{"id":2182,"date":"2022-05-17T10:03:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T15:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ip-10-50-124-184.ec2.internal\/blog\/?p=2182"},"modified":"2022-09-12T09:03:44","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T14:03:44","slug":"diagnostic-scans-and-calibrations-what-every-driver-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carwise.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/17\/diagnostic-scans-and-calibrations-what-every-driver-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Diagnostic Scans and Calibrations: What every driver should know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many of the features on newer cars are enabled by highly technical computer systems, which the industry refers to as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). You likely have a car with ADAS already \u2013 these include items like sensors in your bumper that alerts you when you get too close to something, a lane departure warning or a light that comes on if your passenger-side airbag is enabled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you get into an\naccident, these systems can often also be a part of the damage \u2013 even if you\ncan\u2019t see it. To understand if any of those important safety systems were\naffected, your repairer may run a \u201cdiagnostic scan\u201d and\/or \u201ccalibration.\u201d These\ntwo actions act as a system check to ensure that all your car\u2019s systems are\nworking properly and help return your vehicle to pre-accident condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are Diagnostic\nScans?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Think of a diagnostic scan,\nor just simply \u201cscans,\u201d as a health check for your car. A repair technician\nwill take a scanning device (which looks like a voltmeter, or a large remote\ncontrol) and plug it into your vehicle near the steering wheel. This diagnostic\ntool can then look at all the systems in your specific car, and let the\nrepairer know which systems have errors that need to be addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, your car will\nhave two scans completed on it: one before the repair to let the shop know\nwhich systems have issues that need to be addressed, and one after the repair\nto make sure that every problem has been fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An important note, lots of\nmanufacturers now require at least one scan on a vehicle if it\u2019s been in an\naccident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are Calibrations?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Your car may also be\n\u201ccalibrated\u201d when it\u2019s in the shop. Think of this like a chiropractor visit for\nyour car. They\u2019re checking to make sure all the systems are working properly\nand “aligned” as they should and adjusted if needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if you\u2019ve been in a\nlow-speed accident, systems like cameras can still get jostled around. For\nexample, the shop may recalibrate your backup camera, which beeps if you get\ntoo close to an object. If your backup camera isn\u2019t calibrated correctly, even\nby a millimeter, it can translate to you hitting something behind you since the\ncar didn\u2019t realize how close you were, nor was it able to correctly notify you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To see if these systems are\nset correctly, your repair shop may perform one of two types of calibrations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n