01
Pre-scan
Where appropriate, scanning before relevant work can help establish available system or fault information and provide context before the next technical step.
ADAS / Diagnostics — Doc. HZ-ADAS-DIAG-01
ADAS diagnostics start with the evidence.
Warnings, stored faults and repair information can provide useful evidence.
That evidence needs to be interpreted in the context of the vehicle, fitted system and relevant procedure. Horizon provides specialist ADAS diagnostic, scanning and related support.
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Sec. 01 — Diagnostic Scan
What does an ADAS diagnostic scan actually tell us?
Depending on the vehicle, a diagnostic scan communicates with relevant vehicle control systems to retrieve available information such as stored or current fault information and system status.
That information can help establish what the vehicle is reporting, which systems may require further attention, whether additional assessment is appropriate and whether a relevant procedure needs to be followed.
A scan provides evidence from available systems. It does not see everything or expose the same data on every vehicle.
Sec. 02 — Evidence Register
A fault code is evidence. It is not the complete diagnosis.
The reported information becomes useful when it is interpreted alongside the vehicle, concern, repair history and applicable procedure.
Data does not become a decision without context.
01
Vehicle
What vehicle and system are we dealing with?
What vehicle and system are we dealing with?
The make, model, specification and fitted system provide the starting context for interpretation.
02
Repair history
What work has recently been carried out?
What work has recently been carried out?
Windscreen, accident, body or component work may explain why the system needs further assessment.
03
Symptom
What warning, behaviour or concern was reported?
What warning, behaviour or concern was reported?
A message, changed behaviour or customer concern adds context beyond the stored code itself.
04
Fault information
What has the vehicle stored or reported?
What has the vehicle stored or reported?
Available current or stored information can indicate which systems may require further attention.
05
Procedure
What does the relevant process require next?
What does the relevant process require next?
The vehicle and system procedure governs whether further diagnosis, calibration, repair or verification is appropriate.
06
Outcome
What is the appropriate next action?
What is the appropriate next action?
The evidence may point to calibration, further diagnostics, another repair action, verification or no relevant Horizon ADAS action.
Sec. 03 — System Messages
A warning is information, not an instruction.
A warning light or system message can be useful evidence, but it does not automatically determine the cause or required action. The next step may involve diagnostic scanning, system assessment, checking repair context, calibration, another repair action or verification.
The absence of a warning light does not itself determine whether a vehicle-specific procedure requires calibration or another ADAS step.
The message starts the assessment. It does not finish it.
Sec. 04 — Scan Context
Before and after the technical step.
Pre-scan and post-scan are useful concepts, but their relevance depends on the vehicle, repair, system and applicable procedure.
02
Post-scan
Where appropriate, scanning after relevant work can help review system status and identify information requiring further attention.
Neither scan replaces physical assessment, calibration or the applicable procedure.
Sec. 05 — Reset Context
Reset is not repair.
Some vehicle or system procedures may involve a reset, relearn, initialization or related diagnostic function depending on the vehicle and work carried out. Horizon provides ADAS resets where appropriate.
Clearing stored information or carrying out a reset does not automatically resolve an underlying physical, electrical, configuration or calibration issue.
- May involve
- A vehicle/system procedure, relearn or initialization.
- Does not mean
- That the underlying issue has been repaired.
- Still follows
- The vehicle, system and relevant procedure.
Sec. 06 — Different Jobs
Diagnostics and calibration ask different questions.
01
Diagnostics asks
“What is the vehicle or system reporting?”
It gathers available evidence and helps establish what may require further attention.
02
Calibration asks
“Does the relevant sensor or system need to establish or verify its required reference according to the procedure?”
It is a separate technical action, determined by the vehicle, system and applicable procedure.
01Diagnostics may come before calibration.
02Diagnostics may be used after calibration.
03Calibration may be required without a dashboard warning.
04A fault may need resolving before calibration can be completed.
05Some situations may require assessment without calibration.
Sec. 07 — Decision Workflow
Evidence to action.
Evidence → interpretation → decision
- 01Context
Understand the vehicle, concern and recent repair or work history.
- 02Scan / evidence
Retrieve relevant available diagnostic information where appropriate.
- 03Interpret
Consider fault information and system status in context.
- 04Procedure
Determine the relevant vehicle and system requirement.
- 05Action
Carry out the appropriate Horizon-scope action where applicable.
- 06Verify
Review the relevant outcome and system status.
- 07Record
Retain or provide relevant technical information where applicable.
Not every job follows an identical sequence. Not every diagnostic outcome leads to calibration.
