- The windscreen camera sits in a bracket bonded to the glass, so a new windscreen can change where it points.
- A camera that is out of calibration does not always show a warning light.
- We replace the windscreen and recalibrate the camera as one job.
What ADAS is
ADAS stands for advanced driver-assistance systems: the features that watch the road and either warn you or step in. Most of them rely on a forward-facing camera mounted against the inside of the windscreen, usually behind the rear-view mirror.
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Why a new windscreen affects the camera
The camera sits in a bracket bonded to the glass. When the windscreen is replaced, the camera comes off the old glass and goes onto the new one. Even with the correct glass fitted properly, the camera's aim can end up a fraction of a degree different.
The camera has no way of knowing that. It keeps measuring distances and lane positions as if nothing had changed, and a fraction of a degree at the windscreen becomes a large error a hundred metres down the road.
What can go wrong
Lane departure warnings that come late, or not at all
Automatic emergency braking that reacts late
Adaptive cruise control that holds the wrong gap
Lane keeping that steers toward the wrong point
A camera that is out of calibration does not always show a warning light, so the systems can seem fine until the moment you need them.
What recalibration does
Recalibration tells the camera exactly where it is pointing. A scan tool puts the system into calibration mode, and the camera then measures known targets, or the lane markings on a road, until its aim matches the manufacturer's specification. The two methods are explained in static vs dynamic ADAS calibration.
Is it required?
The vehicle manufacturer sets the rule, and most require recalibration whenever the windscreen is replaced or the camera is removed. We check what your vehicle needs from its rego or VIN when we quote.
How we handle it
We replace the windscreen and recalibrate the camera as one job, so you do not have to book a second company. Where the procedure allows, the calibration is done at your location. Vehicles that need a workshop procedure are booked into our Warwick Farm workshop. See ADAS windscreen recalibration.