ADAS Window Calibration Services in Tucson, AZ
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.
ADAS Calibration FAQs
What Does ADAS Calibration Have to Do With My Windshield?
You may not realize it, but many front-facing ADAS sensing devices are often mounted directly to the windshield or right behind the windshield. This includes cameras, radars, computer imaging software, and other common sensors.
As a result, if there are any slight physical changes to your car, your sensing devices are at risk of malfunction, especially your windshield. In order for them to perform optimally again, ADAS recalibration must be performed to ensure vehicle safety. All vehicle manufacturers recommend that your ADAS be recalibrated after your windshield is replaced, or if you are involved in an accident.
To put it simply, windshield calibration is the process of adjusting front-facing cameras and other sensors in your vehicle to capture a complete and accurate image of the road and other vehicles. This ensures that the associated ADAS systems and other safety features are all properly aligned and functional.
How Do I Know If My Vehicle Has Camera-Based ADAS On the Windshield?
Is ADAS Calibration Absolutely Necessary?
Definitely. Your vehicle’s ADAS play a critical role in ensuring your safety on the road. It may seem like these systems are just additional “luxury” add-ons that don’t need any maintenance, but they require attention, just like any other system on your vehicle. This maintenance is especially necessary after certain types of work are performed on your vehicle that can affect the accuracy of the different ADAS sensors and other components.
If a sensor or camera is off calibration by even just a millimeter, it can affect the system’s depth perception by several dozen feet. This can mean, for example, the system may not be able to effectively stop the vehicle in an emergency to avoid a collision because it misread how far another vehicle or pedestrian was in front of you.
What Else Can Affect My Vehicle’s ADAS?
Besides having your windshield replaced, there are several other things that could throw your ADAS out of calibration, including:
- Having new tires installed
- Having new headlights installed
- Adjusting or replacing the suspension
- Getting a front-end alignment
- Getting brake work done
- Replacing a bumper
- Replacing the AC compressor
- Adding aftermarket accessories
- Repainting the vehicle
All of these things can alter the calibration of your vehicle’s ADAS, making proper recalibration necessary to ensure your vehicle is as safe as possible on the road.
Also, if you have a 4×4 vehicle and would like to take it off-road, muddy driving conditions can temporarily affect ADAS components, as well. Sensors and cameras on windshields, bumpers, and side panels cannot perform as expected if they are covered by mud or debris.
What Are Other Examples of ADAS?
A few other common examples of ADAS systems include:
- Around View Monitor (AVM) or Surround View
- Blind Spot Detection (BSD)
- Driver State Monitoring
- Front Collision Warning (FCW)
- Night Vision System (NV)
- Pedestrian Detection (PD)
- Proximity Sensors or Parking Sensors
- Rear Cross-Traffic Detection (RCTD)
- Rear Collision Warning (RCW)
- Tire Pressure Monitoring
- Traffic Sign Recognition
Depending on the vehicle manufacturer, these systems may go by different names.
There are components for all of the different ADAS systems located all the way around most newer model vehicles. They are often located in the front and rear bumpers, side panels, side mirrors, and as we mentioned before, behind the windshield glass.
Each ADAS system on your vehicle serves a specific purpose that will fall under one of these four categories:
- Automated – These systems utilize data from the ADAS components to automatically respond, take over, and perform emergency safety functions to prevent a collision.
- Adaptive – Based on data about the surrounding environment, these systems make proactive changes or adaptations to ensure safety.
- Monitoring – These systems analyze input from cameras, sensors, and other components that monitor the surrounding area, the driving of the vehicle, and make corrections, as needed.
- Warning – These systems use components to detect any potential safety issues in your driving, or those driving around you, and they will immediately alert you to take action.
Built-in ADAS features are becoming more and more common in vehicles. The number of vehicles with some form of ADAS is expected to increase by roughly 24 percent each year. Previously, ADAS was an optional feature that you could get as an add-on, but increasing government regulations have prompted automakers to include some ADAS safety features as standard on new vehicles.
For example, per regulations, by 2022, all new vehicles sold in the U.S. will automatically include the Automatic Emergency Braking system.
How Much Does ADAS Calibration Cost?
The cost of ADAS calibration will vary depending on specific systems within your model’s windshield, the type of recalibration that your vehicle requires, and the complexity of the calibrations needed. Although the recalibration process may sound simple, it does require specialized tools, ADAS calibration equipment, and training.
Some vehicles will require dynamic calibration, while others require the more complicated static calibration where lasers and other equipment are used, measurements are taken, and manual adjustments are made. Some vehicles even require both dynamic and static calibration to be done. So, the cost of ADAS calibration will be highly dependent on what is required by your vehicle’s manufacturer.
While it may be an additional cost you may be hesitant about having to incur, ensuring your ADAS is properly calibrated can mean the difference in avoiding a collision or catastrophic accident.
Contact Max Auto Glass today for an estimate on ADAS calibration for your vehicle!
Is ADAS Windshield Calibration Covered by Insurance?
What Kind of ADAS Calibration Equipment is Used?
There are multiple specialized tools and equipment that can/will be used to perform your ADAS calibration. Exactly what will be used depends on if it is a dynamic calibration or static calibration that is being done. Either way, your technician will utilize specialty tools to meet precise manufacturer specifications.
An important thing to note first is that for a static calibration, everything will take place in a dedicated and controlled calibration space.
Next, for the service itself, the variety of equipment that the technician will use can include:
- Alignment verification equipment
- ADAS diagnostic software tablets
- Window calibration tools
- ADAS calibration fixtures (which hold the targets)
- ADAS calibration targets
- Calibration laser pointers
How Long Does ADAS Windshield Calibration Take?
Calibration of ADAS components related to your windshield can vary and it depends on the vehicle, of course, but it can take several hours. The exact time frame will also depend on if dynamic calibration, static calibration, or both is required for your vehicle.
The calibration service can be completed at the same time as windshield replacement. Keep in mind, a new windshield does need to set for 60 minutes before ADAS calibration can be started. In general, it usually takes about 2 hours to replace a windshield and recalibrate the ADAS.
Does Max Auto Glass Offer Mobile ADAS Calibration?
How is Calibration Verified as Successful?
Once the actual calibration process is complete, the technician will run a post-calibration diagnostic scan to verify that specifications are met and any pre-existing diagnostic trouble code has been cleared. If the calibration is not successful at that point, a diagnostic trouble code will still be present. The necessary tweaks to calibration will then be made until the scan is clear and specifications are met.
Your vehicle will also be test-driven on the road to confirm that all ADAS are active and properly functioning.
Can I Do the Calibration Myself?
Technically yes, you could try. However, to properly perform the calibrations, you would need specific ADAS training, experience, and specialized (and expensive) equipment that will usually only be found in high-quality auto/auto glass shops and calibration centers.
Our technicians here at Max Auto Glass have access to state-of-the-art ADAS equipment and are specially trained and experienced in performing the precise ADAS calibrations on any make and model of vehicle.
Why Should I Choose Max Auto Glass Versus the Dealership?