Your vehicle is equipped with StabiliTrak®, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) which combines antilock brake, traction and stability control systems and helps the driver maintain directional control of the vehicle in most driving conditions.
Traction control activates when the controller senses wheel spin. StabiliTrak® will selectively apply the brakes and reduce engine torque to help regain traction.
Stability control activates when the controller senses a discrepancy between your intended path and the direction the vehicle is travelling. StabiliTrak® selectively applies braking pressure at any one of the vehicle's brakes to help guide the vehicle in the direction which you are steering.
When you first start your vehicle and begin to drive away, the system performs several diagnostic checks to insure there are no problems. You may hear or feel the system working. This is normal and does not mean there is a problem with your vehicle. If driving conditions delay system initialization, the STABILITRAK NOT READY message may be displayed. If this is the case, your vehicle does not need servicing.
For more information on the stability messages, see DIC Warnings and Messages .
When the StabiliTrak® system is both on and actively controlling the stability of the vehicle, the StabiliTrak® light will blink for the duration of the event.
You may also feel or hear the system working. This is normal.
The StabiliTrak® disable button is located on the transmission shift handle.
For vehicles with four-wheel drive, the StabiliTrak® system is automatically disabled in 4LO mode and cannot be turned on until the vehicle is switched to 2HI, 4HI, or 4AWD.
The StabiliTrak® system has three modes of operation: STABILITRAK ON, TRACTION CONTROL OFF, and STABILITRAK OFF.
STABILITRAK ON -The vehicle will default to STABILITRAK ON every time the driver starts the vehicle. The StabiliTrak® light will be off and no DIC messages will be displayed.
TRACTION CONTROL OFF - The driver can modify the engine speed management system by momentarily pressing the StabiliTrak® button on the transmission shift handle. The StabiliTrak® light will come on and TRACTION CONTROL OFF will be displayed. For vehicles without a DIC, the StabiliTrak® indicator light will come on. Momentarily pressing the StabiliTrak® button again will return the system to the STABILITRAK ON mode.
STABILITRAK OFF - The driver can turn off StabiliTrak® by pressing the StabiliTrak® button for more than five seconds. The StabiliTrak® light will come on and STABILITRAK OFF will be displayed. For vehicles without a DIC, the StabiliTrak® indicator light will come on. Momentarily pressing the StabiliTrak® button again will return the system to the STABILITRAK ON mode. See StabiliTrak® Off below for more information.
Traction Control Off
In this mode, stability control and brake-traction control are functional. Engine speed management will be modified and the driven wheels can spin more freely. This can cause the brake-traction control to activate more frequently. If the controller detects excessive wheel spin in this mode, the StabiliTrak® indicator light may blink and the STABILITRAK ACTIVE message may be displayed to warn the driver that damage may occur to the transfer case.
StabiliTrak® Off
In this mode, both stability control and part of the traction control system are disabled. Your vehicle will still have brake-traction control, but will not be able to use the engine speed management system. You may still hear system noises as a result of the brake-traction control coming on. If the controller detects excessive wheel spin in this mode, the StabiliTrak® indicator light may blink and the STABILITRAK ACTIVE message may be displayed to warn the driver that damage may occur to the transfer case.
It is recommended to leave the system on for normal driving conditions, but it may be necessary to turn the system off if your vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow, and you may want to "rock" your vehicle in an attempt to free it. It may also be necessary to turn off the system when driving in extreme off-road conditions where high wheel spin is required. See If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow for more information.
For vehicles with four-wheel drive, when the transfer case is in 4LO, the stability system is automatically disabled. The StabiliTrak® light will come on and the STABILITRAK OFF message will appear on the DIC. The StabiliTrak® system cannot be turned on until the vehicle is switched to 2HI, 4HI, or 4AWD.
The following chart describes the StabiliTrak® system events and the corresponding messages and lights that will be displayed on the instrument panel cluster.
Vehicles with a DIC | Vehicles without a DIC | Event | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
StabiliTrak® Indicator Light | DIC Message | StabiliTrak® Indicator Light | StabiliTrak® Service Light | -- |
Off | None | Off | Off | StabiliTrak® On mode (System is fully enabled, but is not actively controlling vehicle stability). |
Solid | Traction Control Off | Solid | Off | Traction Control Off Mode |
Solid | StabiliTrak Off | Solid | Off | StabiliTrak® Off Mode (StabiliTrak® indicator light will flash when system first enters this mode). |
Blinking | StabiliTrak Active | Blinking | Off | StabiliTrak® system activates using engine speed management, brake traction control, and/or stability control. |
Solid | Service StabiliTrak | Solid | Solid | StabiliTrak® system is disabled due to a system fault. |
Solid | StabiliTrak Not Ready | Solid | Off | StabiliTrak® system is disabled due to a failure to initialize. |
Notice: If the StabiliTrak® light comes on due to heavy braking and/or because the traction control system has been continuously active, do not allow the wheel(s) of one axle to spin excessively. This could lead to damage to the transfer case and costly repairs not covered by the vehicle warranty.
Notice: If the wheel(s) of one axle is allowed to spin excessively while the StabiliTrak, ABS and brake warning lights and any relevant DIC messages are displayed, the transfer case could be damaged. The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Reduce engine power and do not spin the wheel(s) excessively while these lights and messages are displayed.
StabiliTrak® may activate on dry or rough roads or under conditions such as heavy acceleration while turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts of the transmission. When this happens, you may notice a reduction in acceleration, or may hear a noise or vibration. This is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system activates, the StabiliTrak® light will blink, and the cruise control will automatically disengage. When road conditions allow, you may re-engage the cruise control. See Cruise Control .
StabiliTrak® will turn off automatically if a problem is detected in the system. The StabiliTrak® light will come on and SERVICE STABILITRAK will be displayed on the DIC. For vehicles without a DIC, the StabiliTrak® light and the StabiliTrak® service light will both come on. If the SERVICE STABILITRAK message (or StabiliTrak® service light) does not clear itself after restarting the vehicle, you should see your dealer for service.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle's performance. See Accessories and Modifications for more information.
