march2023 - 30

DIAGNOS TIC S
director of product management, Mitchell 1.
Many OEMs have strengthened their position
statements to require a higher number
of calibrations for their vehicles, regardless
of where the vehicle damage is, said Jordan
Krebs, product manager, John Bean, Snap-on.
" Some shops have been reluctant to engage in
the practice of ADAS calibrations, convinced
that calibration is unnecessary with no fault
codes or without the component having been
disconnected, " he said. " That theory, however,
is far from factual. "
Adam Corron, ADAS key account sales
manager for Launch Tech, said it is crucial to
create awareness around ADAS. " This technology
is designed to make people safer on the
roads. When you get new tires, an alignment,
or a new windshield, you depend on this technology
to work like it did before you had your
vehicle repaired, " he said. " If it isn't calibrated
correctly, it doesn't work as it should. "
Daniel Mustafa, director of technical service
for TravelCenters of America, said ADAS calibration
is needed if a vehicle is involved in
any collision, a windshield is replaced, or the
bumper has to be removed for a repair. " None
of those include normal, everyday repairs on
those systems, " he said.
With ADAS, even being a few degrees off
on a calibration can cause the check engine
93706268| Haiyin | Dreamstime
light to come on or the system to malfunction.
" You're not going to know it's not functioning
properly until it needs to function properly, "
Johnson said, adding that shops aren't intentionally
not doing the job. " They just don't
understand that that thing they moved out of
the way was critical to the operation of ADAS
and those safety features. "
Failing to calibrate correctly could mean a
All-makes ADAS tools
help shops keep up with
increased technology
While advanced driver assistance systems have
added to safety on the road, they've also added
complications to even the most basic of repairs if
technicians don't remember to address them.
By Mindy Long
The amount of safety equipment on vehicles
continues to increase, and even minor repairs
or routine maintenance can alter the accuracy
of advanced driver assistance systems. That
creates new opportunities and challenges for
shops and technicians, and all-makes ADAS
30 Fleet Maintenance | March 2023
tools make it easier for technicians to quickly
and effectively calibrate ADAS.
" ADAS is not a subject you can really evade
because just to perform simple routine tasks,
whether you know it or not, you're impacting
those ADAS components, " said Ben Johnson,
driver hits something or experiences emergency
braking for no reason.
In the last five years, there has been about a
40% increase in passenger vehicles and light
trucks equipped with ADAS, and the number
of vehicles registered with ADAS is expected
to double in the next three to five years,
Corron said.
What's more, a heavy-duty element is
coming fast with more and more semi-trucks
having lane departure, automatic braking
systems, and other ADAS features, said
Stewart Peregrine, senior executive of sales,
ADAS, for Autel.
The Unpacking the Commercial Vehicle
Diagnostic Market 2023 report from Noregon
reported that model year 2022 trucks, buses,
trailers, and other commercial vehicles feature
more distributed electronics than nearly any
truck ever made.
Finding the right tool
Most ADAS calibrations require a scan tool.
" Fleet shops, dealers, and independent shops
are all looking for full coverage and how quickly
they'll get new software, " Corron said.
Most OE manufacturers require their dealers
to use one or two mandated scan tools, but
for the aftermarket, many options mirror OE
march2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of march2023
