In today’s vehicles, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are becoming increasingly common. These systems, which include features such as lane-keeping assist, collision avoidance, and adaptive cruise control, rely on cameras and sensors mounted in or near the windshield. When it comes time for a windshield replacement, it’s crucial to understand how this service impacts your vehicle’s ADAS features. At flglassreplacement.com, we specialize in windshield replacements that ensure your ADAS functions properly after the service.
1. Understanding ADAS and Its Dependence on the Windshield
ADAS features, like lane departure warnings and forward-collision alerts, depend on cameras and sensors often mounted on or near the windshield. The windshield not only acts as a protective barrier but also as the housing for these critical sensors. When replacing a windshield, the technician must ensure that these systems are not disrupted during installation.
2. The Role of Proper Calibration
After a windshield replacement, the alignment and calibration of ADAS sensors may be affected. If the new windshield isn’t properly aligned or if the sensors are not calibrated, your vehicle’s ADAS features might malfunction. At flglassreplacement.com, we perform recalibration after every windshield replacement to ensure that your ADAS features continue to operate as intended.
3. What Happens During ADAS Recalibration?
Recalibration involves adjusting the cameras and sensors to the correct angles and positions so that they can accurately detect the environment around your vehicle. There are two types of recalibration processes:
- Static Calibration: Performed in a controlled environment using specialized equipment.
- Dynamic Calibration: Involves driving the vehicle under specific conditions so the system can adjust to real-world settings.
Both types of calibration are essential to restore the full functionality of ADAS features, and flglassreplacement.com ensures this is done correctly to maintain safety standards.
4. The Impact of Improper Calibration
If your windshield replacement service does not properly calibrate the ADAS sensors, you may experience issues such as false alerts, lane departure warnings that don’t trigger, or inaccurate collision detection. This can significantly compromise your safety. That’s why it’s important to choose a service provider like flglassreplacement.com, who understands the intricacies of ADAS and provides expert recalibration with every windshield replacement.
5. Ensuring Your Vehicle’s Safety After Replacement
At flglassreplacement.com, we prioritize the safety and functionality of your vehicle after every windshield replacement. Our skilled technicians are trained in both windshield replacement and ADAS calibration, ensuring that your car’s safety systems work just as they did before the replacement.
6. Why Choose flglassreplacement.com for Your Windshield Replacement?
When it comes to replacing your windshield, you need a service provider who understands the importance of ADAS features. At flglassreplacement.com, we are committed to delivering high-quality windshield replacements while ensuring your vehicle’s safety systems remain intact. Whether it’s recalibrating sensors or ensuring a proper fit, our team provides the expertise you can trust.
Schedule your windshield replacement with flglassreplacement.com today and experience the difference our expert service makes.
The importance of precise calibration
Technicians cannot afford to make a mistake when replacing the windshield of an ADAS-equipped car, as it could compromise the system’s ability to give drivers a more convenient and much safer driving experience.
As mentioned above, a vehicle with ADAS has cameras and laser sensors mounted on the inside of the windshield. These cameras and sensors are typically responsible for ADAS features such as:
● Lane keeping assist
● Automatic emergency braking
● Automatic headlight high-beam activation/dimming
● Adaptive cruise control
● Lane departure warning
As part of the windshield replacement process, technicians will need to remove, then reattach, the cameras and sensors.
Technicians must make sure that all the ADAS equipment are calibrated accurately. The camera angle, for example, cannot be off by even one degree because it will impact the camera’s viewing angle significantly. The laser sensors must also be perfectly aligned so they can “see” the road and nearby obstructions as accurately as possible.
When the windshield calibration is less than precise, the ADAS features of a car may not function properly, and that could lead to a road mishap.While removing the cameras and sensors sounds easy enough, putting them back together can prove to be tricky.
Preparing the vehicle for calibration
For technicians, making sure that a car is prepared for an ADAS sensor calibration in keeping with its manufacturer’s specifications is a crucial part of the process.
While those specifications may differ from one automaker to the next, some have common preparation requirements, which may include:
● A full tank to account for a car’s accurate height
● Ensuring that the front and rear vehicle ride height are within specifications
● Removal of heavy items from the car
● Tires inflated to pressures recommended by the manufacturer
● Performance of four-wheel alignment
● Clean windshield in front of camera/sensor
● Removal of protective cover from radar sensor
Signs a vehicle needs recalibration
Many new vehicles are fitted with the ADAS system, and many drivers are already familiar with how they work.
However, it’s entirely possible for car owners to fail to recognize the signs that their ADAS system needs a recalibration, something that must be done from time to time.
As already discussed above, a windshield replacement for an ADAS-equipped car will require calibration. So will the following situations:
● A fault code appears on the dashboard
● After minor vehicle collisions
● The camera is disconnected or disturbed
● The car’s suspension has changed
● After wheel realignment
For technicians providing service to customers with ADAS-equipped cars, it would be great if they could ask them if they have experienced or performed any of the above.
Making these situations part of a checklist is a good idea, so that when customers bring their vehicles in for a checkup, technicians can get the necessary information to determine if they are due for a recalibration and help keep them safe in the process.
Given the complexity of performing calibrations, the technicians who do them will need to be extensively trained in the process, meticulous about the details, and have the right tools and equipment. A partnership with a mobile auto glass company may also be necessary, especially when a vehicle owner cannot get the car to the shop for whatever reason.
