The brake light on my dashboard has been coming on and staying on in my 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. What does this mean?

Release the parking brake or test switch

Tail lights or brake lights? If its the running lights it might be switch if its brake lights then its what guy b4 me said.

Whenever this warning light or any other stays on in the dash it is indicating that the systems control module (or the system sensor in the case of lights like low oil pressure, door open indicators etc.) has detected a fault, it then disables the system (this applies to ABS,TCS, TCM, SRS and BCM faults and others) as long as the light is on. You must now have the dealer hook up a special electronic diagnostic tool and "scan" the system for the fault code that is stored for the problem(s)

Legend of Abbreviations. ABS Antilock brake system.TCS Traction control system, TCM Transmission control module, SRS Supplemental restraint system, BCM Body control module

I had the same problem with my own Santa Fe last year. The brake lights would come on during the day while I was at work so the car would not start in the evening. My neighborhood mechanic found that the brake pedal needed to be adjusted. It was slipping ever so slightly even if no one was touching it, and the brake lights would come on. It took about 5 mins to fix. Hope this helps!

Made a video of me replacing the brake light but I show how to remove and install the tail light assembly. It's on a 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe but should be the same as a 2004.

Wiring harness runs along the left side of this vehicle between the engine compartment & the instrument panel junction box (left side under dash). damage may have occurred to this harness and no one found/noticed it.

i´d say you missfitted the wearing sensors while changing the pad. they work that way, that when they get chassis contact, this triggers the dashboard light.

I had the same problem with my 2003 santa fe. Do you have any brake lights out in back? Weird as it is, as soon as I fixed a burned out brake bulb, my cruise worked again. The only relation I can think of is that tapping the breaks causes cruise to turn off - so maybe a broken brake/tail light passes a singal to cruise control from some reason???

There is no ABS brake light. Take the vehicle back to whatever service center/garage did the brake work and tell them to fix it.

The voltage regulator inside the alternator has shorted out (The alternator is NOT charging. The circuit here shows that both lights (brake and battery) will come on when this happens. You need an alternator.