We recently sat down with our client Scott Brown, owner of Cardinal Plaza Shell and Level 5 Solutions, a technology shop specializing in ADAS. What is ADAS? Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. These are the technology components that are on vehicles that help the driver. (Blind spot monitoring, back-up cameras, front radar, etc.). A lot of repair work these days will trigger the need for ADAS calibrations. For instance, putting tires on a car, or needing to remove the front bumper to put in a new radiator. A calibration tells the onboard computer in the car exactly where in the vehicle geometry that component sits.
Two years ago, many people thought ADAS would “go away,” as if it was just a popular trend or phase. They figured it cars would eventually self-calibrate and repair shops wouldn’t need to change anything they were doing. But now we know it’s not going away – ADAS is here to stay.
Repair shops need to be in this space. There are more sensors and components on every car, every single model year. Now is the time to start addressing this and devising a strategy as a shop owner to incorporate ADAS into your shop.
Things to consider:
- A lot of shop owners are concerned about what they will be held liable for. The reality is the liability is already there. Even if you simply replace a side-view mirror, you are responsible for everything associated with that. If it causes an accident, and you’ve done anything that is not according to the OE procedures and standards, you are liable. Even if your component doesn’t fail, if you didn’t follow the OE standards, you are liable.
- There are some physical space limitations that need to be put into place. Floors need to be no more than a one-degree slope. You need 30-60 feet in front of the front bumper that is completely clear of obstructions – no toolboxes or anything, just clear wall. There also needs to be a minimum of 15 feet on either side of the vehicles.
- ADAS will cost roughly $50-$100k to get started. If you choose to only work on one make and model, you can buy a package of equipment and get into ADAS much less expensively, but for the most part, expect to spend a pretty penny. Just depends on what your plan is – will you be doing it on your customers’ vehicles? Will you be doing it on non-customers? How far into it do you want to get? Calibrations only? Calibrations plus keys, programming, etc?
- What is the demand in your area? Who else is doing this? Is there a need for it? What is the price point where you are located?
ADAS is ubiquitous now. As a shop owner, you are responsible for making sure your shop is following all the OE recommendations for those cars. At this point, you can’t afford not to.
For more information, watch the entire webinar with Scott Brown here: https://paarmelis.com/adas-in-your-shop/
