Windshield Repair & Replacement for Toyota & Lexus Vehicles
The windshield plays an important role in any car. For decades, it fulfilled two main purposes - safety and comfort. While multilayer structure took care of safety aspect, UV protection layers and tints increased in-cabin comfort. However, innovative safety and driver assistance technologies made windshield more than just a piece of glass. Toyota and Lexus cars come with a range of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, or ADAS. These systems monitor conditions on the road ahead, offering forward safety features such as collision warning, pedestrian detection, and automatic emergency braking. Essential parts that make all this work are lasers and cameras, mounted on the top of the windshield. The fact that the windshield is now an integral part of an advanced safety system affects the way they are built and replaced.
ADAS systems used by Toyota & Lexus
Toyota Safety Sense uses multiple sensors, cameras and synchronized safety technologies to give vehicles the ability to sense, predict and avoid accidents.
Pre-Collision System, or PCS, uses radar and forward facing cameras to detect vehicles in front of your vehicle. In some models, this system detects pedestrian movement as well. If there is a possibility of a frontal collision, it prompts the driver using an audio-visual alert. It may also provide additional brake force using brake assist. If the driver does not break, the system may apply the brakes to reduce vehicle speed and avoid a collision.
Lane Departure Alert, or LDA, uses a windshield mounted camera to monitor vehicle position inside its lane. If it determines that the vehicle deviates outside of its lane, the system alerts the driver with an audio and visual alert. Besides the alert functions, vehicles equipped with electronic power steering will also feature a steering assist function. This steering assist function may send small steering prompts to help keep the vehicle in its lane.
In addition, Automatic High Beams, or AHB, uses an in vehicle camera to help detect the headlights of vehicles ahead and the taillights of preceding vehicles. This system switches between high and low beams depending on the lighting conditions.
What to look for when replacing a windshield
Windshields can suffer various damages caused by road debris or a collision. While specialists can repair small chips and cracks, larger ones will call for windshield replacement. Still, on cars with driver assistance systems, there are few things to pay attention to.
The first thing to consider is the windshield itself. To achieve some savings, many car owners choose an affordable aftermarket windshield alternative. Still, despite appearing the same as the genuine windshield, the differences can hide within the glass structure. With the sub-standard windshield, various electrical and optical systems might not function properly. Therefore, it is important to use high-quality windscreens that meets manufacturer specifications.
In addition, after windshield replacement on cars with driver assistance systems, cameras and sensors must be recalibrated. This ensures that all safety features function properly. Camera calibration is a complex process and differs depending on the vehicle. To do the recalibration, glass installers must have specialized equipment and certified technicians that can perform both static and dynamic calibrations.
Contact General Auto Glass to schedule your autoglass repair or full windshield replacement. Can't make it to us? Learn how we bring windshield repair to you with our mobile repair services.
