diagnosticsupplement-1223 - 14

ADAS EFFECT
Are you calibrating
ADAS-equipped vehicles?
Add a new revenue stream for this essential service.
By Ross Colket
INFORMATION RESOURCES
In terms of training, more and more
sources are coming online to provide
hands-on training. Autel just built a
training center in New York where they
offer a two-day course. Once you get the
basic concept of performing the calibrations,
it really does become quite easy.
Understand that you are either working
with a distance sensor or a camera. Yes,
there are different styles of distance sensors,
but the reality is, any one is just a
distance sensor.
Diagnosing a system is just like diagPhoto
courtesy of Snap-on
W
hen it comes to today's
vehicles, why wouldn't you
plan on investing in your
future? I recently attended a TechNet
meeting representing approximately
60 to 80 shops. I sat on a panel with
three other shop owners who are currently
performing advanced driver
assistance systems (ADAS) calibrations.
To my surprise, of all those
shops represented, not one of them
performs ADAS calibrations.
We have a unique business model in
that we service a larger-sized glass shop in
the area and eight body shops. The glass
company is very progressive in that it does
a lot of insurance work. As a result of this,
the insurance companies will not compensate
the shop without proof of calibration
and proof that no trouble codes in any of
the ADAS systems remain. I also find the
chain body shops to be more progressive
14 DECEMBER 2023 VehicleServicePros.com
and understanding of ADAS because of
their relationship with the training and
education organization Inter-Industry
Conference on Auto Collision Repair
(I-CAR). Keep in mind, I deal directly with
the body shops and not through the insurance
company (much less stress and no
runaround). As a result, this now accounts
for one-third of my business.
I encourage you to investigate becoming
an ADAS-equipped shop. Early ADAS
systems are now 23 years old. It is strange
to think, but in another two years, ADAS
vehicles will literally be classics. If you
are equipped to service and repair/calibrate
ADAS, you won't have to send your
customers down the road. I have several
shops in the area that send their customers
to me for programming, R-1234yf, and/or
ADAS. More than once I have had those
customers continue to come back to me
because they know our capabilities.
nosing an engine issue. The best part of
working with ADAS is that most of the
sensors are usually either four- or six-wire
sensors - a voltage and ground supply, and
two or four network wires. As long as you
have an oscilloscope to check for communication,
and a scan tool to see if the
sensor is reporting on the network and to
check for any trouble codes, you're all set.
The information sources of ALLDATA,
Mitchell 1, I-CAR, and Direct-Hit have
come a long way in making OEM information
much more accessible. Mitchell 1 and
ALLDATA have a special section devoted
to ADAS. Yes, on the newer cars, you are
sometimes going to have to log onto the
OEM's website, but those instances are few
and far between.
One of the things I have found interesting
is that Audi will often list in the
labor guide that calibration is required.
Several of their models not only will
require an alignment after replacing a
clutch or transmission, but they will also
need a forward-looking camera calibration.
Autel has a great website for
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
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