Brake problem...

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Schurkey

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1999 Suburban - 5.7l with HydroBoost

the more forward, smaller, part of the reservoir is for the rear brake circuit - yes?
Yes. Drum side doesn't need the large fluid reservoir. When disc brake pistons move out of the caliper due to pad wear, the caliper has to fill with fluid from the reservoir. Duo-Servo drum brakes have the pistons return to the same place every time, with shoe wear compensated at the adjuster assembly.

Leading/Trailing shoe brakes are kinda in-between. The pistons move outward like caliper pistons, due to shoe wear, but the pistons are way smaller so it takes less fluid volume to compensate.

What causes the light on the dash to illuminate
Three causes:
1. Park brake pedal switch
2. Certain ABS faults
3. "Safety switch" within the combination valve. NOT the "proportioning valve" which is also within the combination valve assembly.

how does the system detect low fluid level?
It doesn't.

New pipes throughout were fitted last year and I had some difficulty getting good sealing on the rearward pipe not least as despite Amazon's claim of it being cunifer, it is actually copper coated steel
Bottom-feeder falsely-advertised Amazon junk.

I'm perplexed as to why the dash warning light is on - what is it reacting to?
Any one or more of the three things listed above...but...given the known leakage, I'm expecting it's the pressure differential tripping the Safety switch.

Yet the copper pipe running the LPG (propane) from the tank to the engine bay was perfect 20 years after being fitted originally...
There's many grades of "copper" tubing. I've never seen copper pipe, although I've seen brass pipe, and brass is an alloy of copper plus zinc. For the record, bronze is an alloy of copper plus tin. NiCopp is a brand name for an alloy of copper and nickel, which--I guess--is strong and durable enough for brake and fuel systems.

Dual circuit in theory gives 50% braking if/when one circuit fails. Reduce that to 25% if one of the remaining brakes isn't working as it should.
There's many ways to plumb "dual circuit" brakes. These trucks, and most older RWD cars were split front/rear. Rear brakes inherently have less braking effectiveness than front brakes, so there's nowhere near a 50/50 split. Maybe 60/40.

FWD cars have such a massive difference between front brake power and rear brake power that they rarely split the two circuits front/rear. If the front circuit failed, the isn't enough braking power at the rear for safety. GM used to use "dual-diagonal" circuits, LF/RR and RF/LR, to always have one front wheel with braking power, and the diagonal rear wheel to sort-of mitigate the directional pull of one effective front brake and one ineffective front brake. It was not a great system, but it was cheap.

Volvo and others used twin-piston calipers, where one piston of each caliper was on one circuit, and the other piston of each caliper was on the other circuit. That is the better way to plumb the system--all the brakes "worked" even if the caliper had only one of the two pistons pressurized. it maintained directional stability far better than "Dual-diagonal" systems. Tougher to bleed, though, since each caliper would need two bleeder screws.

Given that the above has happened, do I need to reset it and if so, how?
Noticed on another thread someone having difficulty bleeding their rear brakes and a suggestion the proportioning valve(?) has moved and needs resetting. Same for me (1999 C2500)?
My expectation is that the valve is self-centering, although I don't know that for sure.

Thick walled copper with a protective plastic coating.
I have heard--but not seen or experienced--that the British Isles routinely use "copper" tubing for all sorts of things that Americans can't get by with.

I don't know the root cause. MAYBE you folks have access to really thick-walled copper tubing. MAYBE you folks got "copper" tubing that is really the equivalent of NiCopp tubing--a copper alloy rather than genuine copper. Maybe it's something I just can't imagine.

Anyone in America that tried to use copper tubing on brakes would need to be completely reckless, totally un-caring, ignorant as all get-out, or actively suicidal.

Copper tubing as sold in America won't withstand brake-system pressure, and it work-hardens and cracks. Our Federal DOT will not allow copper tubing for brakes or fuel systems.

As a result, all I can say is that around here, copper tubing on brakes is bat-shiit crazy. NiCopp is acceptable, double-wall seamless steel tubing is the norm; and stainless steel is a niche product that gives considerable problem in flaring and sealing of the flares.
 
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Pinger

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Quick update. I have brakes again. The rears bled without resetting the safety switch but, the light remains on on the dash so obviously the switch needs to be reset manually. Tomorrow's job.
 

termite

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Quick update. I have brakes again. The rears bled without resetting the safety switch but, the light remains on on the dash so obviously the switch needs to be reset manually. Tomorrow's job.
Bleed your front brakes as well. Relieving the pressure imbalance may reset that switch. At the least, fresh fluid gets into the system.
 

Pinger

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Is the light on ALL the time the ignition is on, or only when you step on the brake?
All the time.
I was out briefly driving yesterday and shut it down a couple of times - hoping it would reset itself as a CEL will (if the problem causing it has been resolved) on restarting but no joy there.
Raining very heavily here today so doubt that I'll get any work done on it. I will though, interrogate the GM manual.
 
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