Most people connect ADAS calibration with a new windshield, and that is the most common reason for it. But a wheel alignment can be one too. The camera behind the mirror and the radar in the bumper judge the road relative to the direction the car is meant to travel, and an alignment changes that direction. This article explains why some makers list an alignment as a calibration event, how to tell whether it applies to your car, and what to ask before and after the job.
What an alignment changes
An alignment sets the angles of the wheels so the car tracks straight. The forward camera, meanwhile, has its own idea of straight ahead, set when it was last calibrated. If the alignment moves the line the car actually travels on, the camera’s straight ahead and the car’s straight ahead no longer match. Lane keeping may steer toward one side of the lane; collision warnings may judge a car in the next lane as being in yours.
What the makers say
I-CAR, the collision repair training body, keeps a search tool of the vehicle makers’ calibration requirements, because they vary by year, make and model. One worked example is the 2019 Subaru Forester’s EyeSight stereo camera. The calibration events listed for it include ‘If windshield is removed or replaced’ and ‘If wheel alignment is performed’. On that vehicle, then, an alignment is a reason to calibrate the camera.
That does not mean every car needs calibrating after every alignment. It means the maker’s procedure for your car decides, and you should know what it says. The VIN is the way to find out.
Ask about calibration for your vehicle
Three short steps: what was done, the vehicle and how to reach you. Mention the alignment and any warnings since.
Other work that can move a sensor
- A new windshield. I-CAR lists removing the windshield, the rearview mirror or the camera as events that may require aiming the forward camera.
- Bumper or grille work. I-CAR says radar calibration may be required after bumper or grille removal or front structural repair, and is normally required after the radar is replaced.
- Suspension changes. Anything that changes how the car sits or points, such as new suspension parts, is worth raising with whoever calibrates the car.
- A curb strike or pothole. A hard enough hit to need an alignment can be a reason to ask about calibration too.
Order matters
If your car needs an alignment and a new windshield around the same time, do the alignment first. A camera calibrated before the alignment is calibrated to the old direction of travel. Calibrated after, it is calibrated to the direction the car will actually drive. Tell whoever does the glass about any recent or planned alignment, so the calibration is done in the right order.
Why the radar is a different question
The I-CAR example above is about a camera. Radar is a separate sensor in or behind the front bumper or grille, and I-CAR ties its calibration to work on that area: a replaced radar, a bumper or grille that was removed, or front structural repair. An alignment on its own is not on that list in the facts we have, so the question to ask about radar after an alignment is the same one: what does the maker’s procedure for this vehicle say? If the alignment followed a front end collision, the bumper work may already have brought the radar into it.
Questions for the tire or alignment shop
- Does the maker’s procedure for my car list the alignment as a calibration event?
- If it does, will you calibrate the camera, or should I book it separately?
- Will you give me the alignment printout, so whoever calibrates can see what changed?
Signs a calibration is due
A warning light is the easy case. The harder one is a car that shows no message but whose lane keeping tugs when you are centered, or whose collision warning goes off for cars in the next lane. If either starts after an alignment, ask for a calibration check. Our article on warning lights after a new windshield covers the messages in more detail.
Calibration with Impex
Impex performs ADAS calibration on site and completes static and dynamic calibrations in one visit; Impex says most take between 30 minutes and 2 hours. It also performs radar calibration on site, without a separate dealership appointment. For Subaru owners, the Subaru windshield replacement page explains EyeSight in more depth, and ADAS camera calibration in Raleigh covers the procedure. Raleigh Autoglass is a website of Impex Auto Glass and is not connected with any other business that uses a similar name.
Had an alignment and a new windshield, or a warning since? Call Impex Auto Glass about calibration in North Raleigh.
Questions people ask
Do all cars need ADAS calibration after a wheel alignment?
No. It depends on the vehicle maker’s procedure. I-CAR’s EyeSight example for the 2019 Subaru Forester lists the alignment as a calibration event; check yours by VIN.
Should the alignment or the windshield come first?
The alignment. A camera calibrated after the alignment is aimed at the direction the car will actually travel.
Can the camera be calibrated without new glass?
Yes. Calibration is its own procedure; it follows a windshield most often, but it can be done after an alignment or other work too.