Diagnostic scanning and ADAS calibration: what's the difference?

A diagnostic scan allows suitable equipment to communicate with electronic systems on the vehicle and retrieve information those systems make available.

Depending on the vehicle and system, that may include fault information, system status or data, equipment identification, and information relevant to repair or calibration. The diagnostic tool provides evidence; it does not independently determine the correct repair.

ADAS calibration is a separate operation. It establishes or confirms the relevant sensor or system against the references and specification required by the applicable vehicle procedure.

Calibration is not another name for scanning, fault-code clearing, resetting, coding or programming. The related guide below explains what camera calibration establishes in more detail.

Broadly, scanning asks the vehicle what its electronic systems are reporting. Calibration is different: where required, it performs the defined process used to establish or confirm the relevant ADAS sensor or system according to the applicable vehicle procedure.

The information from a scan may help identify systems, faults or prerequisites, but supporting calibration is not the same as performing calibration.

No—not by itself. The absence of a relevant fault code is useful information, but it does not confirm that calibration has been completed, that calibration is correct or that calibration is unnecessary.

Whether calibration is required depends on the vehicle, relevant system, work carried out and applicable procedure. A clean scan does not replace that decision or the specified calibration process.

Not necessarily. A fault code is information that must be interpreted in the context of the vehicle, system, repair history and applicable diagnostic or repair procedure.

Calibration may be relevant in some circumstances, but the code alone does not prove that calibration is required, that calibration will rectify the fault, or that a sensor needs replacing.

Depending on the vehicle, system and procedure, diagnostics may support system identification, fault checking, prerequisite checks, access to relevant functions and post-work verification.

Those steps can contribute evidence to the wider process. They do not turn diagnostic scanning itself into calibration.

A pre-work scan may help identify existing system information, faults or relevant vehicle condition before work begins.

A post-work scan may help identify relevant system information or faults after work and support verification of the completed repair process. A dedicated Knowledge Centre guide will explain this subject separately once published.

No. Clearing stored fault information does not itself establish why the fault occurred or demonstrate that the underlying issue has been rectified.

A code remaining cleared is also not, by itself, proof that a repair or calibration is correct. The appropriate diagnostic and repair process still needs to be followed.

Resetting, initialisation, coding or programming may be separate operations depending on the vehicle, system and work carried out.

They are not interchangeable with diagnostics or calibration. The applicable procedure determines which operations are required.

Horizon identifies the vehicle and relevant systems, establishes the repair or work context, checks the applicable procedure and carries out relevant diagnostic scanning where appropriate.

The calibration requirement is then determined and, where required and within Horizon's capability, the specified calibration is carried out. Completed work is verified and documented as applicable.

Static calibration is carried out at Horizon's Cardiff calibration facility. Dynamic calibration may be carried out mobile where the procedure and conditions allow.