Put the Wipers in Service Position

To change the wiper blades on your Maserati Levante (2016–2024), 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 — some owners call it the maintenance or winter position — is a mode that walks the wiper arms up to the top of their sweep and holds them there so they stand well clear of the glass and the bonnet. You reach for it whenever you need to renew the blades, and it’s just as handy in cold weather: standing the arms up overnight stops the rubber freezing flat to the screen, so you don’t tear an edge or burn out the motor trying to break them free the next morning. It also gives you room to clear the leaves and grit that collect in the scuttle channel under the arms. None of this is a fault — the Levante simply won’t let you reach the arms from their normal parked spot, so it offers a way to bring them to you. On this car the trigger is a specific sequence with the wiper stalk and the ignition, and the timing matters.

Why There’s a Service Position

When the Levante’s wipers finish a sweep they drop right down into the parked recess at the base of the windscreen, tucked under the lip of the bonnet. That’s good for aerodynamics and for keeping them out of your line of sight, but it leaves almost no gap to hook a finger under the arm. Trying to yank a parked arm straight up drags it against its end stop and can bend the arm, strain the linkage, or chip the bonnet’s trailing edge as the blade end scrapes past. The service position solves that by driving the arms up under motor power to a point where they lift away from the glass freely, so you never have to fight the park mechanism.

Getting Ready

• Close the bonnet. The arms swing up into the space the raised bonnet would occupy, and many cars block the service position while the bonnet is open — leave it shut until the arms are up.
• Get the ignition state right. The sequence below depends on the stalk being set correctly and the ignition being switched off, in that order.
• Free any frost first. If the blades are frozen to the screen, thaw them or ease them loose by hand before you trigger the lift — a blade stuck fast can stall the motor.
• Have the new blades to hand and check they’re the correct length for the Levante before you start, so the arms aren’t left standing any longer than needed.
• Work one arm at a time so you always have a hand controlling an arm and it can’t spring back onto the glass.

Moving the Wipers to Service Position

1. Turn the wiper stalk switch to ‘OFF’.
2. Turn the ignition off.
3. Within 15 seconds, hold the wiper stalk in the ‘MIST’ position.
4. 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 clipped on, fold each arm gently back down onto the glass — don’t let it snap down under spring tension. Then switch the ignition on and operate the wipers once. They’ll complete a sweep and settle back into their normal parked position at the base of the screen, which confirms the service mode has cleared.

If It Doesn’t Work

• You were too slow. The car only accepts the MIST command for about 15 seconds after the ignition goes off — if you miss the window, start again from the stalk.
• The stalk wasn’t set to OFF first. The sequence relies on the stalk being in OFF before you switch the ignition off; reset it and repeat.
• The ignition was left on. The arms lift after the ignition is switched off, not while the car is running.
• The bonnet is open. Shut it fully and try again — an open bonnet can hold the arms in park.
• The blades are iced to the glass. Free them by hand so the motor isn’t loading against a stuck blade, then repeat the sequence.
• The wipers weren’t parked. Let them finish a normal sweep and settle first, then run through the steps again.

Changing the Blades

With the arm standing up, support it with one hand so it can’t drop back and crack the screen. Most Levante 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 glass. If you’re unsure of the exact fitting or blade length, check your handbook rather than guess.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I put the Levante wipers in service position?

Set the wiper stalk to OFF, switch the ignition off, then within 15 seconds hold the stalk in the MIST position. The arms drive up to the top of the screen, clear of the bonnet, ready for you to lift them.

Do I need any tools?

No. The whole sequence is done with the wiper stalk and the ignition — there are no buttons to press under the bonnet and nothing to unbolt. You only need a hand free 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 themselves at the base of the screen, cancelling the service position.

Can I just lift the arms at their parked position?

It’s best not to. Parked arms sit against their stop under the bonnet lip, and forcing one up from there can bend the arm or strain the linkage. Using the service position lets the motor carry them clear first.

Why won’t the wipers enter the service position?

Almost always it’s the timing or the order: you must set the stalk to OFF, then switch the ignition off, then flick to MIST within 15 seconds. Also check the bonnet is closed and the blades aren’t frozen down.

Does this reset anything on the car?

No. The service position only moves the wiper arms — it doesn’t change any settings, service counters or stored data. 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.