Brake Master Cylinder And Fluid Reservoir
| ITEM | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| 1 | Brake fluid reservoir cap |
| 2 | Brake fluid level switch |
| 3 | Brake fluid reservoir |
| 4 | Secondary circuit inlet port |
| 5 | Primary circuit inlet port |
| 6 | Brake master cylinder |
| 7 | Screw |
| 8 | Secondary circuit outlet port |
| 9 | Primary circuit outlet port |
| 10 | Cap (Vehicles with manual transmission only) |
| 11 | Clutch circuit outlet port (Vehicles with manual transmission only) |
The brake master cylinder is attached to the front of the brake booster, on the driver's side of the engine compartment. The brake master cylinder is a tandem design that supplies pressure to two independent (primary and secondary) hydraulic circuits. Each circuit is connected between the brake calipers of diagonally opposing front and rear wheels.
The brake fluid reservoir is mounted on top of the brake master cylinder.
The brake fluid reservoir retains sufficient volume of brake fluid:
- To allow for normal system use.
- To compensate for the replenishment of the system as the brake pad wear.
The brake fluid reservoir is internally divided to provide an independent supply of brake fluid to each brake circuit. This also prevents a single fluid leak from disabling both primary and secondary brake circuits. If a failure occurs in one brake hydraulic circuit the remaining circuit will still operate effectively. There will be an increase in brake pedal travel and vehicle braking distances.
On vehicles with manual transmission, the brake fluid reservoir also supplies brake fluid for operation of the clutch assembly.
Brake Fluid Level Switch
| ITEM | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| 1 | Contact carrier |
| 2 | Contact |
| 3 | Float |
The brake fluid reservoir incorporates a brake fluid level switch that is hardwired to the Body Control Module/Gateway Module (BCM/GWM). When the reservoir fluid falls to a predetermined low level, the switch contacts close and provide a signal feedback to the BCM/GWM. The BCM/GWM then sends a message on the High Speed (HS) Controller Area Network (CAN) powertrain systems bus to the Instrument Cluster (IC). Then the IC illuminates the brake fluid warning indicator lamp.