Many drivers can’t help wondering: is this a bug or a feature?
By now it’s hard to find a driver who hasn’t at least heard of the mysterious “winter mode” for windshield wipers. That makes it a good time to sort out a few things: does this feature actually exist, what purpose it serves, how to use it properly, and why the extra wiper position ended up with a winter-themed nickname.
Despite the folklore surrounding it, the so-called winter mode is real, though the more accurate name would be “service mode.” Its purpose is to lift the base of the wiper arms just enough so that, when the system is switched off, the blades rest on the part of the windshield warmed by air flowing from the cabin. The wipers’ sweep range and operating height don’t change. That’s where the debate starts: is this an intentional feature or just an odd engineering quirk that drivers discovered on their own? There’s no clear-cut answer.
Dig up an owner’s manual for a Toyota Camry from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, and you’ll find instructions on how to activate this mode. In some English-language manuals, it’s even labeled explicitly as “winter.” The guide for certain Camry and Vista models, both 2WD and 4WD, includes a description of the mode along with diagrams showing how to switch between the standard and cold-weather positions.
What is clear is that this function is built into the design, and using it won’t harm anything. The point is simple: the blades sit on warm glass rather than tucking under the edge of the hood. That helps slow down freezing and speeds up thawing when temperatures drop.
How the mode is activated varies widely from one model to another, especially given the range of both new and older cars on the road today. Describing every method would take a small encyclopedia, but in most cases the switch happens in one of two common ways: electrically or mechanically.
The electrical method involves a connector located in the engine bay. The plug is usually marked “FULL CON” on one side and “SEMI CON” on the other. Unplugging it, flipping it 180 degrees, and plugging it back in changes the wiper mode the next time the ignition is turned on.
The mechanical method is the more hands-on approach. You simply take hold of the wiper arm and gently pull it upward along the surface of the windshield. In many cars, the arms move into the winter position with little effort. To return them to the standard setting, you press the arm back down along the glass until it clicks into place.
Of course, before tugging or twisting anything on your own car, it never hurts to spend a moment with the owner’s manual.