ADAS, Advanced Driver Assistance Sytems Calibration

At MAC Motors we are able to offer the calibration of ADAS on your vehicle. Using correct calibration tools and dealer diagnostic equipment.

So What is ADAS?

ADAS or Advanced driver assistance sytems are fitted to modern vehicles to aid and assist the driver in collision avoidance and to implement safety procedures to protect the occupants of the vehicle or pedestrians.

Your vehicle will use a multitude of sensors and intervention devices to alert you to possible dangers, such as blind spot indicators in your mirrors so you know another vehicle is present that you may not be able to see or to apply braking and steering assist so you avoid a possible collision.

Now these sensors need to be able to talk to each other and interpret what they are “seeing” to provide the best course of action. However if these various sensors are out of calibration the information they could be providing will be inaccurate and the system will not be able to perform as it is required. You may not even be aware of a problem within the system because the sensors believe what they are seeing to be true.

According to the DVSA 8 out of 10 accidents occur due to driver error, these accidents could have been avoided or had their outcomes reduced by ADAS components.

So what type of systems are used in ADAS?

In short many different components are used to monitor your vehicles road position, upcoming potential hazards and inputs you are giving to it. So lets take a look at some of the systems that may be fitted to your vehicle and what they do.

Adaptive cruise control ACC

This system is very commonplace and likely to become featured on more and more vehicles. It typically uses LiDAR, a type of laser scanning, a little like radar but with laser light being used, it measures the reflected light to work out the distance of an object.

This system can allow your vehicle to follow a vehicle in front or apply the brakes when the vehicle in front is slowing.

Adaptive light control

This system will illuminate a kerb or the inside line of a corner in which the vehicle is turning, either by moving the headlight beam pattern or illuminating another light source, such as your fog light.

Glare-free high beam and pixel light.

This system uses a windscreen mounted camera or a light sensor to identify other vehicles, therefore it can avoid dazzling other drivers or pedestrians. It does this by turning LEDs on or off within the headlight or using a rotating light mask.

Forward collision warning and collision avoidance system and Emergency Brake assist EBA

Forward collision warning and collision avoidance system uses multiple sensors such as cameras, RADAR and LiDAR, ABS and wheel speed sensors to evaluate what the vehicle is doing and what situation it is in.

This system can use these sensors to apply brakes, adjust steering direction, pre-arm your seatbelts and airbags.

Emergency brake assist monitors your throttle to brake pedal time and brake pedal pressure. This is now becoming linked with collision warning systems. This system applies your brakes through your ABS and brings your vehicle to a stop in the shortest amount of distance possible, it may even flash your brake lights to warn other drivers behind you.

Automatic parking or Park assist.

This system as it says assists your parking or allows your vehicle to park itself. This is done with the use of components like, parking sensors, 360 degree cameras, autonomous braking, electronic power steering (EPS) and side detection sensors.

Blind Spot Monitor and Cross-traffic detection

Both these systems, although somewhat separate, use RADAR. This is used to monitor objects that may be approaching the side of the vehicle where the driver can not see, such as when reversing into a parking space or in the adjacent lane on a motorway. It can alert the driver audibly or visually and some systems may even apply the brakes or stop the vehicle to prevent a collision.

Crosswind Stabilisation

This system can apply the brakes to one side of the vehicle to counteract the drift caused by a heavy side wind, as well as adjusting the vehicles suspension settings to reduce or prevent body roll.

Lane departure warning LDW and Lane keep assist.

These systems use forward facing cameras that can monitor lane markings and roadside kerbs. Lane keep assist will actually take corrective action to ensure the vehicle stays in its lane, such as steering input.

Road sign recognition

This is also camera based and recognises roadside signage and displays the speed limit of the road in which you are driving or on advanced systems will actually limit your speed.

ABS, ESC, TCS and TPMS

Although Anti lock braking, Electronic stability control, Traction control systems and Tyre pressure monitoring have been fitted to vehicles for a considerable amount of time, the first ABS system to be fitted standard was on a Mk3 Ford Granada in 1985!

ADAS uses these systems to monitor wheel speed, vehicle yaw position and body roll and steering position.

For instance if you have automatic wipers with a rain sensor, wheel speed is used to tell the wipers at which speed they should be operating. Or if your vehicle has hill descent control, HDC, it uses individual wheel speed to keep the vehicle in direction of travel and adjust brake pressure to individual wheels.

So when does my car need ADAS calibration?

If your vehicle has had any suspension work, such as a broken spring replaced, a wishbone replaced, then the ADAS system will need calibration, this is due to parameters at which your vehicle has been calibrated to, have now been changed and moved.

If your vehicle has had a windscreen replaced or bodywork repaired or replaced then you will also need calibration, this can because the RADAR or LiDAR device may be new, which may also require programming to your vehicle, or has been moved or a detection camera may be new or has been moved.

If your vehicle requires wheel alignment then you will find the ADAS system will generally require calibration afterwards also. We use a Hunter four wheel alignment system that allows us to set your suspension geometry to exact manufacturers specifications.

Remember just because there is no warning light on your dashboard, it does not mean that something could not be quite correct within the ADAS system fitted to your vehicle. Its better for it to be right and not need it than for it to not work correctly when you need it.