THA 138: The Business Side of ADAS – Advanced Driver Assistance Systems



David Friend is the owner of Mobile Tech and Wilmington Hybrids, from Wilmington, NC  David has two locations. an ADAS Calibration shop and teaches ADAS calibration in his dedicated training center. Listen to David’s previous episodes HERE.

Mike Reynolds is the owner of Mobile Automotive Service Solutions in Charleston, SC as well as an automotive technology instructor at Trident Technical College.

As a diagnostic specialist, he holds certifications as an ASE Master Technician (A1—A9, X1), and is an Advanced Level Specialist in engine performance (L1), and Hybrid/Electric vehicles (L3).

You can find his technical articles published in MotorAge magazine as well as case studies he has written featured in many aftermarket training seminars.

Attending an average of 45 training hours per year helped him to become proficient in vehicle diagnostics on American and Asian vehicle lines. Listen to Mike’s other episodes HERE.

Scott Brown is an ASE Master Certified Automobile Technician with over three and a half decades of professional service industry experience. He and his wife own Connie & Dick’s Service Center Inc., a 57-year-old independent shop in Southern California.

With a strong focus on engine performance and electronics, Scott began collaborating with other industry professionals, online, beginning in the early 90’s. Since 1995, he has been an instrumental resource in the development of the largest online community of automotive service professionals, the International Automotive Technicians Network — iATN where he once served as company president. Additionally, he serves on the NASTF Board of Directors and is a member of the following associations: ASCCA, CAT, ETI, I-CAR, & SAE.

Scott is the founder of diag.net. Find other episodes that have featured Scott HERE.

Key Talking Points:

• Big Challenge in ADAS Calibration
  • To have the correct space to set up targets
    • Level flat space necessary
    • A workaround is to shoot out the bay door
  • To understand the systems and components and what they do
• You have to understand what repairs you may be doing that can affect ADAS calibration you may have to send it to a calibration center or call in a mobile tech
• Technicians need to understand the fundamentals of ADAS systems. How they work, behave, integrate and operate
  • Advancement of tech needs to be understood by our working technicians
• Consider renting a high-level ADAS vehicle, drive it, and learn how the ADAS systems perform
  • Scott’s rented vehicle had an incident with radar and it was not performing as intended
• Test driving the vehicle once a satisfactory calibration is done is critical
• Critical that OE specs and guidelines must be followed
• A limited business model regarding ADAS becoming more dynamic calibration in the future. Yet there may be 15 years of ADAS equipped vehicles to fuel a calibration business model.
• Depending on the marketplace if you were going to put up a brick and mortar facility or dedicate a bay, consider if collision shops and windshield repair need this service, how many mobile techs are equipped.
• Currently, the mobile techs are the front line in ADAS calibration
• 40% of front end collisions avoided because of ADAS
• If you get in early and become an expert you will become the key players in this space
• It may be impossible to have all the equipment for every ADAS equipped vehicle. You may be very successful for the top-selling vehicles. Honda and Toyota is a good place to start
  • ADAS calibration can lead to other work
  • ADAS can be a foot in the door with collision shops
• You need to be aware of the liability you have in calibration work
• Many in our industry do not know what ADAS components are. You are asked to calibrate a parking sensor that is actually a front radar sensor. Knowledge of ADAS is a big gap
• The recalibration of windshields is not getting done. Sign off on the ticket if insurance or customer will not pay for recalibration of camera
  • Insurance companies do not get sued if accident or fatality the repair shop or calibrator will be
• Insurance companies need to understand if the OE’s require calibration
• We do not have industry-wide standards/requirements for the repair of the vehicle and of the technicians. Some of the most critical
• ADAS calibrations make the case for standards and even licensing no different as in the aircraft industry
• David was saved from a serious accident because of ADAS
• Customer Education. There is an opportunity to engage and teach your customers in formal meetings at your shop to show how ADAS works. Keep your customers who have new vehicles engaged with your shop. Education is key
  • Many customers do not understand the features
• Mike’s investment including scan tools is prox $75K
• Before buying tools and eqipment you must know your market
  • For Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, GM, Chrysler w/Scan tools, J2534 box, subscriptions. Under $25K
  • Other platforms can be more expensive
• Every market has different pricing for ADAS calibration (menu pricing)
  • Prox prices discussed in the episode
  • Charge as much as you can and lock up the market

Resources:

• A special thanks to David Friend, Mike Reynolds, and Scott Brown for their contribution to the aftermarket.
• Books Page HERE
• Diagnostic Network Website in HERE.
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.