This vehicle was hit in the rear and was repaired. During the repair, the blind spot radar units were removed and replaced. Due to their replacement, a calibration is required.
The calibration is done by making measurements from reference points on the ground that are made by suspending a plumb bob from reference points on the body.
The OEM calibration method is done by making measurements from reference points on the ground that are made by suspending a plumb bob from reference points on the body. You then measure from these points to set distances given by the OEM service information to place the proper recalibration target.
The Snap-on EZ ADAS and Tru Point use the latest technology such as lasers and/or camera positioning to accurately and quickly place the targets to OEM specifications.
By determining the intersection on the tape measures at the specified distance from the marked reference points, our calibration target placement can be established.
Once our target is in place, we can begin the calibration. To do the calibration, the scan tool is connected to the car and the proper ADAS functional test is accessed to invoke the calibration.
It immediately fails on the driver's side, leaving us to try and determine what the issue is. Our first check is to go back and verify all of the reference points and measurements. We also want to make sure there are no nearby objects causing interference.
After rechecking our setup, we decide to peel back the bumper covers and take a peek at the blind spot radar units to see if they are out of alignment. We notice that there is a sticker on the inside of the bumper cover, right in front of the radar sensor!
Knowing that the radio waves emitted from these units can read through less dense materials like bumper covers, it seemed a little odd that a sticker could cause such an immediate and consistent failure - until we reached in and attempted to peel the sticker off, only to find a metallic "VOID" tamper sticker!
We could not find any statement from Subaru stating that aftermarket bumpers must not be used. We were able to perform the calibration on the passenger side with no issues.
The shop removed the remaining sticker residue, and the calibration was completed successfully.
