The need for ADAS calibration work is significantly increasing with each vehicle model year. While there have been required calibrations on some systems for 15 years or so, those of us who frequently repair vehicles from the most recent years are seeing dramatic increases in the frequency.
Of course, I am assuming you as an MSO repairer are having staff research vehicle manufacturer repair procedures for all but the most simplistic repairs. If you are not, I highly recommend that you start immediately. The complexity of vehicles is increasing so quickly that you are at risk of improper and unsafe repairs if you’re not using manufacturer procedures — not to mention potential litigation risk in severe cases. As repairers we are the ones that would no doubt be held responsible. We must put the safety of our customers as well as the protection of our businesses first.
Thankfully some in our industry are responding to the technology changes. The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) started looking at vehicle ADAS scanning a few years ago. CIECA develops and promotes electronic communication standards that allow the Collision Industry to be more efficient. It is the vision of CIECA to have an eCommerce enabled collision Industry that allows all industry segments to communicate electronically, independent of platform or software used. At the beginning of 2019 a Calibration Committee was formed.
The committee includes over 70 people from virtually all major entities within our industry, including vehicle manufacturers, repairers, insurers, salvage parts, glass, information providers, tool and technology companies, and more. The goal was to establish a good flow chart and define the steps necessary to perform complete ADAS calibrations properly based on vehicle manufacturer repair procedures. The committee met on a weekly basis and recently completed the work.
The committee’s work was presented during the recent Collision Industry Conference (CIC). The committee’s work has also been made public in other venues and is available for all in the industry. As chairman of the committee, I can personally testify to the high caliber of the committee members as well as to their hard work and dedication. I truly believe that the result is an excellent piece of work that will serve the industry well. It was the committee’s desire that it interact with many industry entities with the goal of universal consistency of terms and procedures as much as possible. Especially with new technologies and procedures the more consistent we can be among various industry entities the easier it is to educate and implement. We can be more effective if we can "speak the same language."
The following is the flow chart and some explanation of key points. On first glance the chart looks complicated, but start by looking at the “Start here, repair facility” column at the top. Follow that column down then study the adjoining columns as you come upon the arrows going back and forth (Click here to open the flow chart PDF).
The chart is one that could be used as a generic process that provides logic and a great deal of accountability. At its basis it requires the use of vehicle manufacturer repair procedures. It also provides a path for some troubleshooting in that if during part of the procedure a step was unsuccessful it directs you back to a point to address the issue.
The documentation steps are among the strengths of the chart. By following the steps to document, or prove, each step is of great value for a repairer when dealing with an insurer or vehicle manufacturer certification program. It requires the shop to prove they really looked up manufacturer repair procedures and that they used proper calibration targets and took steps to put them in the proper position. It requires proof of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) found and that they were cleared after certain steps. It requires proof that the scan tool acknowledges a successful calibration and that specific calibration data such as blind spot angle is documented when available.
An often-overlooked step is one of the first ones where the shop has a discussion with the consumer regarding their ADAS systems and any adjustments or disconnecting they may have done. This leads to among the last steps where a similar discussion takes place. The committee felt the best practice is to activate all the ADAS systems just as the selling dealership is to do before the consumer picks up the new vehicle. A discussion can take place informing the consumer that they again can adjust or disconnect systems as they prefer, but for safety reasons the shop has activated all systems.
CIECA is not so bold or arrogant to say that their processes are the only ones or that they must be mandated. They were originally formed to be an industry-driven entity to put together very good practices in terms of accommodating our industry’s electronic commerce. Their various processes have been widely accepted and adopted by many of our industry’s entities including information providers, insurers, and repairers.
The CIECA Calibration Committee desired that there be interaction with other industry groups and that this work be assembled in a way that can be shared and adopted by others. While the committee knows it would be almost impossible to get complete standardization of terms and definitions and processes it wanted to come as close as possible. This calibration work has been shared with CIC and presented during the July 2020 meeting. It is the committee’s desire that CIC formally adopts it in the future. The CIECA committee utilized ADAS terms and definitions assembled by the CIC Emerging Technologies Committee. Both the CIECA and CIC committees also looked at and incorporated many ASE and specific vehicle manufacturer terms. They also reviewed terms and definitions from other sources. The feeling was that with this complex technology within our industry the more we can simplify and standardize the situation the better.
