ADAS calibrations should be completed every time a vehicle’s sensors are faulty. There are therefore various cases in which recalibration is an absolute must. First, whenever your vehicle crashes, it’s a good idea to recalibrate your ADAS. Even a slight bend of the fender can cause a sensor or camera to get out of alignment.
Second, any case where you repair or replace a windshield. In newer vehicles in particular, many of the front-facing cameras and sensors are mounted on or behind the windshield. After all, any maintenance on your tires or brakes (even a simple turn) is likely to mean that a recalibration is necessary. In most cases, any store or retailer will do this for you, but it’s best to ask just to be on the safe side.
To help you understand, here are some of the most common ADAS sensors that need to be calibrated most frequently. The number of calibrations is of course increasing as the proportion of vehicles on the road with ADAS features increases. Automotive professionals must know and comply with OEM ADAS calibration standards in order for a vehicle’s ADAS systems to function properly. For example, vehicles with a windshield-mounted front ADAS camera must be calibrated after the windshield has been replaced.
However, the final adjustments are made during calibration and are carried out electronically by the ADAS module itself. STATIC ADAS calibration uses specialized tools in a specially rendered environment to precisely adjust sensor angles. Unfortunately, not all ADAS sensors have self-diagnosis features to tell the driver when the calibration is over. Dynamic calibration requires the vehicle to be driven at specific speeds and conditions while connected to an ADAS reader, but that is anything but a test drive.
ADAS calibration (and recalibration) is the precise physical alignment, testing, and electronic alignment of sensors that collect data to inform your vehicle’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), such as Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), and many others.