Visit the ADAS Calibration Professionals in Tucson
In the last several decades, automakers have been adding more and more automation and safety features. Some of them are used daily, while others are so ingrained in normal driving that you don’t even think about it. Either way, many of these features have a huge impact on your safety, the safety of your passengers, and the drivers on the road.
One of these technologies you’ll find built into many newer vehicles is the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems or ADAS. These systems enhance, automate, and adapt already present safety systems, significantly helping to prevent accidents from happening. Every ADAS component is precisely calibrated to manufacturer specifications for proper performance.
Keep Your ADAS Working Properly
The ADAS system in cars uses valuable information from the sensors and other components to perform instantaneous processes that help keep you safe. Once the ADAS components are properly calibrated, the systems will have an accurate, real-time view of the vehicle’s surroundings and speed. But, if any components are even slightly out of calibration, the ADAS will not be able to properly provide the level of safety they were designed for.
As with most other systems in your vehicle, to keep the ADAS system performing as expected, it does require some level of care and preventative maintenance. For example, some instances like a car window replacement or a collision, require recalibration of the system’s components.
The Expert ADAS Calibration You Need
Keep in mind, not all auto shops or glass shops are qualified to properly perform ADAS calibration. Because these components require such a high level of precision, only experienced and skilled professionals who have the specialized equipment should be trusted to properly calibrate the system. So, when you’re in need of ADAS calibration in Tucson, you can count on the expert technicians here at Max Auto Glass.
Our team has the expertise to test your vehicle’s ADAS components, recalibrate them as needed, and ensure the system is working optimally.
What are the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems?
ADAS is a group of connected electronic systems that work together to help ensure your safety on the road. This is done by alerting you of potential problems and even automatically preventing a collision.
Each component of your vehicle’s ADAS will fall under one of the following categories:
- Automated – Automatically respond, take over, and perform emergency safety functions to prevent a collision.
- Adaptive – Based on data about the surrounding environment, changes or adaptations are made to ensure safety.
- Monitoring – Make corrections as needed based on input from cameras, sensors, and other components that monitor the surrounding area and the driving of the vehicle.
- Warning – When a potential safety issue in your driving or those driving around you is detected, these components will alert you.
There are a variety of different ADAS that are now included in newer model vehicles. These include:
- Adaptive cruise control – Chances are, on more than one occasion, you’ve used the traditional cruise control that’s been around for a long time. It allows you to rest your foot off the gas pedal during long distance drives and still maintain a consistent speed. The newer version, known as adaptive cruise control (also referred to as dynamic cruise control) is similar, but much more safety-focused. This “autopilot” system adjusts the speed of your vehicle automatically based on the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you, allowing you to still use cruise control even when there are other vehicles around.
- Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system – If this system detects that a collision is imminent, based on data analysis from the surrounding environment, it will alert you to take immediate corrective action. If you don’t, this system will automatically brake for you to prevent a collision. The forward-collision warning system is a lesser version of the AEB system. This warning system will simply monitor the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you and warn you of an impending crash. It will not automatically brake for you.
- Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking (PAEB) system – This system is another type of automatic emergency braking system, but it is designed to ensure that appropriate action is taken if a pedestrian is detected in the road. After issuing a warning, if you do not brake manually, it will stop the vehicle for you.
- Lane departure warning system – Drifting out of the lane of travel is one of the top causes of vehicle accidents. The lane departure system will detect your vehicle moving out of your lane without a turn signal and issue a warning sound to take corrective action. There is also the Lane Keep Assist (LKA) feature built into some newer model vehicles. This system takes the lane departure warning system one step further by automatically steering your vehicle back into the middle of your lane, if you do not.
The locations of ADAS components on or in your vehicle are often hard to identify. But, your front windshield is an integral part of many ADAS. Many of the sensing and monitoring components, like sensors, cameras, and radars, are mounted behind the windshield or directly on the windshield. This means if there are any slight physical changes to your vehicle or the windshield, your ADAS will probably need to be expertly recalibrated.
If your windshield has been damaged or the height of your vehicle has changed, it is very important that you bring your vehicle into Max Auto Glass as soon as possible so the corresponding ADAS can be recalibrated as needed. This will ensure that you will still be properly protected on the road.
The Importance of Proper ADAS Calibration
The components of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are strictly calibrated to the exact manufacturer specifications. If something is even just one millimeter off, it can cause a sensor or camera to misread the distance of an object by several feet, which can quickly equal disaster.
For example, an adaptive cruise control sensor may not accurately calculate the distance from the car in front of you and put you at increased risk of a high-speed accident.
Plus, many of these sensors and cameras work together for multiple advanced driver assistance systems. So if one component is not properly calibrated or aligned, it can cause a whole safety system not to respond as designed, or even fail. Even in the example above, an improperly calibrated cruise control sensor may also mean that the AEB system won’t work or will be delayed and will not properly prevent a collision.
When an ADAS component is out of calibration, it is not something that should be ignored. Doing so can put you, your passengers, other drivers around you, and even pedestrians at risk. If you’re concerned about your ADAS component, have Max Auto Glass check it out today!
When ADAS Recalibration Should Be Done
To ensure that your vehicle remains as safe as possible on the road, it is important to be aware of when your ADAS should be recalibrated. It should be done in the event of:
- Windshield damage or replacement – When your windshield is damaged or replaced, the corresponding ADAS components that are mounted on or behind the glass can be disrupted.
- Collision – The force of a collision can easily knock sensors out of proper calibration. So, even if it was a minor collision, have your ADAS system checked as soon as possible and recalibrated as needed.
- ADAS warning lights – Your vehicle’s ADAS includes a variety of warning lights to alert you in the event of an issue. If one of these lights starts blinking or stays on, your system should be inspected and may need recalibration.
- Tire replacement – Sometimes, replacing tires/wheels can change your vehicle’s height. In this case, the ADAS sensors need to be recalibrated to fit the new parameters.
What is the ADAS Calibration Process?
Depending on the specific type of vehicle, one of two different calibration processes will be used to meet the manufacturer specifications, either dynamic calibration or static calibration.
In the dynamic process, the technician will actively inspect and calibrate the sensors based on live feedback that is received, while the vehicle is moving. Our experienced ADAS experts know how a car responds in different situations, which can be affected by even the smallest changes.
With this static process, calibrations are made using specialized targets and tools while your vehicle is parked in a controlled environment. Static calibrations can be more time-consuming and slightly more difficult due to specific conditions that have to be recreated to properly calibrate the systems’ components.
But, optimal calibration can be reached using either of these processes. For your vehicle’s ADAS calibration, we will always follow the manufacturer’s specific guidelines.
Schedule Your Appointment Today
Tucson area drivers trust the Max Auto Glass team to help ensure their vehicle’s ADAS can properly keep them and their passengers safe on the road. Our technicians here at Max Auto Glass can perform expert ADAS calibration services, as well as any other auto glass needs you may have.