Oakes: Scratching surface on ADAS recalibration

Welcome to the first "Getting the Straight-Skinny on ADAS" column for Tire Business.

This is going to be a great venue for technicians and shop owners alike to discuss the pluses and pitfalls of the technology and how we can compare notes and team our way through this ever-changing process.

Calibrating/recalibrating Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is a straightforward process. Whether it is dynamic (driving) or static (with targets), the main objective for the technician is to follow the manufacturer's directions — like any other automotive repair.

Unfortunately, many times the human element enters our garage and throws a wrench into the works. This platform is to help remove the spanner that stopped the movement forward.

Remember: All it takes is one-degree off, and you're heading in the wrong direction, quickly.

The first of many case studies to be featured starts out with one of my favorite examples of when things slide sideways: a 2018 BMW X3.

The vehicle was in a minor accident that affected the left, front fender; the bumper skin had a scrape or two.

The vehicle's fender was replaced and the bumper cover repainted. There were no other issues. The vehicle received a clean pre- and post-scan.

About four weeks later, the customer started seeing a comment on the vehicle's Control Message for an object — that wasn't there — while driving on a straight, single-lane road.

It happened on the way to work, and it reoccurred on the way home from work.

The vehicle was brought back in for a reverification of the repair and scan. No codes were detected.

The components were aligned properly. No history, pending or present codes; all ADAS codes passed. Voltage values within specs.

The shop sent her on her way, again. The issue occurred again the next morning.

Sometimes you need to go beyond the bay doors.

So I got called in to see if it was a shop equipment error or the vehicle was having an intermittent problem without logging data.

I retraced the customer's route — the same time she was commuting to and from work — to try and duplicate the complaint. And she was right. There was a ghost in the crossover.

At this point, I sat down and outlined the events:

• No issue before accident;

• Left, front fender replaced; front bumper painted;

• Verified alignment; performed pre/post scan; verified test drive;

• Returned vehicle to customer;

• No issues for weeks; LDW suddenly activated without cause;

• Returned vehicle to shop;

• Rechecked pre/post scan (no codes);

• Duplicated customer's complaint on simulated 'drive to work' (east bound);

• Verified body work on vehicle ... STOP!

What's that? A crack or deep scratch in the lens of the front camera?

We verified the defect by applying talc to give the fault more definition, with imperfection noted. We noted direct sunlight into the damaged lens would create a refractive quality that the system assumed was a traffic issue — or ghost.

Here's was the course of action for repair:

• Replaced the unit and lens;

• Performed a static calibration of new unit; and

• Verified the repair.

No other issues reported after the replacement.

How did the blemish get there? Possibly from the accident. Or road debris hitting the lens weeks later. The body shop covered the costs of the mystery issue, and the customer was sent on her way.

This case study we feature is from an independent auto center, SOS Repair, located in Winchester, Va.

Chris Davey, a 30-year-plus ASE technician, had this to say about a sublet job from a body shop, recently:

"I wanted to take a minute to share a few pictures from a recent calibration from a body shop. (The photos) show how badly the bracket was bent and not noticed by the body shop," Davey said.

"A lot of shops still have no clue what ADAS even is."

Chris' shop reminds us that many calibration/recalibration issues stem from a misaligned ADAS module — an aspect that needs to be exact before dynamic or static calibration/recalibration.

"Sometimes those pictures (of vehicle issues) are fun to have and be able to show what can happen," Davey said.

The Virginia shop has produced a flier for customers introducing the ADAS concept, why an alignment is an all-important step before calibration/recalibration and how the modules govern the vehicle going forward.

Do you have an ADAS story you would like to share with Tire Business readers? Please submit your photos and storyline to: Pam Oakes, [email protected].