1997 Cruise Control Problems

My SE's cruise control isn't engaging. The light comes on when I activate cruise button on the steering wheel, but it won't go off when I step on the brake. Only disengaging the button works to turn the idiot light off. Any ideas?

you probably have a bad brake switch; if it's not disengaging when you hit the brakes, I would have that switch checked out.

The idiot light will turn on when you press the cruise control "on/off" button, and it will stay on until you push the on/off button again, that is normal operation for 95 and up LH cars. The change was made starting in 95 along with adding the "cancel" button on the wheel so you can disable the cruise without tapping the brakes, a handy feature.

Now if the cruise is not engaging when you push the "set" button to hold speed, then check the cruise servo under the hood for vacuum, pull off the hose connected to it while the engine is running and check if there is vacumm there, if not then you might need to check the hoses from that point back to the vacuum reservoir (mounted on the left side front frame rail under the battery tray) then back to the connection at the engine. If there is vacuum at the servo then it may need to be replaced or there is an electrical problem going to it or like Freak sugested, the brake switch may be bad.