Reasons Why Tail Lights Stay On When Car Is Off Hyundai Issues

Tired of experiencing your tail lights stay on when car is off Hyundai issues? 

Each time you see the light illuminate on your dashboard, specifically the check engine light, this can make you feel uneasy while driving.

After all, just the sight of your brake light turning on is a worrisome experience. While the problem may only be a minor one, it can also be a major issue. This is why it is important to pull over and make sure nothing severe is happening with your vehicle.

So, why do your tail lights or brake lights turn on when you have your car off? Let’s talk about it more below.

Tail Lights Stay On When Car Is Off Hyundai Issues

Basically, there are some reasons why the tail lights or brake lights turn on – and stay on. Your parking brake may be engaged, there may be a leak to your brake fluid, you may have to top up your brake fluid, the brake pads are worn, or you have faulty sensors.

Let’s have a closer look at these causes:

1. Engaged parking brake

Vehicles have sensors that detect whether you have an engaged parking brake or not. So, when the parking brake is engaged, the brake light illuminates. If you accidentally drive with your parking brake engaged, this can cause damage to your brakes and lead to overheating issues while wearing down your brake lining.

2. Leaking Brake fluid

You have a sensor in your master cylinder, which determines how much fluid level is in the system. Thus, when it is below normal, the brake light will turn on. This is why you need to maintain the right brake fluid level to ensure a proper operation of your brake. The reservoir is under your hood, and you should be able to check easily if you need to top up by removing the tank cap and then refill when need be.

3. Brake system warning light

As we have mentioned earlier, having a low brake fluid level can cause the warning light to turn on. But it can also cause damage to your brake pads because of friction. Hence, your brake fluid tends to fill any gap and reduces the fluid in your reservoir. With this in mind, it is best to simply replace your brake pads to fix the problem. 

But if the issue is not with worn brake pads, then there may be a leak that is causing the brake fluid to go down. You need to have a specialist check for leaks that may be in your connections, brake mechanisms, reservoir, and brake lines. A sign of a leak is when you notice fluid that is orange-tinged found on the ground where you park your car.

4. ABS System

When you have issues with your ABS system, the brake light may turn on. This is why if you have a full brake fluid and you don’t have the parking brake engaged – yet the tail lights stay on when your car is off, then you may need to have a technician to check the internal computer of your vehicle to look for codes relevant to the problem.

5. Bulb Issues

Your vehicle has several bulbs in your brake lights. When one bulb simply burns out, this causes the computer to recognize this circuit change. Hence, the brake light will turn on.

What You Can Do About This Issue

Having brake issues is very serious. This is why if you notice that not only does the warning light turn on, but you also observe some brake noises and vibrations, then you should most definitely get your vehicle checked.

There are also some simple fixes that you can do yourself when you have your brake lights on even when your car is off. Here they are:

1. Check the switch

It is possible that there is a problem with your brake light switch, which is why it is good to start by checking for issues. Disconnect your battery first – and be sure to do this carefully and correctly to prevent damage or shock. Locate the brake pedal switch and inspect for damage by testing the switch’s return to make sure it is working well.

2. Replace the fuse

If the issue with the tail light staying on is because of a blow fuse, then you need to get a fuse replacement. Find out which one of the fuse boxes contains the damaged fuse. You may also need to check more than a single fuse for the brake light just to be sure.

3. Change the brake light switch

Your brake light switch is basically a dual mechanism and found near your brake pedal. If there are defects to it, then it is important to replace the switch to make sure it works as it should. But be careful not to lose your mounting hardware since you will have to reuse this when you re-install the brand new switch. 

4. Replace damaged bulbs

If your bulbs have burned out, then you may have to replace these. Sometimes, the lights may stay on when the bulbs are broken, which is why you may be noticing the tail lights stay on when car is off in your Hyundai. Simply change the bulbs and see if this fixes the problem.

Read More: Common Hyundai 8 Speed Transmission Problems And How To Fix

Conclusion

There are so many reasons why your tail lights may stay on even when your car is off. However, by determining the cause of the problem and addressing it appropriately, this can be a relatively inexpensive fix, especially if you do the repair sooner rather than later.