Published on Aug 01, 2026
Welcome to another Q&A session where I answer questions from y'all on the internet.
Today's question is:
Jake outlines two recalibration methods. Static calibration, used on most foreign cars, requires laser-aligned stands and specific target boards to shoot the ADAS camera, with a tablet connected to the vehicle's ECU throughout. Dynamic calibration, common on domestic vehicles, connects the tablet to the ECU and then requires driving the car. He notes that timing varies by vehicle and that some manufacturers require paid gateway access to recalibrate at all. To confirm success, Magnatech produces a printout showing a pre-scan, post-scan, and the duration, with a time-stamped green calibration successful result. This documentation is essential for insurance jobs as proof the work was completed properly, and Jake provides a copy to every ADAS-equipped customer while the system retains records permanently.
There are two types of recalibration. Most foreign cars are static, which requires us to set up our stands, laser-align them to your car, and then use specific target boards to what we call “shoot” the ADAS camera and get it recalibrated, and of course our tablet is plugged into your ECU the whole time. Dynamic recalibrations are for most domestic vehicles: we hook the tablet directly to the ECU and then have to drive the car around for a bit. Each vehicle is different; some recalibrate faster than others, and some you need gateway access for, which you pay the manufacturer for just to be able to recalibrate it. As for how you know it's done right, when we finish we give a printout, a full pre-scan and post-scan, the time it took, and it shows up in green saying “calibration successful,” time-stamped. That's important, because on insurance jobs we have to send that proof that it was done and done properly. We do it for everybody; if your car has ADAS, I'll give you a copy, and our system stores it forever.
