See how working on ADAS systems is made easier with the innovative and unique combination of garage equipment and vehicle diagnostics from Snap-on.
If you’re in the vehicle repair trade then you will be familiar with features like adaptive cruise control, parking assist sensors and blind spot indicators.
These are just some of the new technologies falling under the category known as ADAS – Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.
If you haven’t yet encountered ADAS then you surely will soon as more and more new vehicles flood into the market and through your workshop’s doors.
Snap-on aims to make your transition into ADAS work a smooth one with its combination of garage equipment and vehicle diagnostic hardware and software.
Wheel alignment and ADAS
Even the tasks you see several times a week can now require additional work because of ADAS – wheel alignment for example.
Making the necessary alignment checks adjustments on many vehicles will now need ADAS re-calibrations in order to be completed rather than just the mechanical corrections.
The John Bean V3400 wheel aligner from Snap-on helps kick that process off by helping you to establish if steering components on the vehicle you are testing are damaged.
By using the steering axis inclination, included angle and camber measurements, you can quickly locate bent or damaged suspension parts to help ensure that you order and replace the correct elements.
Once that has been done, and the V3400 has been used to correct any issues with the vehicle’s wheel alignment, there are still steps to take before the car should be reunited with its owner.
Especially on more modern vehicles, one of the most common procedures to follow is resetting the steering angle sensors – which is especially important if components have been replaced.
Some models require the sensors to be re-calibrated if the vehicle’s toe-in is adjusted during alignment work, if the sensor or ESP ECU is replaced, if work is carried out on the steering column or column support, or if any other work is done on the front axle.
Resetting the steering angle sensors after alignment adjustments is important because of how they impact other systems within a vehicle, such as dynamic headlights, electronic stability control, adaptive cruise control and active stability control.
ADAS coverage in Snap-on software
The software in the Snap-on scan tools is packed with coverage for dozens of ADAS systems across hundreds of different vehicles.
Examples in the latest release include parking assistance on Vauxhall Mokka 2013-2017 models, Kia Stonic collision mitigation and adaptive cruise control on a range of Alfa Romeo and Fiat cars.
Working in conjunction with the coverage are on-board Component Test Meter training and Guided Component Tests to walk you through the processes for pinpoint diagnosis.
Re-calibrations are important because it’s possible that there will be no indication of a problem to the driver even if an ADAS system isn’t working as it should be.
But if there is an unidentified issue and the vehicle is being driven on the road then there are potentially serious consequences.
Even a two-degree alteration on a forward-facing radar module can mean that the focus at 60 feet ahead of the vehicle won’t even be in the same lane.
This can mean that the ADAS features connected to the radar don’t function correctly – putting the driver, passengers, other road users and pedestrians at potential risk.
Learn more about how the garage equipment and diagnostic software from Snap-on can help you deal with ADAS work.
Date posted: 24 June 2019