Sec. 08 — Appropriate Outcome
When the evidence points somewhere else.
A good diagnostic process finds the appropriate next step. It does not manufacture a calibration job from every warning or stored code.
01
More information
Further evidence or assessment may be needed.
02
Another condition
A repair condition or relevant component may need attention first.
03
Calibration
The vehicle-specific procedure may require calibration.
04
No current calibration
Calibration may not be the appropriate next step.
05
Outside scope
The issue may fall outside Horizon’s ADAS scope.
Sec. 09 — Repair Context
Diagnostic evidence sits inside the wider journey.
After windscreen replacement
Some vehicles may require relevant ADAS assessment or calibration following windscreen replacement. If a warning or fault is present, diagnostic information may help establish the appropriate next step.
Read this journeyAfter accident repair
Following accident or body repair, diagnostic information can form part of the wider repair context. The repair, relevant components and vehicle-specific procedure still determine the overall requirement.
Read this journeySec. 10 — Technical Handoff
Diagnostic evidence for the repair journey.
Horizon can support repair professionals with ADAS-focused diagnostic and scanning work as part of the relevant repair journey. The purpose is to make the evidence and next step clearer.
01
Repair context
Understand what the repairer has done and what the vehicle is reporting.
02
Diagnostic evidence
Retrieve and interpret available information where appropriate.
03
Relevant procedure
Determine the vehicle and system requirement.
04
Appropriate action
Reset, calibration, further diagnostics or another step where applicable.
05
Bodyshop support for professional workflowsTechnical handoff
Verify the relevant outcome and provide documentation where applicable.
Sec. 11 — Technical Record
The record supports the procedure.
Where Horizon carries out relevant ADAS diagnostic or calibration work, available results and relevant documentation form part of the technical record where applicable.
- Review
- Consider the relevant system status and outcome following the applicable step.
- Record
- Retain or provide relevant technical information or documentation where applicable.
- Interpret
- Treat the record as support for the procedure, not a substitute for it.
Reports and results vary according to the vehicle, system, work carried out and relevant procedure.
Horizon Insight
Evidence-led ADAS
The useful answer is the right next step.
A diagnostic scan can tell us what relevant systems are reporting. It cannot, by itself, tell us the entire cause or guarantee that a calibration, reset or repair is the answer.
Horizon uses the available evidence in the context of the vehicle, repair history, fitted system and procedure. Sometimes the right outcome is calibration. Sometimes it is further assessment, another condition first or no relevant ADAS action within scope.
ADAS Diagnostics & Scanning — Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about evidence and next steps.
What does an ADAS diagnostic scan show?
Depending on the vehicle, a scan can retrieve available information such as stored or current fault information and system status from relevant vehicle control systems. It does not expose the same data on every vehicle or see every possible issue.
Does a fault code tell you exactly what is wrong?
No. A fault code is reported information or evidence about a system condition. It needs to be interpreted alongside the vehicle, symptoms, repair history, system and relevant procedure.
Does an ADAS warning light mean the vehicle needs calibration?
Not automatically. The next step may involve diagnostic scanning, system assessment, checking repair context, calibration, another repair action or verification depending on the vehicle and procedure.
Can a vehicle need calibration without a warning light?
Yes, it is possible for a vehicle-specific procedure to require an ADAS step without a warning light being present. The absence of a warning does not by itself determine that calibration is unnecessary.
What is a pre-scan?
Where appropriate, a scan before relevant work can help establish available system or fault information and provide context before the next technical step. Not every job requires a pre-scan.
What is a post-scan?
Where appropriate, a scan after relevant work can help review system status and identify information requiring further attention. A post-scan is not, by itself, proof of correct calibration or complete vehicle function.
What is an ADAS reset?
Some vehicle or system procedures may involve a reset, relearn, initialization or related diagnostic function. A reset does not automatically repair an underlying physical, electrical, configuration or calibration issue.
Does clearing a fault code fix the problem?
No. Clearing stored information or carrying out a reset does not automatically resolve the underlying issue. The vehicle-specific evidence and procedure determine what should happen next.
Can diagnostics be carried out after accident repair or windscreen replacement?
Yes, diagnostic information may form part of the assessment after relevant accident, body or windscreen work. The repair context, fitted system and applicable procedure determine the appropriate next step.
How long does an ADAS diagnostic assessment take?
Timing depends on the vehicle, systems, available fault information, repair context, procedure and any further work required. Horizon can advise more accurately after the relevant situation has been assessed.
Got an ADAS warning and unsure what it means?
Request an ADAS quote, or start with the evidence and relevant procedure to choose the pathway that best matches your situation.