ADAS calibration before you drive away

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are the camera and sensor-based safety features on modern vehicles: automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert, among others. These systems depend on cameras and radar sensors mounted at specific points on the vehicle, aimed at precise angles relative to the road and the vehicle’s centerline.

When any of those cameras or sensors is moved, even slightly, the system loses its reference point. A forward camera shifted by a fraction of a degree may calculate stopping distances incorrectly, fail to detect lane markings, or trigger false alerts. In a worst case, it may not activate at all when it should. These are not minor inconveniences. They are safety failures.

Calibration restores the camera or sensor to its manufacturer-specified aim so the system works the way it was designed to. Phil Long performs ADAS calibration in-house, with equipment certified to the manufacturer’s procedures for your specific make and model.

Which calibration method your vehicle requires depends on the make, model, and which systems are affected by the repair. Some vehicles require static calibration only. Some require dynamic only. Some require both in sequence. Phil Long technicians follow the manufacturer’s documented procedure for your specific vehicle, not a generic process applied to every car.

Static calibration takes place in our facility using target boards positioned at manufacturer-specified distances. The room must be level, properly lit, and free of reflective surfaces that can interfere with the calibration targets. Phil Long’s calibration bays are set up to meet those requirements. Sending a vehicle to a general alignment shop or a parking lot calibration service does not guarantee those conditions are met.

ADAS calibration is included as part of qualifying collision repairs and windshield replacements at Phil Long. It is not a separate upsell. If your repair involves a system that requires recalibration, that work is part of the job.

If you bring your vehicle in specifically for ADAS calibration, such as after work performed elsewhere that did not include recalibration, Phil Long will provide a written estimate for the calibration service before work begins. The cost depends on the system being calibrated and whether static, dynamic, or both procedures are required.

Insurance carriers generally cover ADAS recalibration as part of a covered collision or comprehensive claim. Phil Long documents the calibration requirement and includes it in the insurance estimate when applicable.

Many repair shops and glass shops do not have ADAS calibration equipment on site. After completing the repair, they either skip calibration entirely, hand the vehicle back with a note that the customer should get it done elsewhere, or send it to a third-party calibration service. Each of those options creates a gap in accountability and adds time.

Phil Long performs calibration in-house at both Colorado Springs locations. The technicians who worked on your vehicle are the same team confirming that the ADAS systems are functioning correctly before you pick it up. There is no third-party handoff, no additional appointment, and no question about who is responsible if a system is not right.

I-CAR Gold Class certification means Phil Long technicians train to current ADAS repair and calibration standards as vehicle technology evolves. The procedure for a 2024 vehicle with multiple camera systems is different from a 2017 vehicle with a single forward camera. Phil Long follows the manufacturer’s documented procedure for each vehicle, not a single process applied generically.