Bumper Cover Repair With ADAS: Kia

Details Posted on 14 July 2021 | Share: | Print

A simple bumper repair on a modern vehicle may not be as simple as it seems. New technologies like blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and other advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) utilize sensors behind the bumper covers. The ability for these sensors to be able to see clearly normally requires special caution when considering a bumper repair. Many OEMs have different levels of warnings when it comes to repairing bumper covers with ADAS. So, what does Kia say on the subject?

Kia service manuals specify repair guidelines for rear bumper covers with ADAS. The following guidelines are typically found in the Rear Bumper Cover Repair Procedures area of vehicle-specific shop manuals and state:

• "Use only genuine parts to repair the rear bumper where the rear corner radar is located.
• Do not apply license plate molding or foreign objects such as a bumper sticker or a bumper guard near the radar sensor. Doing so may adversely affect the sensing performance of the radar.
• The system may not work properly if paint repair is performed near the rear corner radar. Be careful not to use a Polyester putty which has iron content.
• The system may not work properly if the rear corner radar is covered with foreign matters, such as snow, rain or dirt, etc.
• The system may not work properly if the bumper around the rear corner radar is impacted, damaged or the radar is out of position.
• Check if the radar and bracket are damaged after the bumper around the rear corner radar is impacted. (There must be no mechanical damage near the rear corner radar.)"

These are just some examples of bumper repair restrictions from Kia. Always be sure to reference the vehicle-specific body repair manual and training materials prior to performing any repairs.

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