I was wondering how long the service mode lasts in the ES once set?
I don't want the wipers to retract and damaging my windscreen or the hood.
Thanks.

 

After you turn the engine off and then put the wipers into service mode, they will stay in that position until you start the car or turn on the ignition. When you turn on the ignition they will then return to rest position.
One thing to remember is that you must replace them on the glass before restarting the car or they will hit and damage the hood (bonnet). This whole procedure - IMO - is stupid and a poor design from Lexus.
After cleaning your windscreen with the wipers up, you must replace them onto a DRY windscreen then proceed to place them in rest position by starting the car or turning on the ignition.

 

Thanks. The last thing I want is to damage the hood while in the middle of the insallation.
I don't care about the windscreen as much as the hood as the windscreen is covered under insurance and costs very little to get it replaced.
Not sure what you mean by replacing them on the glass?

 

Also why does Lexus still use metal type wipers? They were ok in 1980s...

 

I just meant when you replace them onto the windscreen back where they belong... BTW, just got back from a trip to Adelaide and Albury...

 

"Not sure what you mean by replacing them on the glass?"
Surely he means "reposition."

 

One variation on my 2023 is that, after turning on the ignition, you have to move the wiper lever/switch to some position other than off and the wipers return to the rest position. They don't automatically return by turning on the ignition.

 

I have not yet changed the wipers on my '24, but my 2024 manual is very clear (p. 165) that the wipers do not return to the resting position when the car is restarted. They do that when the car is restarted and then the wiper stalk is moved "to an operating position."
This will prevent an incident where their movement is a surprise.
I like that they park themselves out of sight at the bottom of the windshield. That probably helps keep them clean.

 

Lexus initially had the wipers being able to be set for summer and winter. You could move them into the "up" position above the hood line and then simply pull them out to change or clean the windscreen, or if you wanted them down below the hood line you could set them there. That changed in 2019... And not for the better IMO...

 

[QUOTE=tfischer;11713464] my 2024 manual is very clear (p. 165) that the wipers do not return to the resting position when the car is restarted. They do that when the car is restarted and then the wiper stalk is moved "to an operating position."

Correct, my mistake amigo...

 

I think you should think for a few seconds about the cost/benefit nature of your opinion. Lexus would have to design a sensor that detect when the wipers are bent outwards after being placed in service mode. It's not just being in service mode, it's the status of the wipers being bent out while also in service mode - there is no existing sensor for that. Implementing this sensor would require an electronic sensor to exist at the joint of the wiper arm, a place that gets exposed to lots of rain and weather. It would also mean that cabling for that sensor would need to tolerate millions of cycles of bending, as it will have to bend each time the wiper arm moves, or you'll need an expensive conductive joint for the wiper arm, which would have to be sealed against the elements at even greater cost. All these things would need to be tested for many virtual years to ensure reliability to Lexus standards, and it would still be less reliable than simple wipers. This is what BMW does. Random motors for random convenience. They break down in 3-5 years, and you get your next lease car.

Or, you know, you could just put your wipers back. And drive your car error free for 10 years, and pay less while you're at it.

 

On my car i discovered yesterday while applying Rain-X, the wiper arms don't lift into a raised fixed vertical position--so no possibility to damage the hood. You have to lift the wiper arm max 2" (while in service mode) up as you change the blade. the lift is just enough to change the wiper blade and set it back down. no more.

this is a good idea for other manufacturers to use as it also eliminates the extra hardware/engineering to have the arm raise in a fixed position extra pivot point etc.

 

On the gen 6 Lexus ES 350 the wipers were designed so that you could leave them below the hood line or move them (both) with a push above the hood line. If you moved them above the hood line they could be pulled out from the wind screen for changing or cleaning. I mean all the way out from the wind screen, not 2"... In 2019 they changed this and now you have to do the procedure with the "service mode". No sensors or additional motors needed, just your strength to pull the wipers up above the hood or push them down below the hood. Your choice... Great minds changed this in 2019...

 

Mine is 2022 and they are still "OK" but they can be better which is why I am upgrading them.
They are a bit noisy and still leaves streaks on the glass.
After having Bosh Aerotwin long life ones in my old car for 5 years, I decided to opt for these:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Bosch-Auto...07VFY45GL?th=1
I think they will last 10 years as they are under the hood a bit more protected from UV rays compared to my old car where they were exposed.

 

They stay in that position until you turn on ignition and press the stalk down.