Have you ever thought about how your car’s brakes work? Most don’t until they find they have to press harder to stop their vehicle. But, a key component of its operation is a switch that monitors hydraulic brake fluid levels, which in turn ensures that, when you put your foot down on the pedal, you stop your car or another vehicle.
While most of us might not consider the float switches necessary for our safety in our day to day lives, engineers and manufacturers have to be critically aware of these components as they design new vehicles.
If you’re looking for OEM brake fluid reservoir switches for an upcoming project or product line, SMD Fluid Controls is the team to call. Offering custom design, manufacturing, and more for a variety of applications and industries, SMD’s liquid level sensors are second to none.
More Information About OEM Liquid Level Sensors for Brake Fluid Reservoirs
For monitoring brake fluids, a reed switch-based sensor with direct contact or magnetic operation is used. Yet, for replacing the part, several factors need to be taken into consideration:
- Any OEM sensor needs to operate reliably at both extremely high and low temperatures. Otherwise, your vehicle’s functionality and your safety are at stake. Whatever the weather is outdoors or regardless of whether your engine overheats, the sensor needs to accurately detect the fluid’s level.
- The sensor needs to stay in place in bumpy conditions and still offer consistent performance. A sensor that becomes dislodged because you had to drive over a rocky road or cobblestones won’t give your car an accurate reading.
- The sensor must be able to operate in a dirty environment without delivering skewed results. In your car’s engine, this often involves regular exposure to gasoline, oil, dirt, and other small particulates. The sensor, then, must be able to understand the difference between the brake fluid and these other components and not allow them to interfere.
In terms of operation, this liquid level sensor is submerged or floats in your car’s brake fluid and senses when it drops below a certain safe level. At this point, the sensor then sends a signal to your vehicle’s dashboard, where a light indicating your brake fluid is short should come on. If one step within this process doesn’t go through, you could be driving with dangerously low brake fluid levels and not even realize it.