02/24/2021
ADAS and Scans
I own a small but growing company in northern California, we service the collision industry. I have been dealing with automotive technology since the inception of airbags in the late 80âs, and started my own company in 2002.
In the last 4 years, there have been many discussions regarding vehicle scans and technology. Most vehicle manufacturers started coming out with position statements talking about Pre and Post scanning vehicles, the use of aftermarket parts, and ADAS calibration requirements when performing certain repairs. Many shops and insurance companies were confused by all these new requirements. Some body shops saw a new revenue stream, some were aware of the statements but not doing anything to follow the recommendations, and some didnât even know what a position statement was. Most insurance companies just looked at this as another expense in repairing the vehicle and many were refusing to pay for scans and calibrations as long as all the codes cleared and there were no warning lights on. I think it's important for everyone to understand what this technology does and how important scans and calibrations are. The main role of most of this new (not so new anymore) technology is collision avoidance. Whether its collision with another vehicle, a person, or a stationary object, the technologies role is an important one, something that shouldnât be taken lightly.
Scans
Pre and Post scans became mandatory by most vehicle manufacturers starting around 4 years ago. What is the purpose of the scan? The pre scan can identify pre existing problems, and problems caused by the collision. Very often, the scan can help determine if a vehicle is repairable or a total. Many times we are asked if a vehicle problem or warning light is accident related, a proper scan is an important tool that is used to help us determine the answer to that question. Post scans are the last step in hopefully returning the vehicle back to pre accident condition. A post scan along with a proper test drive, ensures everything is functioning as intended and that you are returning a safe vehicle back to its owner. Some of todayâs vehicles can have upwards of 140 electronic modules, it's not practical to have a warning lamp for every system, this is one of the reasons post scans are so important.
What you scan the vehicle with is just as important as the scan itself, and this is an area of much confusion. With all of the aftermarket scan tools, third party remote scanning services, and even scanning and calibration companies, you might ask yourself, whatâs the best option for me? The best option should be one not based on profits, not based on convenience, and not based on ease of use, it should be based on accuracy! We have been called out on several occasions to do a pre or post scan on a vehicle that a popular remote service couldnât do, why couldnât they scan the vehicle if they are using a system that is just like having the factory tool connected to the vehicle? Because itâs not just like having the factory scan tool connected to the vehicle. Itâs a factory scan tool connected to a device they made, going through the the internet, through another device they made, and finally connected to the vehicle. The most accurate way to scan a vehicle is with the factory scan tool or software connected directly to the vehicle. The popular remote scanning services actually tells you that in very small print, but most people have never read it. There is a reason many manufacturers have stated that it is mandatory or recommended to scan the vehicle using the factory approved tool and software. Many vehicle manufacturers also make using the factory scan tool part of the requirement in becoming a certified shop. 9 times out of 10 everything scans fine, but if your aftermarket scanner or remote scanning service fails to identify a code or communicate with a module, best case scenario is, the customer has a code in their vehicle that might not cause any problems, but worst case is, a critical safety issue is missed, the vehicle is unsafe and the customer and others could be injured or killed. I think we all know what will happen when something goes wrong, lawyers will be hired and their job will be to make sure all repairs were done following the manufactures guidelines, and if they werenât........well, things probably wonât end well for the repairing shop.
Calibrations
Let's talk calibrations! In the olden days we use to just hop in the car and drive, we looked over our shoulders to see if something was behind us, we checked our mirrors and turned our head to make sure no one was next to us before changing lanes, and we used the brakes to stop the car before hitting something. Now we have all of this fancy technology to try and keep us safe from others, and ourselves. But as this technology becomes common place, we also rely on it, sometimes, far too much. Tesla has amazing Autopilot technology, but many people that own Tesla vehicles use autopilot as a way to do things like read text messages, eat their lunch, or even take a nap, even though Tesla has warning messages in multiple places telling the driver to pay attention at all times. People have even come up with creative methods to fool the sensors in the steering column that detect when you donât have your hands on the steering wheel. How many times have you heard that a Tesla crashed and the driver blamed autopilot? How can you blame autopilot when you the driver should have been paying attention? The reason I bring this up is because people will rely on this technology, and when something goes wrong, they will blame the technology. If the vehicle owner decides to sue the vehicle manufacturer, you can bet they will make sure all of the proper repair procedures were followed. Iâm not going to go into specific calibration requirements, but I will list some examples. Many manufacturers require a calibration or calibrations if you perform a vehicle alignment, bumper R&I/R&R, even if the sensor wasnât removed with the bumper, sensor R&I/ R&R, windshield R&I/R&R, if a structural repair was performed, SRS deployment, Subaru says eyesight calibration is required even if the vehicle was involved in a minor collision, and Nissan says its front distance sensor should be calibrated if it was jolted in a collision.
Just like with scan tools, there are many options when it comes to calibration equipment. Most of the more popular aftermarket systems are beautifully built, but some use resized targets to reduce the amount of space required to perform the calibrations, and to date, I donât know any of them that are approved for use by the vehicle manufacturers. Remember, if something goes wrong, everything you did (or didnât do), and how you did it, will be called into question. I donât want to lose my business over a technicality, so I'll chose to use factory approved equipment and repair procedures.
Failed Calibrations
We have seen it all.......probably not, but we have seen a lot. Some of the most common reasons for failed calibrations are, poorly made aftermarket parts, bent brackets, improper repairs, and fragile components reused after the collision. Front windshield camera calibrations have failed due to poorly made aftermarket glass or an improperly placed camera bracket. ACC or distance sensors can fail when the technician repairing the car fails to notice the bracket that holds it is bent, or when they try and repair a bent bracket. These sensors are looking 500+ feet down the road, 1mm could be the difference of the sensor looking at a car in your lane, or a car in the next lane, how do you think things will play out when traffic comes to a screeching halt and the sensor on the car you repaired is looking one lane over???? We recently were called out to do a blind spot module calibration, the module coded and passed calibration, all codes cleared. After a few days of driving, the module would fail and trigger a warning lamp. After questioning the shop we found out that the module had been impacted but didnât appear damaged. We've since advised them to replace the module. Blind spot doesnât usually have the ability to affect the cars driving, but lets say the driver was attempting a lane change and fails to actually look because they rely on the sensor to warn them, only this time the sensor fails and there is a motorcyclist in the drivers blind spot, the driver hits the motorcyclist and he goes down at 70mph. Not a good outcome, and all because a blind spot sensor failed and wasnât replaced.
Do The Right Thing
As vehicle repairers, we need to do whatâs right for the customer. Money and time shouldnât be a deciding factor in vehicle repair. If replacing a required sensor and performing the calibration might total the vehicle, so be it, total the vehicle. That's a far better option than putting the customer back into a vehicle that might fail and injure or even worse, kill someone. Most vehicle owners donât know whatâs required to properly repair their vehicles, they are relying on us as the repair professionals. Donât let money or cycle time dictate how you repair a vehicle, do the right thing and everything else will fall into place.
