances between the vehicle and surrounding objects. It creates a detailed 3D map of the environment, making it especially useful in autonomous driving systems and for detecting obstacles that other sensors, like cameras or radars, may miss.
7. How Does Night Vision Enhance Driving Safety?
Night Vision Systems use infrared cameras to detect objects in low-light or nighttime conditions that may be hard to see with the naked eye. The system provides an enhanced view of the road ahead, often displaying images on the dashboard or heads-up display to help the driver spot pedestrians, animals, or obstacles in dark environments.
At Dashlight Solutions, we offer comprehensive windshield repair, replacement, and ADAS calibration services throughout Ocean and Monmouth counties. While many repairs can be handled by our mobile service, some ADAS calibrations require a controlled environment; like our calibration center in Wall, NJ.
