How to Operate Windshield Wipers: Turning Wipers On and Off

Co-authored by Hovig Manouchekian and Kira Jan

Last Updated: June 20, 2024 Fact Checked

You’re gearing up for a rainy day or about to take your driver's test and you realize–wait, how do I turn on my windshield wipers? No worries, windshield wipers are actually super easy to operate. While each car’s a little different, once you get the basics down, you can figure out how to safely work any windshield wiper setup. Whether you’re learning to drive or figuring out a new car, we’ll show you everything you need to know about turning front and back windshield wipers on and off.

Quick Guide for Windshield Wipers

In most cars, find the windshield wiper control lever to the right of the steering wheel, and pull it down toward you to start the wipers. Control their speed by turning the dial on the lever up or down. The rear wipers are controlled with the same lever.

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Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Front Windshield Wipers

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1
Locate the windshield wiper control stalk on the right side of the steering wheel. In most cars, the control lever on the right side will let you switch your wipers on and off. You might also spot a dial on the control stalk, which will allow you to adjust the wiper speed—we’ll cover that in just a second.^{[1]
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- In some cars, the windshield wiper controls might be on the left side. They’ll still work the same way, though!
2
Push the stalk up and back down to run your wipers once. Most cars will have a “mist” mode that lets you turn the wipers on for 1-2 wipes. You can use this mode anytime your windshield gets sprayed by a passing car on a wet day, or if it’s just lightly misting out.^{[2]
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- In some cars, if you manually hold the lever in the up position, the wipers will keep running for as long as you hold the lever up.
- In other cars, pushing the stalk up will activate an “intermittent” wiper mode where the wipers will run every few seconds.^{[3]
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3
Pull the control stalk down to turn on “intermittent” or “continuous” wipers. In many cars, pushing the control stalk down once will turn on “intermittent” wipers, which means they’ll run every few seconds. If you push the stalk down again, you’ll get a “slow continuous” mode. If you push the stalk down once more, you’ll get a “fast continuous” mode.^{[4]
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- If your car has rain-sensing windshield wipers, pushing the control stalk down might activate an “auto” mode where the car will choose the appropriate frequency for the wipers.
- Pick an “intermittent” mode for light-to-medium rain and a “continuous” mode if you’re driving in heavy rain.
4
Adjust the “intermittent” wiper speed using the dial on the control stalk. Look on your wiper control stalk for a part with numbers, symbols, or arrows that increase in size. To increase the wiper speed, rotate the dial towards you. To reduce the wiper speed, rotate the dial away from you.^{[5]
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- Cars typically have between 3-10 wiper speeds.
- In some cars, you can turn the wipers on simply by rotating the dial towards you, without pulling the control stalk down.
- The “auto” mode usually activates the rain-sensing system to calculate the ideal wiper speed for you.^{[6]
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If you have a control stalk with a dial, move the dial back to its starting position. In most cases, you’ll rotate the dial away from you. If you changed the wiper speed with the lever, move the lever back to its original position by pushing it up.^{[7]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Back Windshield Wipers

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Locate the back windshield wiper controls on the control stalk or dashboard. Look around for a symbol depicting a rectangle with a single wiper line angled through the center. If you see the symbol on the control stalk, use the rear wiper dial on the control stalk to turn the rear wipers on. If you see the symbol on the dashboard, push a button to control the back wipers.^{[8]
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- You can usually find the rear windshield wipers dial to the left of the main windshield wipers dial.
- In other cars, the back windshield wiper controls might be a push button on the end of the control stalk.
- Not all cars have back windshield wipers. Check your owner’s manual if you’re not sure whether you have them or if the controls seem different.
- You can also search online for specific wiper instructions for your car’s make and model.
Turn the back wipers dial in the direction of the “on” position indicated on the lever. Or, if you have a button setup, just press the button. In either case, the wipers should turn on a slow continuous mode.^{[9]
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Line up the white line or symbol on the movable part of the dial with the “off” label.^{[10]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Windshield Washing Feature

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Pull the lever towards you to release wiper fluid onto the front windshield. Hold the lever for a few seconds to release the fluid, then let go. Most levers will return themselves to their original position. The wipers will run for a few cycles as they clean your windshield, and then shut off on their own.^{[11]
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- If your windshield is especially dirty, you might have to clean your windshield by hand.
2
Rotate the rear wiper dial down to wash the rear windshield. Look for the rear wiper symbol that has dashed lines representing wiper fluid. Move the dial so that the white line on the movable part aligns with that “washing” symbol. Hold it for a few seconds, then release.^{[12]
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- Some cars won’t use this dial system. In that case, push the control stalk away from you to release wiper fluid for the back window.
- Not all cars have a feature that lets you wash the back window using wiper fluid. Check your owner's manual or look up your car's make and model online if you're not sure.
Replace the washer fluid when the car indicates its running low. If you see a wiper fluid indicator light on your dashboard, or if you can’t get fluid to come out, it’s time to replace your windshield washer fluid. You’ll locate the fluid reservoir, usually by your engine block, and pour more fluid in until you reach the fill line.

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Use a paperclip or a staple to clean out clogged washer jets.

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Check your car manual for instructions to replace wiper blades since each car is slightly different.

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Clean your wiper blades every 3-6 weeks to prevent them from creating streaks.

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