Have you heard about ADAS or Advanced Driver Assist Systems technology? Drivers Assist technology, or ADAS, is here to stay. Pals Ocala Auto Repair in Ocala, Florida has a friendly team of auto mechanics that is ready and willing to tackle this leading-edge technology.
Some would assume that Drivers Assist technology is new, but that isn’t entirely correct. Yes, ADAS is making headlines, but here’s an interesting factoid. Drivers Assist technology has been installed in many makes and models since 2017. For example, here’s a quick breakdown of the various car manufacturers that are using ADAS technology:
- Ford has 55 models with Driver Assist.
- Cadillac has 21 models with ADAS.
- Chevy has 48 models.
- Toyota has 37.
- Nissan has 22.
- Audi has 31.
And then, there’s Hyundai. Our auto mechanics attended a recent training on Drivers Assist technology, and what we saw was mind-blowing. We went to the class to understand the functionality. In the course, the first 10 minutes was a video about the Hyundai Genesis. There were 6 ADAS vehicles, with six drivers. In this video, we saw these six vehicles drive off together; accompanied by a flatbed truck. As the cars slowly progressed, the flatbed truck rode alongside each vehicle, and 5 of the drivers climbed out of their vehicles, leaving the cars to drive by themselves. The exception was this one guy, who then let go of the steering wheel and placed a blindfold over his eyes. All six cars are going down the road by themselves. The video demonstrated how the targeted technology, the brake light switch, and cruise control are what sets everything. Then, you can take your foot off the pedal, and the car is relying on cameras and radar. The car adjusts speed due to the cameras and radar. After some time, the first car (with the lone, blindfolded driver inside) made an emergency stop. All of the other cars behind him stopped, too. Isn’t that cool? That’s what ADAS or Drivers Assist technology does.
Now, the government doesn’t want people to try this on public streets because of liability. But the technology is here. So, how is it that Pals Ocala Auto Repair can service and repair vehicles with Drivers Assist technology? First off, we are training our team of auto mechanics to handle this technology as we speak. We are not your average repair shop, and we embrace up and coming technology. We frequently think outside of the box, and there is rarely an auto repair issue we cannot solve. Secondly, we understand that vehicles with ADAS have a high demand for power, so we are aware that your car may require a higher voltage battery as a result. Thirdly, and most importantly, we have learned that the most critical part of repairing one of these vehicles is the targeting. The sensors and cameras are targeted, and if the targeting is off just a small percentage, you could have a forward collision.
Our concern is to make sure your ADAS cameras and sensors are operating correctly. To do a thorough inspection, Drivers Assist technology requires specialized diagnostic equipment. For example, the cameras and sensors are reading the environment via ultrasonic sensing. Pre-collision sensors are responsible for reading speed and environment, and adaptive cruise control is the key to it all.
Not many auto repair shops in the Ocala region are willing and able to work on these vehicles because they are a little afraid of it, to be quite honest. But that’s not the case with Pals Ocala Auto Repair. Our auto technicians are excited by the new challenges this technology presents. Why? Because we are happiest when we can problem-solve engineering and technology issues. We love fixing things!
If you drive a vehicle with ADAS technology, we invite you to Pals Ocala Auto Repair for regular service and preventive maintenance. If you are thinking about purchasing a used car with Drivers Assist technology, we invite you to have us perform a pre-purchase inspection. If a car with ADAS is for sale and the previous owner drove it for a long time, the ADAS cameras may not work as well. The new owner of the car may not know this when purchasing the used car. The good news is that if the owner of the vehicle chooses not to fix those cameras, you can still operate the vehicle without those cameras. But you should not expect to use the Drivers Assist feature like when the car was new. However, repairing ADAS technology is costly, and all owners of vehicles with Drivers Assist technology should know this in advance.
Our auto mechanics work with integrity and honesty to repair vehicles, which is why we are the preferred auto repair shop for drivers throughout the Ocala region, including The Villages, Dunnellon, Belleview, Citra, Summerfield, Anthony, Reddick, Silver Springs, and Silver Springs Shores. You can find us at 2821 SW College Road in Ocala, Florida. Give us a call to schedule your appointment. You’ll be glad you chose Pals Ocala Auto Repair to service your vehicle!