Understand the order of diagnostics, scanning and calibration services to ensure a smooth repair process

July 3, 2018
Let's bring attention to when diagnostic, scanning and calibration services are needed and the state of repair the vehicle needs to be in to accurately perform testing, scanning or calibrations.

Let's bring attention to when diagnostic, scanning and calibration services are needed and the state of repair the vehicle needs to be in to accurately perform testing, scanning or calibrations. To do this, I’m going to break it down into four parts: diagnostics, pre-repair scans, post-repair scans and calibrations. It is through technical knowledge and hands-on experience that I draw on to try to give some insight to help the repair process proceed more smoothly.

Figure 1

A large portion of the work done at my company, Mobile Auto Solutions (MAS) is diagnosing malfunctions. One such case was a Toyota Sienna that had a sliding door that did not work with the key fob. When I arrived at the shop, they showed me the car (Figure 1). While I understand the shop wants to ensure everything is working before assembly, I told the shop I would not even scan the vehicle. I knew that having the front door off would cause issues with the other doors and locks working correctly. This comes from experience and knowing that the vehicle will have issues caused by the disassembly. I can only imagine the pain a remote company would have had — an individual sitting in Texas not knowing the state of disassembly looking at scan data and chasing his/her tail. The point is that many systems will not work when a vehicle is in the repair process. Having a check-in process that includes a pre-repair scan is the best way to enter into the repair.

I recently read an article explaining how scans could indicate if issues were loss-related by using freeze frame data. I had mixed feeling about the information; I was worried shops and insurance companies would think that this data is available on all vehicles and for all modules. The data described was data that is helpful when diagnosing an emission- or engine-running problem. It is not very often that this data will be helpful in determining if the code is loss-related. So, for the shop considering whether or not to have pre-repair scans performed, please allow me to share some insights. MAS services more than 1,300 shops in the Chicago, Northwest Indiana, Milwaukee and Grand Rapids areas. We get to experience many different ideas of what a pre-repair scan is. Some shops just want to know about deployed items or other warning light issues. Other shops use pre-repair scans as a way of making sure the vehicle is repaired correctly while protecting the shop and the insurance company from unrelated costs. Regardless of which of these your shop is considering, the scan needs to be performed before any form of repair has begun. If the vehicle is in a disassembled state like the Honda in Figure 2, it’s nearly impossible to know if some codes are loss-related.

Figure 2

MAS also performs many post-repair scans every day. Like the pre-scans, different shops use the scans for different reasons. Some shops only perform scans if a warning light or message is displayed. Others perform them because OEM service information and position statements require that trouble codes be cleared after repairs have been completed. Having the post-scan performed also means that the repair has been completed to the best of the shop’s ability. In the case of our customers, it also means they have documentation they can go back to if the vehicle returns due to a warning light or some other complaint. What is needed for a post-scan? Well, the repair needs to be completed. This includes the vehicle being fully assembled, aligned if needed and test driven. Additionally, the vehicle should have been quality control (QC) checked. Some may question the part about the vehicle being QC inspected. Allow me to give some clarity.

Figure 3
Figure 4

Recently we had a shop call us out on a Mazda that had multiple warning lights turn on when the vehicle was driven. All the lights would turn off when the vehicle was stopped. Had the shop called and asked for a post-scan and not mentioned this, codes would have been cleared and a problem would have still existed. In this case, a test drive was needed to develop a diagnostic path. Once the path was developed, the codes had meaning, and it was easy to come to a clear solution. In this case, the problem was an excessive voltage drop on a ground connection. This is again where an online scan would not be able to bring resolution to an issue and the vehicle would have been sent to the dealer, adding to the cycle time. Another example of needing a proper QC is a Subaru for which we were called in on to perform an Eyesight calibration. The Subaru system uses two cameras for their ADAS system, which are located on either side on the inside rear-view mirror (Figure 3). As seen from the outside, the wrong windshield was installed and the cameras are blocked (Figure 4). The installer should have noticed this and halted the installation. The person in charge of QC also should have caught this prior to scheduling a calibration.

ADAS calibration challenges

Now that I’ve touched on ADAS, let’s discuss some of the challenges to ADAS calibrations that shops need to be prepared for. Having performed a few hundred ADAS calibrations, MAS has had some calibrations that took a little more work and others that were much smoother. The most challenging factor is the environment in which the calibration is done. An example of this is a Jeep that MAS was called out on for an ACC (adaptive cruise control) calibration. The first step is to level the sensor. When we went to perform the leveling, we found that the sensor was not centered in the bumper trim (Figure 5). In this case, the problem was that an aftermarket front-impact bar had been installed. The mounting area for the sensor bracket was not in the correct area of the bar. After an OEM impact bar was installed, the sensor was no longer blocked by the bumper trim (Figure 6).

Figure 5
Figure 6

Another example of environment is a Toyota Highlander that needed a BSM (blind spot monitor) calibration (Figure 7). While looking at the photos sent from the repair shop to MAS, the area appears to be free of objects that would interfere with the calibration, but this was not the case. Tires and boxes on the right side were rear of the B pillar and interfered with the completion of the calibration.

Figure 7

One more example is a 2018 Mercedes-Benz S450 that needed a forward-facing camera calibration after a windshield installation. Scanning the vehicle with the MB Xentry scan tool revealed no codes. When performing the calibration, it failed. When investigating what caused the failure, our tech found that the system has an option of mono or stereo cameras. In this case, the vehicle had a stereo camera system, but one of the cameras was being blocked by a piece of plastic. Once removed, the calibration was able to be performed.

I hope that this information gives you reason to add pre-repair scans to the start of your repair process. A quality control inspection, including a post-repair scan, completes the process. When needing to perform an ADAS calibration, understand that space, level surface and lighting play an essential role in the accuracy of the procedure. Working with your in-house technician or mobile service will aid in a smooth repair process.

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