Abstract: A windshield wiper system for a vehicle. In one example, the windshield wiper system includes a drive, a wiper, and a control device, which is connectable to a continuous power supply of the vehicle. The control device is configured to communicate with at least one control unit of the vehicle via a predefined data transfer system, and to control the drive to move the wiper arm based on specifications from the control unit. Another example relates to a method for controlling a windshield wiper system of a vehicle, where the system is configured to clean a windshield of the vehicle by means of at least one wiper. The method includes monitoring an environment of the vehicle, establishing a wiper mode for detected conditions in the environment of the vehicle, and controlling a drive of the windshield wiper system to move the wiper according to the wiper mode.