Professional_Tool_And_Equipment_News_0619 - 42

ADAS, it's not just
for collision shops
On modern vehicles, even some seemingly simple tasks such as replacing a
headlamp or a radiator can affect the alignment of a camera or module.
By Barry Hoyland, Contributing Editor

ne of the latest technologies introduced to vehicles is grouped into a
category commonly referred to as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
(ADAS). This technology has the fastest growth in electronics. It is used
in vehicles and is primarily used for driver convenience and safety, but
is also the primary bridge for making autonomous and "connected car"
vehicles possible.
Due to the ability of the system to
which systems are on any vehicle you are
avoid, or at minimum reduce, the severworking on.
ADAS Systems:
ity of a crash, ADAS is quickly becoming
* Collision Warning
a must-have on late model vehicles. In
* Collision Avoidance
fact, vehicles in the EU have been man* Adaptive Cruise Control
dated to have collision avoidance sys* Parking Assistance
tems installed on all new vehicles built
* Adaptive Braking
in 2020, with U.S. car makers following
* Lane Departure Warning
suit in 2022. Additionally, the liability of
* Drowsy Driver Warning
a collision may eventually shift from the
* Pedestrian Detection
driver to the electronic systems respon* Rear Collision Warning
sible for collision avoidance. This could
* Cross Traffic Alert
include potential liability for a technician
* Rain Sensor
repairing an ADAS component, or fail* Blind Spot Warning
ing to calibrate a system after a seemingly normal repair that caused a sensor
to become misaligned.
SENSORS
When it comes to ADAS, it is necesMost current ADAS systems use passive
sary to fully understand how the systems
sensors to warn the driver of hazards, or
work and how they interact with other
use sensors to detect hazards and actively
vehicle systems. Additionally, there are
take measures to assist in collision avoidother components and systems within
ance. The most common passive sensors
the vehicle that may affect ADAS funchave been around for many years; the
tionality if repairs are done without comultrasonic sensors are found in front and
pleting an ADAS calibration.
rear bumpers on many vehicles. These
We will first review the different types
sensors provide a signal to a module
of ADAS systems and discuss some of
that determines if an object is too close
the individual components, then anato the vehicle, then the module provides
lyze how some repairs can cause a malan audible warning to alert the driver.
function of ADAS if the repair does not
Some of the latest uses of these sensors
include a recalibration. Please remember
are to sense obstacles on the side of the
this is not a complete list of components,
vehicle (see images on page 43).
systems, or repairs that are considered
Even though these sensors are relaADAS and you must obtain vehicle spetively trouble-free and the most comcific information in order to determine
mon causes of a failure are from either

PTEN

JUNE 2019

www.VehicleServicePros.com

TOOLS USED:
* Mitchell 1 ProDemand
* Diagnostic Scan Tool
* ADAS Component
Alignment Tools
* ADAS Target System
a damaged or dirty sensor, the steps to
diagnose and replace them are fairly
simple. On early vehicle models, the
sensors may not trigger a fault code, so
the only way to test an individual sensor
was to cover each sensor and listen for an
audible warning from the vehicle. Late
model vehicles can set a fault code and
will require a scan tool to diagnose. It
should be noted that fault codes for these
systems can be located in different modules of various vehicles, and it may be
necessary to check modules other than
the Powertrain Control Module (PCM),
or the Body Control Module (BCM).
Other tools required for service
include hand tools for sensor removal
and pliers for wire stripping and connector repair. Care should be taken when
replacing sensors that the correct part
replacement is used, and that the installation angle remains unchanged in order
to retain original functionality. In some
cases a sensor will need to be painted
to match the vehicle. If so, use only the
matching factory color on the sensor as
even the slightest color change may affect
the sensitivity of the sensor.
Ultrasonic sensor limitations include
being unable to detect objects at long

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