The vehicle has the StabiliTrak system which combines antilock brake, traction and stability control systems and helps the driver maintain directional control of the vehicle in most driving conditions.
When the vehicle is started and begins to move, the system performs several diagnostic checks to insure there are no problems. The system may be heard or felt while it is working. This is normal and does not mean there is a problem with the vehicle. The system should initialize before the vehicle reaches 20 mph (32 km/h). In some cases, it may take approximately two miles of driving before the system initializes.
If the system fails to turn on or activate, the StabiliTrak light along with one of the following messages will be displayed on the Driver Information Center (DIC): TRACTION CONTROL OFF, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, STABILITRAK OFF, SERVICE STABILITRAK. If these DIC messages appear, make sure the StabiliTrak system has not been turned off using the StabiliTrak on/off button. If this clears the message(s), the vehicle does not need servicing. If this does not clear the message(s), then turn the vehicle off, wait 15 seconds, and then turn it back on again to reset the system. If any of these messages still appear on the Driver Information Center (DIC), the vehicle should be taken in for service. For more information on the DIC messages, see Driver Information Center (DIC) .
The StabiliTrak light will flash on the instrument panel cluster when the system is both on and activated.
The system may be heard or felt while it is working; this is normal.
The StabiliTrak disable button is located on the instrument panel below the climate controls.
The traction control part of StabiliTrak can be turned off by pressing and releasing the StabiliTrak button if both systems (traction control and StabiliTrak) were previously on. To disable both traction control and StabiliTrak, press and hold the button until STABILITRAK OFF is displayed on the DIC and the StabiliTrak light comes on the instrument panel.
Traction control and StabiliTrak can be turned on by pressing and releasing the StabiliTrak button if not automatically shut off for any other reason.
When the traction control or StabiliTrak system is turned off, the StabiliTrak light and the appropriate traction control off or StabiliTrak off message will be displayed on the DIC to warn the driver. The vehicle will still have brake-traction control when traction control is off, but will not be able to use the engine speed management system. See "Traction Control Operation" next for more information.
When the traction control system has been turned off, there may be system noises as a result of the brake-traction control coming on.
It is recommended to leave the system on for normal driving conditions, but it may be necessary to turn the system off if the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow, and you want to "rock" the vehicle to 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 .
When the transfer case is in Four-Wheel-Low Lock, the stability system is automatically disabled, the StabiliTrak light will come on and the STABILITRAK OFF message will appear on the DIC. Both traction control and StabiliTrak are automatically disabled in this condition.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of the StabiliTrak system. Traction control limits wheel spin by reducing engine power to the wheels (engine speed management) and by applying brakes to each individual wheel (brake-traction control) as necessary.
The traction control system is enabled automatically when the vehicle is started. It will activate and the StabiliTrak light will flash if it senses that any of the wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction while driving. If the traction control is turned off, only the brake-traction control portion of traction control will work. The engine speed management will be disabled. In this mode, engine power is not reduced automatically and the driven wheels can spin more freely. This can cause the brake-traction control to activate constantly.
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.
The traction control system 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, a reduction in acceleration may be noticed, or a noise or vibration may be heard. This is normal.
If cruise control is being used when StabiliTrak activates, the cruise control automatically disengages. The cruise control can be re-engaged when road conditions allow. See Cruise Control .
StabiliTrak may also turn off automatically if it determines that a problem exists with the system. If the problem does not clear itself after restarting the vehicle, see your dealer/retailer for service.
