Blog Post
ADAS and the Growing Complexities of Windshield Replacement
Admin • Feb 05, 2020
Windshield repairs or replacements always required skill and expertise. However, the growing number of vehicles that contain ADAS features are making windshield service more complex. These growing complexities are also the reason you must show care when choosing a windshield service to repair or replace your auto glass. Learn more about ADAS and windshield complexities in this blog.
What Does ADAS Stand For?
ADAS stands for advanced driver-assistance systems. These are the features many modern vehicles have that take the guesswork and human error out of vehicle controls and functions. You can consider ADAS as an umbrella term for a tremendous amount of current and future technology in cars.
If your vehicle comes with monitoring systems, cameras, or sensors, these all represent some form of ADAS. Some specific ADAS applications can include:
- Collision warning
- Parking assistance
- Blind-spot monitoring
Even some features that aren't anything new fall under the ADAS category. For example, adaptive cruise control and antilock brakes are part of advanced driver-assistance systems, as the ADAS can engage these features when it detects they're necessary.
Self-driving cars consist entirely of ADAS. These features serve as important safety functions, and car manufacturers aren't holding back when it comes to adding more of them to their vehicles as time goes on.
What Does ADAS Have to Do With Car Windshields?
Modern cars with all these ADAS features also have windshields specifically calibrated to work with those systems. Many of the sensors, monitors, and assorted features can often sit right on the windshield glass or up in the tinted area.
Most commonly, a camera that works in conjunction with the other systems has a mount on the windshield itself. Some sensors or monitors use the windshield as their eyes, so to speak. These systems have precise calibrations so that everything can work in unison. The calibrations allows those automatic features of your vehicle to work without any problems.
If you have your windshield repaired, replaced, or even tampered with, the sensors will need calibration afterward. Not only will you need windshield calibration, but you will also need that calibration to strictly adhere to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications. This calibration is now a necessary step for most modern cars.
Uncalibrated systems aren't safe. Many drivers may not even know they're driving around with a potentially out-of-sync ADAS feature. The system of cameras, sensors, radar, and other technology have to give accurate readings at all times. If these things are off by even the smallest increment, the ADAS safety features may not work. Worse, those features may malfunction. A slight misalignment is all it takes.
What Does ADAS Mean for Windshield Repair or Replacement Services?
Some windshield repair services do not handle windshield calibration. Some services don't know how to calibrate the system, and some may not have the tools to do it. Even if a technician doesn't do the calibration, they should let you know you need that service.
Many automobile manufacturers have added the extra instructions to account for windshield dependent ADAS systems when replacing the auto glass. Typically, if the windshield contains a camera mount or some form of sensor, windshield calibration must occur as part of the auto glass replacement process.
Some manufacturers also point out calibration must take place after many types of windshield repairs or after any type of collision. When an auto glass service does perform a windshield calibration, they must also replace your glass with auto glass that meets OEM specifications.
At Perfection Auto Glass, we have the necessary tools to perform a windshield calibration the right way. If you need high-quality windshield replacement services or even if you only need windshield calibration, contact us right now to ensure you're safe.
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