What Does Installation Mean?

You may have noticed that there are many cameras/sensors, that according to the OEM Calibration Requirements Search, require a system check or a calibration if installed. This statement has brought up questions from the collision industry. What does it mean to install something? If the tailgate that houses the 360° camera is installed, even though the camera wasn’t removed from the tailgate, does that qualify as the camera being installed? Let’s take a look at how to interpret this information.

The question of whether or not a camera/sensor is installed comes down to: was the camera/sensor removed from the vehicle. Even if the camera/sensor was not removed from the part it is attached to, this does not mean that it wasn’t installed. For example, in order to remove the side mirror from a vehicle, which the camera is a part of, you have to unplug the mirror assembly. Breaking this electrical connection can cause a calibration to be required. Also, when the mirror is installed there is no guarantee that the position of the camera has not moved to a different position.

So basically, if the camera/sensor requires a system check or a calibration if installed, then you will need to calibrate any time the camera/sensor housing, mounting location, bracket, or the camera itself is replaced, repositioned, removed, or partially removed and installed on the vehicle.

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