Cameras and radar, aimed exactly right
Your BMW's driver assistance is only as good as its calibration. After a windscreen, alignment or bumper repair, we recalibrate to BMW's own procedure — geometry first, evidence after.
When calibration is needed
The camera behind your mirror and the radar in your bumper are referenced to the car's exact geometry — so anything that moves them, or moves the geometry underneath them, calls for recalibration. UK insurance industry requirements name windscreens, sensor-affecting repairs and geometry changes as exactly these scenarios.
A mis-aimed system doesn't switch off — it keeps working from a slightly wrong picture of the road. Nothing dramatic day to day, which is precisely why it goes unnoticed.
Calibrating on bad alignment teaches the car a lie
BMW's KAFAS windscreen camera powers lane departure warning, collision warning and speed limit info, and its calibration is typically completed on a structured drive run through BMW's diagnostic system. The front radar behind the bumper handles distance and closing speed for active cruise. Both are aimed relative to the car's centreline — so if the geometry is out, the sensors get calibrated to the wrong "straight ahead", and even a fraction of a degree matters at motorway distances.
That's why an alignment rig and ADAS calibration belong under one roof, and why ours sit side by side. One more thing worth knowing: ADAS calibration isn't currently checked in the MOT — the test won't catch a mis-aimed camera for you, which makes doing the job properly after repairs the only safety net there is.
Geometry first, then the calibration
BMW driver assistance varies by model, year and option package — two identical-looking cars can carry very different sensors. We check the build data by VIN, so we calibrate what's fitted, not what's assumed.
Sensors are calibrated relative to the car's thrust line — so alignment is checked (and corrected on our Hunter rig if needed), the steering angle sensor set, pressures and ride height verified first.
Via BMW diagnostics we run the factory test plan for that car — static aiming in the workshop, a structured calibration drive, or both, exactly as BMW prescribes.
No stored faults, a road test confirming the systems behave, and a calibration report for your records — the auditable evidence insurers expect after ADAS-affecting repairs.
I've had my windscreen replaced elsewhere — do I need calibration?+
If your BMW has the camera behind the mirror, yes — BMW's procedure calls for recalibration whenever the screen or camera is disturbed, and UK insurance industry requirements say the same. Some glass fitters arrange calibration as part of the job; others leave it to be done separately. If you're not sure it was done — or done to BMW's method — we can check the car, run the calibration and give you a report.
Does my BMW even have ADAS?+
Quite possibly, and it varies hugely — driver assistance came in packages and individual options across different years. A camera housing behind the rear-view mirror is the obvious clue, but the reliable answer comes from the build data: give us your registration or VIN and we'll tell you exactly which systems your car carries.
Is calibration needed after wheel alignment?+
Often, yes. Cameras and radar are referenced to the car's geometry, so when steering or suspension geometry changes, the sensors' idea of "straight ahead" changes too. Because we do alignment and calibration in-house, the geometry is set right first and the calibration done against it — one visit.
What happens if it's not calibrated?+
The systems keep running — from a slightly wrong picture of the road. That can mean lane assist tugging when it shouldn't, cruise reacting late, or warnings misjudging distance. Nothing obvious day to day, which is exactly why it goes unnoticed until the moment the systems are actually needed.
Can you calibrate after accident repair?+
Yes. Any repair involving the sensors, the panels in front of them or the car's geometry should end with calibration — that's the standard UK insurers set. We handle the full sequence — geometry, calibration to BMW's procedure, road test and documented report — whether we did the bodywork or someone else did.
Members get 30% off repair labour and 15% off OE parts.
Membership is free right now (normally £69) — join before you book.