ADAS (Advanced Driver Safety Systems) is the catch-all term for the systems that help keep everyone safe on the road, and they're becoming very common in newer cars. It includes car features such as lane assist, collision avoidance, and adaptive cruise control. They help you drive more safely by reacting to immediately reacting to any potentially dangerous events that occur—for example, your collision avoidance system will automatically apply the brakes when the system detects you're about to rear-end the car ahead of you.
These systems rely on numerous electronic components in order to function, including cameras and radar sensors. They're constantly monitoring road conditions in order to react to dangerous events. In order for them to work effectively, all of their sensors need to be correctly calibrated.
While ADAS helps improve road safety, one downside of owning a vehicle that has these features is that you'll sometimes need to recalibrate the sensors after making repairs. One such time you'll need to do this is after having your car's windshield replaced. To learn more about why a car with ADAS features needs recalibration after windshield replacement, read on for more information.
Why Do You Need to Recalibrate Your ADAS After Having Your Windshield Replaced?
In order for a windshield replacement service to remove your windshield, they'll need to disconnect the front camera and move it off to the side. After replacing your windshield, the front camera is placed back into its mount.
However, these cameras are very sensitive, and they need to be precisely aimed in order for your ADAS to work. If the camera is tilted too far downwards, then your collision avoidance system may fail to recognize a car that's in front of you. It works the opposite way as well—if the camera is tilted too far upwards, it may think that you're about to collide with cars that are a good distance away. Recalibrating your camera will adjust it to the manufacturer's intended position, allowing your ADAS to function properly again.
Do You Always Need to Recalibrate Your ADAS?
There's no way to replace a windshield without affecting the camera, and it won't be safe to drive without recalibrating your ADAS. Without recalibration, your ADAS are being fed incorrect data, which will make them behave in ways that you don't expect. If you choose not to have your ADAS recalibrated, most windshield replacement services will require you to sign a waiver in order to release them of any responsibility if you're in an accident.
Where Can You Have Your ADAS Recalibrated?
In the past, you'd need to visit your dealership in order to have your ADAS recalibrated. Only the technicians at the dealership had the equipment necessary to recalibrate the front camera. However, most windshield replacement services now offer ADAS recalibration as well, which makes it much more convenient to have your windshield replaced.
If you have a newer vehicle and you need to replace a broken windshield, make sure you ask the windshield replacement service if you'll need ADAS recalibration after the windshield is replaced. Windshield replacement services have a list of which makes and models require recalibration after replacing the windshield, so they'll be able to tell you if your car requires it and whether they'll be able to perform the ADAS recalibration themselves.
For more information about windshield replacement for cars with ADAS, contact a local auto repair shop.
