FULLY ADOPTING ADAS IS A WIN-WIN FOR YOUR SHOP
Auto Body shop owners recognize that as technology continues to advance at blinding speed, to remain competitive, you need to fully understand and implement the newest generation of auto collision repair tools that can increase your shop’s safety, efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
The Future is Now
There's no running away from the fact that ADAS calibrations are going to be a huge and ever-growing part of your collision-repair business. Almost all new vehicles are equipped with ADAS; think of them as "smart cars." Nowadays, even a simple bumper replacement requires recalibration of sensors on the bumper.
Why are so many collision repair shops slow to embrace ADAS technology? One of the biggest concerns that I find when we talk to body shop owners about ADAS investments, is that they haven't seen enough instances when a calibration was needed to justify such an expenditure in diagnostic equipment.
ADAS TECHNOLOGY
Advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, is the term used to describe the growing number of safety functions designed to improve driver, passenger and pedestrian safety by reducing both the severity and overall number of motor vehicle accidents. ADAS can warn drivers of potential dangers, intervene to help the driver remain in control in order to prevent an accident and, if necessary, reduce the severity of an accident if it can’t be avoided. In short, ADAS compensates for our mistakes, be they inattentiveness, erroneous control inputs or, up to a point, downright stupidity.
We often hear that there was "no light on the dash." However, this situation is simply a matter of technicians not being fully informed. The reality is that no ADAS system is going to illuminate a code on the dashboard in any vehicle as of today. No light on the dash does not mean that ADAS codes are not present. It just means that no OEM is required to present a check engine light or service engine light. The reason why ADAS does not turn on a check engine light or anything on the dashboard when producing a code on the vehicles system is because currently, ADAS systems are not considered "safety systems" by the government. Another reason you may not see a dash light is that in today's ADAS equipped vehicles, a user can turn off the ADAS functionality at any time - either willfully or perhaps inadvertently.
You can take it upon yourself to perform a scan beforehand to identify any sensors that need to be replaced or recalibrated - but I can tell you firsthand that most shops are not doing this. Shortcuts don't work in our industry. Many technicians skip over and omit recalibrating an ADAS sensor when repairing auto damage - even when protocol clearly states that these recalibration procedures are necessary and vital to the driver's safety.
ADAS Calibration Systems Are a Great Business Opportunity
If your shop were to do a pre-scan with an ADAS tablet like the Autel ADAS Calibration units that we distribute, you would easily identify all present codes within the vehicle. Not just the codes that would illuminate a check engine light. All ADAS systems would be identified separately, and in moments, a shop estimator would know if a recalibration were needed, or will be needed by replacement of body parts. Even replacing a bumper cover would result in the need for a calibration of that vehicle should that bumper contain any sensors that are ADAS related. Now, in almost 2021, it is hard to find a type of bumper, windshield or a grill assembly that does not feature some kind of a ADAS sensor.
ADAS Technology is All Over the Vehicle
ADAS systems assist with the control of the vehicle while it is being driven, either through warnings and alerts or by actively intervening in some way. In addition, ADAS also provides features that make control of the vehicle easier by reducing distractions to the driver.
This vital functionality is done with the latest sensor technology. Sensors detect not only everything the driver can see, but also that which the driver can't - or hasn't noticed.
Today's highly complex sensors help create safer drivers. Sensors can detect humans and animals, particularly in conditions of poor visibility or at night or in a busy and cluttered driving environment. Sensors can illuminate blind spots, provide cross-traffic alerts, recognize traffic signs, help keep cars in their own lane, and much more.
SENSORS SURROUND VEHICLES WITH A SAFTEY NET!
Passive ADAS systems provide:
- Lane Departure Warning
- Blind Spot Detection
- Rear Collision Warning
- Front Collision Warning
- Around View Monitoring
Passive ADAS systems provide:
- Lane Departure Warning
- Blind Spot Detection
- Rear Collision Warning
- Front Collision Warning
- Around View Monitoring
ADAS Technology is Here to Stay
Earlier I said that ADAS does not trigger a dashboard light because it is not considered a safety system by government standards. I would imagine this is because in the beginning phase of ADAS sensors it was unknown if this technology would work, or work for years in all areas of the world in different weather conditions, and for hundreds of thousands of miles put on a vehicle. But we have been proving that this technology works for years now; I simply cannot see such sensors not becoming classified as a safety system in all vehicles very soon.
authorized DISTRIBUTOR for: AUTEL Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
- ADAS Advanced - Recalibration
System - MA600 - Portable Calibration Tool
- Maxisys Tablet
ADAS Technology is Here to Stay
When it does happen, you can expect that ADAS calibrations will not be just for collision repair. I am expecting that in the near future,
OEM's will be recommending recalibration of ADAS systems by some kind of mileage recommendation, similarly to how they recommend routine oil changes. My reason for this is because I have done the research on these sensors. Many of them are looking as far as 300 yards or about 3 football fields in front of and in back of the vehicle for data that will ultimately make decisions for the driver. This is the same reason that when a simple collision repair is made to a grill or a bumper that these sensors need to be calibrated perfectly.
For example, imagine a sensor being misaligned by one millimeter on a grill of your vehicle when it projects its technology 300 yards in front of your vehicle to control lane assist. Think about how much a one-millimeter misalignment would be affected in a scenario like this. It could spell the recipe for disaster.
This is exactly why every vehicle that has been in a collision should be pre-scanned for ADAS, and ADAS systems should be calibrated and documented as part of a standard operating procedure for collision repair in your body shop. This should be done for the safety of everyone who will ultimately be driving in the repaired vehicle once it leaves your shop and is returned to the road.
The great thing about ADAS with Autel systems is that it's simple to do the pre-scan and post-scan. The hardest part of this mechanical operation is getting the target set-up perfect. The Autel system walks the end-user right through the process with very specific on-screen instructions. You combine that with the training and service available from Innovative Solutions & Technology and you have an investment for your shop that will bring great tools, with an extremely good return on your investment.
Take the Next Step, Now
I am extremely proud to offer a calibration tool that I believe is just as important to safety as good spot welds are to the structural stability of a vehicle repair. If you are interested in seeing an in-shop demonstration or to even get some more information from one of our sales representatives, please click here and just give us your basic information. Our experienced team will be in touch shortly after to help in any way possible.
Thank you for taking the time to read our first Collision Conversations bulletin; we hope it has been informative.
-Nick Mattera