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Wipers Won’t Park Correctly

Turn them off and the blades freeze mid-screen, sticking up like antennae. Looks dumb, blocks your view, and screams “something’s off.”

Why It Happens

Wipers should drop neatly to the bottom when switched off. If they don’t, the park circuit in the motor is usually fried, or the linkage has slipped. Sometimes it’s the switch, but nine times out of ten it’s the motor itself losing track of “home.”

Most Common Culprits

  • Wiper motor park circuit failure — classic.
  • Linkage slipped on the splines — blades stop high.
  • Faulty wiper switch — sends bad signals.
  • Blown fuse or relay — intermittent parking.
  • Poor ground — motor cuts early.

What You Can Check

  • Cycle the wipers — do they always stop in the same wrong place? That’s the motor.
  • Check blade arms on the splines — loose = they slip and stop high.
  • Listen for motor noise after switch-off — if it runs but stops wrong, park circuit’s toast.
  • Try another speed setting — if only one fails, switch/relay is guilty.

What a Mechanic Will Do

  • Test motor park circuit and power feeds.
  • Inspect linkage and arm alignment.
  • Check switch continuity and relays.
  • Replace motor if confirmed faulty.

Rough Damage to Your Wallet

  • Wiper fuse/relay: $20–$50.
  • Switch replacement: $100–$250.
  • Linkage adjustment/repair: $100–$200.
  • Wiper motor replacement: $250–$500.

When to Park It

Annoying, yes. Dangerous? Potentially — blades stuck mid-screen block vision, especially at night or in heavy rain. Don’t ignore it. A fresh motor or quick linkage reset usually cures it.

Lex-parked-on-level-ground

Visit our DIY Car Maintenance page and level up your car care skills — or keep the quick-reference version below in your glovebox.

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