door opens - fuel pump runs

[Hath]

Today I finished installing a new wood dash on my '69 280sl.  To get it done I had to take out the tachometer, and paw around back there to get to the bolts that hold the dash in.  I was careful to reconnect the ground wire when putting it back together. 

The reason I mention it, is that afterwards, when either door opens, the brake light "between the gauges" comes on and the fuel pump runs...even without the key in the ignition.

Before today, the warning lights and fuel pump only came on when I turned on the key.  I also replaced some fuses, but can't figure out how either of these projects could have caused this strange behavior.

If anyone has experienced this and has a solution I would be grateful.

Hath

[mbzse]

.../...afterwards, when either door opens, the brake light "between the gauges" comes on and the fuel pump runs...even without the key in the ignition.

See Wiki "Low fluid warning light"   /Hans in Sweden
http://www.sl113.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Brake.LowFluidWarningLight

[Hath]

Perfect.  Thanks Hans.

[wwheeler]

Is this function also valid for 111 cars. As far as I know, the instrument cluster is the same.

[ja17]

Make sure the Brake fluid is up also!

[Chrisheg]

I found this strange behavior today while working on my brakes. A quick fix is to pull fuse #1. 

[hkollan]

Wallace,

I believe that's a pagoda specific behavior related to the door open warning light combined with low brake liquid sensor.
AFAIK none of the w111 cars have the door open warning light, so they do not have this problem.

Hans

[Garry]

And last but not least, if the brake fluid is up make sure the floats in the reservoir's are also floating as a pin hole in either of them will cause them to sink giving the same light on the dash when the door is opened.

[glenn]

Ah, The PPP  The Perfect Pagoda Permutation.     Had a guy sitting in the Pagoda with the car running and the door open.  Said he could not turn the ignition s/w and stop the engine.   I said open the hood, 'abracadabra',  hebby gebbies, la la, lifted the brake float(out of line of vision).  Jaw dropped------

[hands_aus]

This is only a problem on the 280sl as the 230 and 250 sls do not have the brake warning/door open feature.

There is a fix which has been mentioned before and should be found in the Technical Manual.