How to Fix Windshield Wipers Stuck in Upright Position

Windshield wipers are a necessity for driving, but can often cause pesky issues. They commonly get stuck in the upright position when not in use because a small metal tab that the wiper transmission is supposed to catch on gets bent out of place. The wiper transmission is the mechanism that moves the wipers, so when it doesn’t catch correctly they get stuck in a different position. To fix this, open up the hood of the vehicle and remove everything covering the windshield wiper transmission. Then, use a flathead screwdriver and hammer to knock the small tab back into place so the transmission catches on it again. Keep in mind that the exact procedure won’t be the same on all vehicles.

Accessing the Wiper Transmission

Clear any ice or debris from the windshield. Scrape off any ice and snow with an ice scraper. Pull out any sticks, leaves, or other debris stuck between the top of the hood and the bottom of the windshield.

Open the hood of the vehicle. Open your driver’s side door and look beneath the steering wheel for a latch that has an image of the hood on it. Pull the latch to release the hood, then walk around to the front of the hood and feel underneath the crack for another latch. Squeeze the latch, lift up the hood as far as it will go, and put the rod that holds it up in place.

Pull off the foam strip from the plastic cover that sits below the windshield. Grab the driver’s-side-end of the foam strip that rests at the bottom edge of the plastic cover underneath the windshield. Peel it carefully back along the entire length of the plastic cover.

Pull the windshield washing fluid’s line out of the clips that hold it in place. The fluid line is a thin black tube located right under where you just removed the foam strip from. Leave the line sitting loosely on top of the plastic cover.

Remove the windshield wiper arms. Pry up the caps that cover the bolts which hold the wipers in place using a flathead screwdriver. Use a wrench to loosen the bolts, remove them and set them aside somewhere safe, then slide the wiper arms off the bolts that they sit on below the windshield.

Pry off the caps protruding along the length of the plastic cover. Use a flathead screwdriver to pry the rubber or plastic caps up anywhere that you see them to expose the bolts that hold the plastic cover in place. Put these in a safe place so you can put them back on later.

Take off the plastic cover. Lift off the plastic cover after you have removed all the bolts that hold it in place. Set it aside so you can access the windshield wiper’s motor assembly.

Locate the windshield wiper transmission on the driver’s side. Look on the driver’s side and identify the mechanical parts that the driver’s side windshield wiper was attached to. It usually looks like an oval-shaped plate attached underneath the arm that moves the windshield wiper.

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Adjusting the Wiper Transmission

Look for a metal tab that is bent away or down from the transmission. There is a little metal tab on the right-hand side below the moving parts of the transmission. It is supposed to touch the transmission so that the transmission locks on it when you turn off the wipers to keep the wipers in the down position.

Use a flathead screwdriver and hammer to hit the tab back into place. Hold a flathead screwdriver in your non-dominant hand and place the tip against the tab. Wield a hammer with your dominant hand and hit the top of the handle of the screwdriver to knock the tab back until it is almost touching the transmission.

Turn the wipers on and off to check if the transmission catches on the tab. Turn the key in the vehicle’s ignition to the accessories setting and turn the windshield wipers on to make the transmission move. Let the transmission run through a cycle, then turn off the wipers and look at the transmission to verify that it is now caught on the metal tab.

Replace the plastic cover over the wiper transmission. Slide the plastic cover back into position and bolt it back into place. Put the caps that cover the bolts back on.

Reattach the wiper arms. Place the wipers back onto the bolts that attach them to the transmission so that the wiper blades are horizontal on the windshield. Screw the nuts back onto the bolts to secure the wipers back into place, then push the bolt covers back on top of the nut and bolt.

Clip the washer fluid line back into place and replace the foam covering strip. Snap the window washer fluid’s tube back into the clips on the plastic cover that hold it in place. Press the foam strip back into place at the bottom edge of the plastic cover to cover the fluid line. Run the wipers to test them. Turn the windshield wipers on and run them through a cycle. Turn them off to confirm that they rest in the down position when off.

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