Brake Master Cylinder And Brake 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 | Clutch circuit outlet port (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 2 independent (primary and secondary) hydraulic circuits. Each circuit is connected between the brake calipers of diagonally opposing front and rear wheels to provide a fail safe brake system.
A brake fluid reservoir is mounted on top of the brake master cylinder and retains sufficient volume of brake fluid to allow for normal system use, and to compensate for the replenishment of the system as the brake linings wear. The brake fluid reservoir is internally divided to provide an independent supply of brake fluid to each brake circuit. It also prevents a single brake fluid leak from disabling both primary and secondary brake circuits. If a failure occurs in 1 brake hydraulic circuit the remaining circuit will still operate effectively, although brake pedal travel and vehicle braking distances will increase.
On vehicles with manual transmission, the brake fluid reservoir also supplies hydraulic fluid for operation of the clutch assembly.
Brake Fluid Level Sensor
| ITEM | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical connector |
| 2 | Contact |
| 3 | Float |
The brake fluid reservoir incorporates a brake fluid level sensor that is hardwired to the Body Control Module/Gateway Module (BCM/GWM). When the brake fluid reservoir falls to a predetermined low level, the switch contacts close and provide a signal feed back to the BCM/GWM. The BCM/GWM then sends a message on the High Speed (HS) Controller Area Network (CAN) Chassis bus to the Instrument Cluster (IC). The electric signal start to illuminate the brake fluid warning indicator.