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Low brake fluid light!!!!


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erickson483
Novice

Jun 14, 2011, 4:15 PM

Post #1 of 12 (16851 views)
Low brake fluid light!!!! Sign In

Vehicle:
2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
3.8L Not Supercharged
84,000 miles


Ok, while driving through the parking lot at work, my low brake fluid light came on, along with the traction control light and parking brake light. I just did a brake job on the front today, the fluid is fine, but this light will not go away. I disconnected the fluid level sensor and it goes away, but reconnecting it just brings it back on again. The chevy dealer wants 100 bucks to just look at it, so that's not happening. Also, disconnecting the battery does nothing. Any ideas besides replacing the fluid level sensor??????


(This post was edited by erickson483 on Jun 14, 2011, 4:16 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jun 14, 2011, 4:18 PM

Post #2 of 12 (16841 views)
Re: Low brake fluid light!!!! Sign In

Take a large screwdriver and hold it by the blade and rap the side of the reservoir. You probably ran it low on fluid and now the float is stuck at the bottom. make sure it's full of fluid first.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



erickson483
Novice

Jun 14, 2011, 4:32 PM

Post #3 of 12 (16837 views)
Re: Low brake fluid light!!!! Sign In

No luck with that.

Here is a little more info......when the light came on, it was still barely above the min. line, but i filled it up today. I had to remove some fluid, because it rose when i compressed the brakes while doing the brake job. I don't know if that's helpful for you or not.....


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jun 14, 2011, 4:35 PM

Post #4 of 12 (16831 views)
Re: Low brake fluid light!!!! Sign In

The float is stuck. Either get it unstuck or replace the reservoir.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



erickson483
Novice

Jun 14, 2011, 4:37 PM

Post #5 of 12 (16828 views)
Re: Low brake fluid light!!!! Sign In

would i be able to get at it if i drain the reservoir? or do i need to take it all the way off?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jun 14, 2011, 4:39 PM

Post #6 of 12 (16822 views)
Re: Low brake fluid light!!!! Sign In

You can't reach it either way. If you drain it. you're just going to get it more stuck.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



erickson483
Novice

Jun 14, 2011, 4:40 PM

Post #7 of 12 (16819 views)
Re: Low brake fluid light!!!! Sign In

ok, thanks for the help! I really appreciate it.


erickson483
Novice

Jun 14, 2011, 4:44 PM

Post #8 of 12 (16816 views)
Re: Low brake fluid light!!!! Sign In

Oh! one more question.....just to make sure, The float is inside the reservoir itself, not the master cylinder right?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jun 14, 2011, 5:11 PM

Post #9 of 12 (16806 views)
Re: Low brake fluid light!!!! Sign In

Yes, you can usually see it if you take the cap off. Most are round.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



erickson483
Novice

Dec 21, 2011, 1:24 PM

Post #10 of 12 (16384 views)
Re: Low brake fluid light!!!! Sign In

So hitting the reservoir is not working for me. Right now I removed the sensor from the reservoir and it's working like a champ. The dealer wants like $140 for a new reservoir and I'm not doing that. Any other ideas? Also, would it be harmful to drive my car without having the sensor in the reservoir?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Dec 21, 2011, 2:06 PM

Post #11 of 12 (16376 views)
Re: Low brake fluid light!!!! Sign In

Only the fact that you won't know when you are low on brake fluid until you lose your brakes.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

Dec 21, 2011, 5:05 PM

Post #12 of 12 (16365 views)
Re: Low brake fluid light!!!! Sign In

The sensor itself is clipped onto the bottom of the reservoir. It can be removed without taking the reservoir off. You can also buy the sensor portion separate.

The sensor is half of it. The float in the reservoir has a magnet on it. When the float is low enough the magnetism closes the switch inside the sensor which turns the light on.

Unclip and slide the sensor from the bottom of the reservoir and plug it in. If the light comes on, replace the sensor. If the light doesn't go on, the reservoir needs replaced.





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