It should also be noted that the CIECA committee set some standards for the structure of this calibration work within computerized estimating systems. Various terms and labor categories were established. A notable part of this is that a new job category for techs who perform ADAS work was incorporated. It is safe to say that this is a rapidly growing aspect of our industry and that specialization is inevitable.
The practical application
So, what does this mean for a collision repair MSO business? No matter how the shop approaches calibration work this flow chart can be a very valuable tool. Most shops either perform the work ‘in-house’ or sublet to sources such as an independent ADAS repairer or to a dealership. If you are an MSO who sublets such work to any source, I highly recommend that you adopt the flow chart as your own standard.
You can share it with your outside vendors and essentially say that this is the process you expect them to follow, including all the documentation aspects. At the collision business I work for we have several close relationships with some dealerships. As part of that we often get collision repair business from them and often the dealer wants to perform whatever mechanical portions of the job that they can, including some ADAS work. Of course, our company understands that it is ultimately responsible for the quality of our work even if a portion is sent to a sublet source. We also understand that it is only prudent to have ample documentation to prove that manufacturer repair procedures were followed. We may have to prove this to an insurer for payment or to a manufacturer to prove compliance to a certification program requirement. In a worst-case scenario, we may have to prove it to a customer or in court if there is some significant issue or event after the repair.
In-house calibration
Some companies, such as the one I work for, have elected to develop their own ADAS business (perhaps a department) and in some cases done it in harmony with developing a mechanical business to address the needs of the mechanical aspects of collision repair including steering, suspension, dash work, etc. Some, including ours, have even elected to pursue some retail mechanical (service) work as well.
There are numerous things to consider and address when setting up a new business to work next to or within your existing business. I won’t go into all of them, but there is a key consideration that I wish to bring attention to. It is essentially the relationship between the collision and mechanical departments. It is critical for all types of mechanical work, but when one starts performing calibrations it becomes even more pronounced. Calibration work is relatively new and can add significant cost to a collision repair and it can have a very noticeable effect on cycle time. It also brings to light some quality control issues.
For example, in the past when a body tech repairs a lower rear portion of a quarter panel that is hidden by a bumper cover they can typically achieve a similar to new appearance and shape when inspected visually and checked by the fit of a bumper cover. Now, if that vehicle has a blind spot monitor mounted on it the panel must be absolutely the correct shape and the monitor mounting brackets must be shaped correctly.
Communication between the two departments is critical. Work must be carefully and accurately scheduled among the departments to minimize delays. Communication regarding when components like when bumper covers should be left on or off vehicles is critical. What happens and who is responsible when there is a body quality issue such as a wiring or connection problem or when a bumper must again be removed for access?
At our company we’ve set up a process where the mechanical people play a role in the blueprint process. In a perfect world the blueprinting estimator identifies all the necessary ADAS requirements including programming and calibration. In practicality the repair information may be in sections other than the body panel ones and a typical estimator may struggle to identify all the needed steps. The mechanical department can help by lending expertise.
And then there are variables that can’t be determined until the repairs are in process. For example, Audi requires a wheel alignment check on many models after a collision. In cases where an alignment adjustment is needed, they instruct the repairer to perform one or more ADAS calibrations, depending upon how the vehicle is equipped. A smart estimator will alert the customer and/or insurer of such a possibility early in the process then react accordingly. Of course, this presents possible issues for costs and cycle times.
Speaking from my own experience I have found that getting the process right can be as challenging as the new technology or more. As an industry this is all so new to us. Once you get good competent ADAS techs in place who are proficient with finding repair procedures and performing calibrations and documenting all the steps they can in many cases be relatively self-sufficient. And the best ones continue to learn through experience and independent research. Yet, getting multiple collision shops to follow new blueprinting procedures, sell and negotiate unfamiliar repair procedures, communicate these steps to the customer, schedule the work accurately, and to proficiently deal with the variables can feel like a large task. Again, communication and standard operating procedures and flexibility are the keys to success. Management must be persistent in striving to get it all working proficiently. I believe this will be an increasingly important and significant part of our collision repair business in the future.
