december2022 - A12

ADAS EFFECT
How diagnostic tools cut
through the ADAS confusion
Technicians must overcome differences in ADAS technology
with calibration tools and new industry standards.
By Mindy Long
Krebs, worldwide alignment product manager
at Snap-on Equipment.
Tom McGuire, chief operating officer
of Precision Diagnostics said the industry
hasn't even figured out how to standardize
terminology in the U.S.
" With emergency assist braking across
35 different manufacturers, there are literally
35 to 40 acronyms they use to describe
their systems, " he said. " There is a tremendous
challenge of having both access and
the current level of service information to
really support that technician in not only
where the sensors and the components of
the ADAS are, but also what is required to
program or calibrate it correctly. "
Scott McKinney, senior product manNot
all shops have the tools to perform static calibrations, which can cause them to lose income.
A
dvanced driver assistance systems
(ADAS) rely on a combination
of cameras, radar, lidar, ultrasonic
sensors, and other technologies to
improve safety, but where those technologies
are located, and how they interact
with the vehicle, vary. The differences in
these systems can make a technician's
life difficult.
" There is a lot of confusion out there
exactly how ADAS works, how to calibrate
it, what can be calibrated, and what
can't be calibrated, " said Chris Freeman,
director of sales and training for Autel
North America. " We're getting a lot of
different feedback from the dealers.
No one puts these sensors in the same
places. They're different from make-tomake
and model-to-model. "
Diagnostic tool providers such as
Autel are equipping the industry with
calibration tools to help close the gap
as techs strive to ensure systems are
working correctly.
12 DECEMBER 2022 VehicleServicePros.com
" We're trying to clarify the information, "
Freeman said. " That way, we can
give a clear picture of what needs to be
programmed and what doesn't. "
There are various elements to vehicle
ADAS, including adaptive cruise control,
around-view monitoring, blind-spot
detection, lane departure warnings, light
imaging detection and ranging, night vision
systems, and rear collision warnings.
" Each of these has a different function
and uses different sensors or a combination
of sensors to function, " said
Brandon Alexander, marketing manager
for Thinkcar.
Adding to the confusion, there aren't
consistent expectations of ADAS capabilities
for any given fleet or consumer vehicle.
" Because of that inconsistency, technicians
don't know if a vehicle has the same
capacity as the vehicle before it. I'm finding,
too, that some technicians are even
confused about what it means to perform
a calibration and have it pass, " said Jordan
ager at Bosch Automotive Aftermarket,
said a lack of standardization, and the
fact that ADAS technology is new, puts
the responsibility squarely on the shoulders
of the shop to ensure a calibration is
completed properly.
" There are thresholds and tolerances
that each system allows, which means
there are instances where it may pass but
not prevent an accident or perform as
it should have in a real-world scenario,
Krebs said. " The problem that many techs
face is they don't know what may or may
not be on the vehicle. Even the same vehicle
built in a different time period may
not have the same system they were just
working on, " he explained.
Alexander said that manufacturers
establish the specific functionality within
their vehicles and the calibration process.
The general function of the ADAS components
is similar between brands, but the
ADAS calibration process will differ.
Fortunately, Fred Andersky, director
of government and industry affairs for
Bendix, said most OEMs make collision
mitigation technology standard on their
highway vehicles. " Each system has its
own set of maintenance rules that are
published by the manufacturer just like
with any other system on the vehicle, "
he said.
Photo Courtesy of Precision Diagnostics

http://www.VehicleServicePros.com

december2022

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