Identify / hack this sensor...

[int2str]

Attached is a sensor I pulled out of my car's windshield washer fluid reservoir.
So this essentially detects whether I have fluid in that reservoir.

The Inside what looks to be a sealed glass bulb are two "electrodes" that do not seem to be touching (capacitive?).

Anybody want to venture a guess on how it works?

I want to emulate it to keep the windshield washer light off on my dash (converting to race car)...

[ataradov]

It is a reed switch.

[jh15]

Like a weather rock, can't you just look at the tank to see if it is dry.

Edit:
oh race car, just tape a magnet on it.

[vk6zgo]

The glass thing looks in every respect like a reed relay.
These are operated by a magnetic field,either from a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

How windshield wiper fluid changes a magnetic field,I do not know----are you sure the sensor is complete?

If it still works,fill the reservoir & look at the input connections with a multimeter.
First,check the resistance with the connection to the car electrical system unplugged,& record that,then with it normally connected,check what voltages w.r.t car chassis appear on each pin of the connector.
Empty the container & do the same tests-------what changes?

[ataradov]

How windshield wiper fluid changes a magnetic field,I do not know

I'm pretty sure there is corresponding floating magnet somewhere there.

[int2str]

Tested with a magnet, reed switch it is - that was easy
That means I can just short the wire and be done with it.

Thanks guys!

[Brumby]

How windshield wiper fluid changes a magnetic field,I do not know

I'm pretty sure there is corresponding floating magnet somewhere there.

+1

[tszaboo]

How windshield wiper fluid changes a magnetic field,I do not know

I'm pretty sure there is corresponding floating magnet somewhere there.

No, washer fluid is ferroelectric.

[Kjelt]

Tested with a magnet, reed switch it is - that was easy
That means I can just short the wire and be done with it.

Or the other way around keep it open, depending where the sensor is mounted and the corresponding floating magnet, if it is an empty indicator I would presume that the switch only makes contact when the level is low. 

[amyk]

I want to emulate it to keep the windshield washer light off on my dash (converting to race car)...

Why don't you just unplug/remove the light? Might even save some weight

[rrinker]

  That was what I was going to say after I read the first post.

[int2str]

Tested with a magnet, reed switch it is - that was easy
That means I can just short the wire and be done with it.

Or the other way around keep it open, depending where the sensor is mounted and the corresponding floating magnet, if it is an empty indicator I would presume that the switch only makes contact when the level is low. 

Given that the sensor is on my bench and the light is still on in the car, imma gonna go with it is normally closed to turn the light off

[vk6zgo]

How windshield wiper fluid changes a magnetic field,I do not know

I'm pretty sure there is corresponding floating magnet somewhere there.

Nice selective editing,Alex

The whole sentence was:-
"How windshield wiper fluid changes a magnetic field,I do not know------are you sure the sensor is complete?"

The last part implies that there must be some mechanism to move a magnet with water level,although it was not obvious from the pix.
I didn't think I had to "spell it out" on this forum!

Of course,you could heat the magnet above its Curie point,then cool it down with the water,but I very much doubted that would be the case!

[jh15]

Many years ago, somewhat after 9/11 attacks, we (my avionics firm people) were life testing an oil level detector for a Cessna or some airplane.

The jig was running a magnet float over a reed switch.

A response from one of the magnet or switch vendor's asked: Are you building a bomb?

The test run of many months happened to terminate on 9/11 anniversary.

Now I know NSA just perked its ears at me.