A method for calibrating a vehicle system having multiple interconnected components including an electronic control unit, the method including the attachment of an unpowered, semiconductor-based transponder unit that responds to a radio signal to each component of the system, the encoding of the transponder unit with data pertaining to the component, the excitation of the transponder unit using a radio scanner in order to read the data of the transponder unit and the writing of data into the electronic control unit after the component has been installed in the vehicle system.