Window wipers, also known as wiper blades, are attached to moveable arms on the outside of the windshield. The arm is connected to a motor that controls the wipers. When the wipers are turned on an electrical signal is sent to the motor so that they move back and forth at a certain speed.
On most vehicles, the windshield wipers can be activated by a lever located to the right of the steering wheel. Pulling the lever down should activate the windshield wipers on their lowest setting. Pulling the level in towards you should cause the wipers to swipe just once across the windshield. Some modern cars are actually equipped with rain-sensing windshields that will turn on the wipers automatically if droplets are detected.
Usually, you can adjust the speed of your wipers to optimize performance for specific driving conditions. The number of speed settings can range from 1-10 speeds. The speed is typically adjusted by either turning a knob on the windshield wiper lever or pulling the lever down one more notch.