Shops Still Make?

This month, we “ASK MIKE” for his thoughts on the most common ADAS mistakes still made by shops. We at Hammer & Dolly hope you find the following exchange useful, and we encourage you to reach out to us if you have a question for Mike on this or any industry-related matter that he can answer in a future issue.

Hammer & Dolly: ADAS procedures didn’t just appear yesterday, and we’ve been talking about them for years now. What are some of the biggest ADAS mistakes you’re still seeing shops make in 2023?

Mike Anderson: The first thing I still see is that people continue to believe that calibrations don’t need to be done if there are no DTCs [diagnostic trouble codes]. That’s inaccurate. The second thing would be that a lot of people don’t understand the importance of vehicle prep, which is making sure that the gas tank is full, the tire pressure is correct or the trunk is empty except for any of the standard equipment like the jack or the spare tire. Vehicle prep is important whether the calibration is sublet or done in-house. The third thing is that a lot of people don’t understand the importance of achieving the set conditions on the test drive. For example, if you read in the OEM repair procedures that the blind spot monitor activates at 31 miles per hour or higher, then you must test drive the vehicle at 31 miles per hour or higher. If there are other features that come on at 20 miles per hour or less – like if you’re backing up in reverse – then the set condition is driving the vehicle at 20 miles per hour or less. A test drive may be required on a road with specific markings, such as signs or lines. It may be required that the test drive be done in a particular direction, such as in reverse. It may be required to be done in a pattern, such as in a circle or a figure eight. Maybe it’s required to be done at night to check the automatic lighting. Those are all things that should be on the list to consider.

H&D: With ADAS, there’s always the big question of whether a shop sublets that work or keeps it in-house. Are you seeing one direction getting more traction than the other?

MA: Right now, it appears to me that most people are subletting their calibrations out and not performing them in-house because they don’t have the space or the equipment. People need to understand that even if they sublet it out, they’re still liable. The contract is between you and the customer when they sign the authorization form. People also need to understand the difference between OEM scan tools and aftermarket ones. You have OEM targets, and you have aftermarket targets. An aftermarket solution may not be approved by the OEM.

H&D: For those shops that are considering doing this in-house – and considering the common errors you just told me about – let’s discuss shop culture. Do you see any specific cultural needs that a shop should address if they choose to perform ADAS procedures within their own four walls?

Correct calibrations are necessary.

MA: I encourage my clients to purchase their own scan tools and do it in-house, because the profit margin is very high. A lot of people don’t have the space right now or the right conditions in their shop regarding lighting, a level floor and things like that. I believe that people should consider adding on to their buildings or building a space for calibrations. I know one non-DRP shop that shaved two days off its cycle time by bringing these things in-house instead of having to sublet to a dealership. I probably have 100 clients who are doing their own calibrations – and doing them very successfully.

There is training out there. At one time, Collision Advice offered hands-on calibration training for Nissan/Infiniti, and a lot of people went through that. Obviously, I-CAR has a class on that. Honda and Acura also do training. If you’re a certified Toyota/Lexus shop, you

Mike Anderson is an Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) and the former owner of Wagonwork Collision Centers, two highly acclaimed shops located in Alexandria, VA. He has served as a member of many industry organizations throughout his career, including the WMABA Board of Directors, the Mitchell Advisory Board, the MOTOR Advisory Board, the ASE Test Review Committee, the National Auto Body Council, the Collision Industry Conference and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists. Additionally, he is a past Virginia SkillsUSA chairman, serves as a facilitator for Axalta Coating Systems’ highly recognized Business Council 20 Groups in both the US and Canada and facilitates numerous courses for Axalta Coating Systems’ Educational Series. He currently offers expert industry consulting via his latest venture, Collision Advice (collisionadvice.com). H&D have training offered for that. There’s a lot of training out there for technicians to learn how to do calibrations.