[Tenny51]

First of all, I saw a similar thead in the Santa Fe forum where an owner had a similar problem. My Sonata was returned to the dealer with a bad brake light switch, after I found out about the recall. Before I did that, I had removed and checked the brake light bulbs, as well as the fuses. After reading comments in the Santa Fe thread yesterday, I removed the brake light bulbs to check for proper installation. That seemed to be correct. I also removed both brake light bulbs and I still have these symptoms, so it isn't the bulbs installed backward somehow. Here is the rest of the symptoms: When I apply the brakes the amber lights in the front light up and the instrument panel lights light dimly. The cruise control sets with the lights off, but when the multi function light knob is rotated to any position the cruise is disengaged. One other thing, about one month after the brake light switch was replaced under recall the car exhibited the check engine light and ESC off dash light. I also noticed the cruise wouldn't set anymore. I checked the brake lights, no brake lights! This was last Thursday, so we ran it back to the dealer for another brake light switch. Now the brake lights work(upper one doesn't work-hmm), but I now have these weird symptoms. All the dealer did was replace the brake light switch, I wasn't there- my wife drove it to the dealer. The switch looks installed correctly. Any ideas? Nothing else was done electrically to the car, except light bulbs. No towing package or modification to the lighting circuit.

 

[sbr711]

Dash lights come on when step on brake pedal......... you have brake light voltage backfeeding into your tail lighting/illuminations....


Cruise is set, and cancels when I turn the lights on...... you have illuminations voltage back feeding into your stop light circuit, cancelling the cruise...

Put you light bulbs in the correct fashion... see the pins on the base of the bulb,,, you did not align the pins to the correct slots in the sockets,,,, see the long deep "L" slot, and the short "L" slot.... match them to the pins on the bulb base.... the bulb should drop right in an turn with no effort if aligned correct...

 

[Tenny51]

"I removed the brake light bulbs to check for proper installation. That seemed to be correct. I also removed both brake light bulbs and I still have these symptoms, so it isn't the bulbs installed backward somehow."
When I removed the bulbs this morning, I couldn't get them go in backwards, besides, I left both of the bulbs out and got the stop light voltage in the dash illumination. I'm thinking about removing the stop lamp switch the dealer installed Thursday and checking it with my ohmmeter.

 

[Dennis the Mennis]

Agreed: backflow. Your cruise is cancelling because it thinks you've hit the brake. KC had a similar problem that was fixed by replacing the brake light switch and a new stop bulb.

 

[Tenny51]

I just checked the new stop lamp switch the dealer installed Thursday with my Fluke multimeter . One contact open, one closed until you push the plunger in, then they swap. I removed the stop lamp bulbs, polarity OK, & reinstalled. I also unhooked the connectors to the stop lamp bulbs on the rear of the car, still have voltage backfeeding to the amber front bulbs & dash when brakes applied-with bulbs electrically removed from circuit. Next thing- check the circuit to the upper brake light, which is not working. I need some more ideas, please!

 

[Tenny51]

Fixed it. One of the stop/tail light bulbs had a bent post, touching both circuits together. Dennis the Menace & SRB711 were right.