BENDIX RELEASES NEW TECHNICAL MATERIALS SUPPORTING ADVANCED DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS AND CONNECTED COMPONENTS
Insights Address Trailer Antilock Brakes, Steering, and Forward-Facing Cameras
AVON, Ohio – (Trailer Technician) – Leading-edge safety technologies require proper installation and maintenance to support safe drivers on the road. The latest technical materials from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Bendix) are designed to help technicians properly set up, inspect, and diagnose several components integrated with advanced driver assistance technologies, including trailer antilock brakes, steering systems, and forward-looking cameras.
“The safety systems on today’s commercial vehicles are more road-proven and effective in supporting safe drivers than ever,” said Nicole Oreskovic, Bendix vice president, sales and marketing. “They’re also more complex and interconnected, which means we need to thoroughly support the skilled people who keep them in top operating condition. Our technical teams at Bendix are constantly collaborating with customers and communicating with fleets to address their specific maintenance concerns and develop the materials they need.”
Bendix – the North American leader in the development and manufacture of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), air management, and braking system technologies for commercial vehicles – makes these materials and others available online in several document archives and through its free courses at brake-school.com and B2Bendix.com.
Trailer Antilock Braking Systems (ABS) – Getting Things Right
“Trailer brakes and integration with stability control systems play a key role in vehicle safety, and with the wide range of Bendix® TABS™ (Trailer Antilock Braking System) configurations available, it’s crucial to ensure the correct connection and calibration,” said Jon Intagliata, Bendix vice president, trailers NA. “You need to progress through the right steps to let the vehicle’s electronic control unit (ECU) know how the trailer brakes are configured properly. This is called an ‘end-of-line’ test, and it runs differently depending on what TABS product is equipped.”
To offer clear guidance on the process, as well as whether to hook up using the seven-way trailer connector or directly to the ECU with a CAN connection, Bendix created technician-based videos detailing how to run the end-of-line test across TABS-6™ and TABS-8™, in single- and multi-channel versions. Each video stands alone and provides the complete process for a given arrangement. The videos can be accessed by registering at brake-school.com and navigating to the Product Training/Trailer Products/End-of-Line Testing course offerings: https://www.brake-school.com/public/course/index.php?categoryid=40.
Is Your Camera Ready?
“Technologies like collision mitigation, lane keep assist, and speed sign recognition utilize a forward-looking, windshield-mounted camera, which means their performance can be impaired due to imprecise placement,” said TJ Thomas, Bendix director, marketing and customer solutions – Controls group. “Sometimes this issue can occur during replacement of the camera itself or during a windshield replacement. In any case, you’re going to need the right replacement camera and bracket, along with correct location measurements, depending on the vehicle make and model.”
Bendix recently updated its brake-school.com curriculum on installing and removing the Bendix™ AutoVue® FLC-20™ camera and brackets used with Bendix® Wingman® Fusion™ systems. New content addresses specific vehicle manufacturer variations and can be found in the Product Training/Electronic Safety Systems/Wingman Fusion course category: https://www.brake-school.com/public/course/index.php?categoryid=37. Additional technical documentation, such as the Service Data Sheets, can be found at B2Bendix.com.
Paying Proper Attention to Steering
With a growing number of ADAS technologies incorporating steering into their capabilities, there is an increased focus on proper inspection and troubleshooting of steering systems on vehicles equipped with steering assist technology. Bendix’s wholly owned subsidiary R.H. Sheppard Co., Inc. recently published a technical bulletin to guide technicians through inspecting a Sheppard™ Steering Assist System that exhibits an abnormal steering hindrance. This bulletin can be found in the Services and Support page at RHSheppard.com: https://www.rhsheppard.com/service-and-support-2/service-bulletins/.
Additionally, there is a new brake-school.com video course with instructions on using Bendix® ACom® PRO™ Diagnostics Software for steering assist system pressure trimming and coil polarity testing. The course can be found in the Product Training/Steering category of the site’s curriculum: https://www.brake-school.com/bsrepo/video/VID-2023-011/.
“We’re very proud of our field-tested sales and service professionals and all they do to develop and share our training education programs,” Oreskovic said. “They’re a huge part of our post-sales product support efforts, and they’re the reason Bendix has the reputation it does for providing insight and expertise across the industry.”
Bendix also hosts an archive of post-sales product support and insight at knowledge-dock.com, including Bendix Tech Tips, podcasts, and blogs. The company’s YouTube channel includes a library of Bendix Tech Talks and other resources, while service manuals, product training documents, installation instructions, and more can be found in the document library at B2Bendix.com. The Bendix Tech Team – an expert technical support group providing service advice, brake system troubleshooting, and product training – can be reached at 1-800-AIR-BRAKE (1-800-247-2725).
About Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, a member of Knorr-Bremse, develops and supplies leading-edge active safety technologies, energy management solutions, and air brake charging and control systems and components under the Bendix® brand name for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, and other commercial vehicles throughout North America. An industry pioneer, employing more than 4,400 people, Bendix – and its wholly owned subsidiary, R.H. Sheppard Co., Inc. – is driven to deliver the best solutions for improved vehicle safety, performance, and overall operating cost. Contact us at 1-800-AIR-BRAKE (1-800-247-2725) or visit bendix.com. Stay connected and informed through Bendix expert podcasts, blog posts, videos, and other resources at knowledge-dock.com. Follow Bendix on X, formerly known as Twitter, at twitter.com/Bendix_CVS. Log on and learn from the Bendix experts at brake-school.com. And to learn more about career opportunities at Bendix, visit bendix.com/careers.