Put the Wipers in Service Position

To change the wiper blades on your Genesis GV70 (JK1, 2020–2024), the arms first need to be lifted into their service position. Park them normally and they sit low under the bonnet lip where you can’t reach them. Here’s how to raise them.

The service position — you may also see it called the maintenance or winter position — lifts the GV70’s wiper arms to the top of the windscreen and holds them there, standing clear of the glass and the bonnet. It’s the mode to use whenever you renew the blades, and it’s just as useful in frost: raising the arms overnight keeps the rubber from freezing flat to the screen, so you don’t tear a wiping edge or strain the motor freeing them in the morning. With the arms up you can also clear the leaves and grit that settle in the scuttle channel beneath them. This is normal behaviour, not a fault — the arms aren’t reachable from their parked spot, so the car raises them for you. On the GV70 the trigger is a short, timed action on the wiper stalk after the ignition is switched off.

Why There’s a Service Position

When the GV70’s wipers finish a sweep they drop into the parked recess at the base of the windscreen, tucked under the rear edge of the bonnet. That keeps them out of sight and out of the airflow, but it leaves very little room to get a finger under an arm. Force a parked arm straight up and it drags against its end stop, which can bend the arm, stress the linkage, or nick the bonnet lip as the blade end passes. The service position sidesteps all of that: the motor drives the arms up to a point where they lift away from the glass freely, so the parking mechanism never has to take the load.

First, a Few Checks

• Close the bonnet. The arms swing up into the space a raised bonnet would fill, and many cars won’t enter the service position with the bonnet open — keep it shut until the arms are up.
• Get the ignition state right. The steps below rely on the ignition being switched off, then the stalk action following within the time window.
• Clear any frost first. If the blades are frozen to the screen, thaw or gently free them before triggering the lift, or a stuck blade can stall the motor.
• Have the new blades ready and check they’re the correct length for the GV70, so the arms aren’t left standing longer than needed.
• Work one arm at a time so you always have a hand steadying an arm and it can’t drop back onto the glass.

Moving the Wipers to Service Position

1. Stop the vehicle and switch the ignition off.
2. Within 20 seconds, hold the wiper stalk in the ‘MIST’ position for about 2 seconds.
3. The wipers move up to the service position, clear of the bonnet, where you can lift the arms and swap the blades.

Returning the Wipers to Normal

Once the new blades are fitted, fold each arm gently back down onto the glass — let it settle rather than snap under its spring. Then switch the ignition on and operate the wipers once. They’ll run a sweep and drop back into their normal parked position at the base of the screen, confirming the service mode has cleared.

If It Doesn’t Work

• You were too slow. The car only accepts the stalk command for about 20 seconds after the ignition is switched off — if you miss it, switch off and start again.
• You didn’t hold long enough. The stalk needs to be held in MIST for roughly 2 seconds, not just flicked.
• The ignition was still on. The arms lift after the ignition is off, not while the car is running.
• The bonnet is open. Close it fully and try again — an open bonnet can keep the arms parked.
• The blades are iced down. Free them by hand so the motor isn’t loading against a stuck blade, then repeat.
• The wipers weren’t parked. Let them finish a normal sweep and settle before running through the steps again.

Changing the Blades

With an arm raised, support it so it can’t spring back and crack the glass. Most GV70 blades use a common clip or hook fitting: release the catch where the blade meets the arm, slide the old blade off, and click the new one on until it seats. Give it a light tug to confirm it’s locked, then lower the arm slowly back to the screen. If you’re unsure of the fitting type or the blade length, check your handbook rather than guess.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I put the GV70 wipers in service position?

Stop the car and switch the ignition off, then within 20 seconds hold the wiper stalk in the MIST position for about 2 seconds. The arms drive up to the top of the screen, clear of the bonnet, ready to lift.

Do I need any tools?

No. The whole thing is done with the wiper stalk and the ignition — nothing to press under the bonnet and nothing to unbolt. You only need a free hand to lift each arm once it’s raised.

How do I get the wipers back down?

Fold the arms gently back onto the glass, switch the ignition on and operate the wipers once. They complete a sweep and re-park at the base of the screen, cancelling the service position on their own.

Can I just lift the arms at their parked position?

Better not to. Parked arms rest against their stop under the bonnet lip, and forcing one up from there can bend the arm or strain the linkage. The service position lets the motor carry them clear first.

Why won’t the wipers enter the service position?

Usually it’s the timing: you must hold the stalk in MIST for about 2 seconds, within 20 seconds of switching the ignition off. Also check the bonnet is shut and the blades aren’t frozen to the glass.

Does this reset anything on the car?

No. The service position only repositions the wiper arms. It changes no settings, service reminders or stored data, and once you re-park the wipers the car behaves exactly as before.

If a wiper fault light appears afterwards, look up the code on autodtcs.com.