5 Common Misconceptions About ADAS Equipment

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have come a long way in a short period of time. Once found only on high-end luxury makes, features like lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and rain sensors can now be found on many new cars at every price point. And more of these systems are being mandated by governments every year to promote safer driving standards.

For the service industry, ADAS requires another layer of technical expertise, as ADAS must be calibrated and tested following collision repair, custom modifications, and the usual replacement of faulty components. Shops need to invest in the special equipment required for static and dynamic calibrations, and in training technicians on the proper procedures.

ADAS service is a fast-developing sector, and as such, questions pop up daily and misconceptions spread quickly. We reached out to industry sources to address common misconceptions surrounding ADAS tools and procedures.

Step one in avoiding pitfalls is to follow manufacturers’ specs. “You really have to defer to factory service information and check the OEM’s position statements because they change,” said Haakan Light, National Training and Development Manager for TOPDON USA, a manufacturer of automotive diagnostic tools and ADAS equipment. “Our TOPDON system is easy to use because it’s mimicking the OEM.”

Step two is having a clear view of what has been done to the vehicle. “What ADAS boils down to in terms of whether it’s going to be a cut-and-dry repair or a nightmare, is how many different fingers have been in the pot and what has been touched on the vehicle,” Light said. “Those are really the big factors that are going to determine, ‘Is this going to be easy, or is it going to be a challenge?’ That’s a really clear thing that techs want to get straight in their head before they get into it.”

From that baseline, determining the best course involves sidestepping some common misconceptions.

Misconception: Dynamic calibrations are always easy

“A lot of people think the driving calibrations are ‘easier’ than the static, which use the targets. There are more and more situations where that is not necessarily true,” Light said. “I think a lot of people when they get into the ADAS game, maybe price the dynamics too low and think that, ‘Hey, I only have to drive it for 15 or 20 minutes so it’s no big deal, I can charge super cheap for that.’ In some situations it may be very easy and straightforward. But there are certain vehicles where that is not the case.” Light said he has encountered European vehicles, in particular, that sometimes took an hour or more of driving to finish the dynamic.

“There are still the same potential pitfalls with dynamic as there are with static. You can still have super bright sunlight shining into the forward facing camera and that can cause calibration problems, just like as if you were doing a static calibration with a forward facing camera.”

Misconception: ADAS equipment is too expensive

For many shops, adding an entirely new category of tools can be an anxiety-producing expense. Salesmen often try to nudge a shop owner into buying comprehensive ADAS equipment that will handle every sort of vehicle on the road.

One way to save money is to only buy what you need. While TOPDON offers multiple ADAS packages at various price points, they will also construct custom kits. “Most manufacturers make you buy big kits with everything. However, if a shop comes to us and says ‘I only do domestic vehicles,’ we can build them a custom kit that will only give them domestic vehicle targets and nothing else,” Light said. “That is something that is really important because it is much easier to control your price point. You’re not paying for things you don’t need.”

Misconception: ADAS equipment takes up too much space

It’s true that some ADAS calibrations require a decent amount of elbow room. Space is required to set up the targets, and the 3-dimensional geometry from the array of sensors, cameras and radar extends 360 degrees around the vehicle. The conventional wisdom on free space needed is a 40 x 60-foot area.

“While certain ADAS calibrations indeed require a fair amount of space to successfully complete some static calibrations, it is important to note that only a handful of vehicles will require such extensive space, usually your larger HD pickups with dual rear wheels,” said Bobby Beason, owner of VSSTA, a Texas-based company that offers remote scanning services and ADAS certification programs. “The overall environment is just as important as the space; The ideal space will be clean, uncluttered, and will provide ample lighting.”

In addition, the ADAS equipment itself can be housed with remarkable efficiency. “In terms of storage it’s really not that bad. I would say it’s probably 8 x 8 storage,” said Light of TOPDON’s ADAS packages. “It really depends on how many targets you buy. The mobile frame itself is extremely portable,” Light said.

Misconception: Aftermarket parts are always acceptable

Although this is a rapidly evolving situation, when it comes to replacement of anything that’s going to directly interact with a sensor, OEM parts are usually the safer bet.

“The best example is a windshield. When you think about what a camera physically is, it’s basically taking light and turning it into information,” Light said. “When you stick it behind a windshield, the light refraction of the windshield glass is going to change depending on who made the windshield. The manufacturer knows exactly how to make that windshield through their dedicated supplier. The aftermarket companies may not make it the right thickness. It may not have the correct light refraction. That’s going to lead to calibration problems.”

Parts need precisely matching characteristics for ADAS sensors to function properly. “The aftermarket has not figured out a lot of these challenges in regards to replacement parts,” Light said.

Misconception: Training employees to use ADAS equipment is too much trouble.

The reality is, existing training programs can get a crew up to speed in a remarkably short time. “It’s not really that hard. If you take a class like the 4-hour class that we offer that teaches you to think about it in terms of three-dimensional geometry and physics, if you can think of it that way, it’s very easy,” Light said of the TOPDON training program. “Because the root cause of the problem is always in one of those areas. Is there any factor that is changing the 3-dimensional geometry of the vehicle? If it has more weight in it, is that going to affect the 3-dimensional geometry? Yes, because it’s going to tilt it. Is the sensor cocked in the bracket? That’s going to affect the 3-dimensional geometry.”

“Performing static calibrations is not as challenging as it might seem,” Beason said. “VSSTA sends experienced technicians with thousands of completed calibrations under their belt to the shop to ensure proper on-site training. We have discovered that anyone with an open mind and a positive attitude can learn to perform these calibrations with ease. Repetition is key. Although the first few calibrations may be intimidating and (time-consuming), the more you practice, the quicker and more efficient you will become.”

When working through ADAS issues, heading off potential problems begins with communication. “It’s really about asking the right questions and setting the expectation level with the customer,” Light said. As ADAS equipment becomes the universal norm for all new cars, being able to service the array of sensors and cameras will be a critical part of a technician’s role. And that’s no misconception.