The camera is mounted in the windshield by the rear-view mirror. This is the most common setup utilized by today’s manufacturers. It is a 1-2-pixel camera which only see’s Black & White.
The camera, when activated by the driver, will monitor the road in front of the vehicle. This is commonly referred to as LDW (Lane Departure Warning) or LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System). Subaru utilizes a system called EyeSight.
Being the camera only sees Black & White, it is looking for the White or Yellow lines (camera will interpret the Yellow as White) on the road way. The software built into the vehicle’s ECU’s warns or assists the driver when activated. The warnings can vary between manufacturer and each manufacturer will normally allow the driver to change the sensitivity of the warnings. These warnings can be audible, visual and vibrations. They can also incorporate all three warnings as well, depending on the settings and manufacturer.
It is important to know that there are limitations to the camera. There are factors which can affect the operation or disable the operation of the camera. Some contributors are snow covered roadways, heavy rain, faded painted lines on the roadway, dust, dirt, or an object on the windshield obscuring the view of the camera. A windshield which has been replaced with a non-OE (Original Equipment) can cause the camera to not function as designed.
In almost all cases, if the windshield or camera has been either removed or replaced, the system must be recalibrated to ensure proper operation as prescribed by the manufacturer. These calibrations are either done statically, dynamically, or a combination of both.
We offer these calibration services at our facility. There is no need to go to the dealer for calibrations. We also have the capability to diagnose these systems if you should every experience an issue.
It is important that each windshield company, collision center, or automotive repair facility read and understand the repair procedures or position statements provided by the manufacturer. If a repair is made to the vehicle which requires a calibration to be performed, it is their responsibility to ensure this is performed.