So I had to have my windshield wiper motors replaced cause they broke on me. I believe the installer set the wiper to high so it almost goes off the window in the part of the movement. How can I set the default position?

 

Return the vehicle to the Acura dealer so they can correct their error.

 

I don't know how you would do it, but the way I would do it is I'd go back to the dealer and make them get it right.

Are they parking in the correct position but still traveling off the windshield?

 

Agreed, I would take it back to the dealership or person who replaced the motor. Assuming your issue is with one of the front wipers, the only way I know of to reset their position is by pulling the arm off of the mount and re-installing it correctly.
I'm not 100% certain for the RDX, but typically there is only 1 wiper motor that turns a series of linkages and gears referred to as the Windshield Wiper transmission that ensure both arms sweep together. Otherwise it would be very difficult to keep the wipers in sync.

Without the proper tools and training, this isn't something I would try on a new vehicle.

 

Correct.

There's only one wiper motor and the two wipers are mechanically linked together, but things get different after that.

In a conventional windshield wiper transmission, the motor always turns the same direction. Gears in the transmission convert the unidirectional rotary motion into an alternating motion like the agitator in an old top-loading clothes washer.

The RDX, Accord, and Civic use an "intelligent controlled wiper system" that contains a bi-directional motor with a simple worm gear instead of a complex mechanical transmission. The wiper control unit reverses the motor rotation at each end of travel.

There are a number of advantages to this newer design:

1) Reduced mechanical cost and complexity.

2) The power to the wiper motor can be controlled so that the wipers maintain a more consistent and precise speed no matter how loaded they are (i.e., rain vs. snow/ice).

3) The wipers can be placed into a "service position" (all the way "up") electronically without having to shut the vehicle off at precisely the right moment while the wipers are on.

4) The wipers automatically park after the vehicle is turned off instead of stopping dead in their tracks if they're in the middle of a wipe cycle. (One of my many pet peeves is seeing parked cars with the wipers up.)

5) "Break-away" is implemented - if the wipers encounter a blockage along their wiping path, they can reverse without completing a full wiping cycle in an effort to clear the blockage. If this isn't successful after a five tries, the wiper control unit shuts off the motor to keep it from overheating. Conventional wipers can't reverse without completing a full cycle because the stroke is mechanical instead of electronic.

 

On mine, the service position is about 1/3 the way up, not all the way. They clear the hood just enough to swing out and stay.

 

Must have been confusing my RDX with my Accord - they go "all the way up" on the Accord.

 

Does anyone know how to put the wipers in a service position? It's not in the driver manual. I'm trying to lift the wiper blades so that I can wash the entire windshield. I've never owned an SUV, so in the past I would just lift the wipers off the windshield. But for the RDX, if you try to lift the wiper blades, the bottom part will run into the upper lip of the hood immediately.

 

^ Your answer can be found in the full Owner's Manual, not the condensed Owners Guide that comes with the vehicle.

The Owner's Manual can be downloaded from owners.acura.com.

 

Note the wiper switch "Mist" position is to push the stalk upward (not toward you).

You can download the complete manual here http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/p...BTJB1919OM.PDF

 

Not to be a terrible person, but could you just tell me how to do it?

 

Thanks! So, you turn the car off, then push the wiper stalk up, then press the power on button without starting the car (accessory mode), then press the power on button again to turn off the car?

 

Another recent thread on this.

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-rdx-...sition-975044/