Do you wipers 'Park' with the ignition off?

November 04, 2021, 02:28 PM

P250UA5

Went to get my wife's car inspected yesterday (2013 Ford Flex) Most meticulous inspector I'd ever seen, and I've been going to this place for almost 10 years & 5 or 6 cars. Right at the end, he mentioned that it should have failed, because the wipers stopped in place if the ignition was turned off, instead of finishing their sweep & the park position. I've had something like 13 cars & none of them would exhibit this behavior. I've since found the inspection requirements (from the TX DMV) for wipers & this requirement isn't listed.Do your wipers park with the ignition off?YesNoOther

November 04, 2021, 02:36 PM

ZSMICHAEL

Our state eliminated safety inspections years ago. I am suprised Texas still has those. I remember years ago having to take a vehicle to have headlights aligned as to Florida DMV standards. It seems only one recommnded garage was able to do this to their satisfaction.

November 04, 2021, 02:39 PM

flashguy

Well, I voted yes, thinking that "park" meant that they just stopped when the ignition was turned off. I realize now that "park" probably meant that they'd keep running until resting in the "off" position. Unfortunately, I can't change my vote.

flashguy

November 04, 2021, 02:40 PM

Perception

I've probably got decent seat time in 20 different vehicles between what I've owned and friends and family's vehicles I've driven enough to become familiar with. Not a single one of them had windshield wipers that returned home and parked, all of them have just stopped where they are when you turn off the ignition.

"The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."
"Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy."
"I did," said Ford, "it is."
"So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?"
"It honestly doesn't occur to them. They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates the government they want."
"You mean they actually vote for the lizards."
"Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."
"But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?"
"Because if they didn't vote for a lizard, then the wrong lizard might get in."

November 04, 2021, 02:44 PM

flashguy

I suspect that wipers run from vacuum (long, long ago) may have continued to the park position--they weren't driven by electricity and it's possible that they would still be able to park themselves. It would take some tricky wiring to allow electric wipers to do the same. (How many here remember wipers run off vacuum?)

flashguy

November 04, 2021, 03:00 PM

Muddflap

Neither one of ours do.

2008 F150, and a 2014 Explorer. I don’t believe I’ve ever owned anything that did.

November 04, 2021, 03:01 PM

MikeinNC

I’ve never seen a car that does that….
I’ve had jeeps, chevys, Chrysler, ford..trucks and cars and never seen one where the wipers continue after the ignition switch is off

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November 04, 2021, 03:01 PM

cas

None of my cars / trucks have ever done that, not even the vacuum ones.

November 04, 2021, 03:12 PM

Chris Orndorff

Only if I remove the key from the ignition as well.

November 04, 2021, 03:20 PM

stickman428

I’ve owned many vehicles over the years that would have their wipers stop where they were whenever you cut off the engine. If they were halfway across the windshield when I turned off the engine that is where they would stay.

It is totally ridiculous to claim a vehicle could fail an inspection for such a thing. When will you ever be driving in the rain and feel the need to turn your car off whilst driving? Make no damn sense to me.

November 04, 2021, 03:37 PM

P250UA5

quote:
Originally posted by stickman428:
It is totally ridiculous to claim a vehicle could fail an inspection for such a thing. When will you ever be driving in the rain and feel the need to turn your car off whilst driving? Make no damn sense to me.

I looked up the TX inspection data & under wipers there is nothing stating this requirement.
Took a screenshot of it, for when I have to take my car in for its inspection, once I put tires on it.

November 04, 2021, 03:53 PM

arfmel

I’ve lived in Texas for the past 30 years, and have never had an inspector say anything about the fact that each of our many vehicles stopped the wipers wherever they were when the key was switched off.

I think the guy who told you that was grounds for failing the inspection is full of bull.

November 04, 2021, 03:59 PM

egregore

No car I know of does this. Wiper motors do have a "park" circuit in them for when you turn the wipers off, but if the wipers are running and you shut the ignition off in the middle of a sweep, they will stop at whatever point in the sweep they were in. They have no choice, as the circuits are only powered with the ignition on. Dude's story sounds bogus.

November 04, 2021, 04:33 PM

P250UA5

quote:
Originally posted by arfmel:
I’ve lived in Texas for the past 30 years, and have never had an inspector say anything about the fact that each of our many vehicles stopped the wipers wherever they were when the key was switched off.

I think the guy who told you that was grounds for failing the inspection is full of bull.

quote:
Originally posted by egregore:
No car I know of does this. Wiper motors do have a "park" circuit in them for when you turn the wipers off, but if the wipers are running and you shut the ignition off in the middle of a sweep, they will stop at whatever point in the sweep they were in. They have no choice, as the circuits are only powered with the ignition on. Dude's story sounds bogus.

My dad (30 years in dealership svc depts) said the same.

With how meticulous he was with the inspection:
-Used a tire gauge to check tread depth, first I've ever seen that, most just pass hand over it, if they check it at all.
-Checked the front window tint opacity with a tint gauge, also a first for me, in an inspection.

I'm guessing they must have had a violation & are going extra by the book.

Still, the wiper thing is BS.

November 04, 2021, 04:33 PM

eyrich

My 2017 Outback stops dead. Just did it this week to clean one of the wipers.

I think the 2011 VW sportwagen might have continued to the bottom.

They did have a feature that right after the ignition was off you could press the wiper switch once and they would go to the top and stop. I suspect this was because the wipers were behind the hood when down, and you could not service them in down position.

November 04, 2021, 04:35 PM

P250UA5

quote:
Originally posted by eyrich:
They did have a feature that right after the ignition was off you could press the wiper switch once and they would go to the top and stop. I suspect this was because the wipers were behind the hood when down, and you could not service them in down position.

My 2nd car, a 1982 Mercedes 300SD had the wipers tucked behind the hood, so you had to run them to the top, and turn off the ignition so they would stop, to change the blades.