Virtually all modern vehicles come with some form of traction control and stability control system that helps prevent vehicles from losing traction and spinning off when driving under tricky conditions.
While many manufacturers just make do with traction control and active brakeforce distribution, GM goes a step further with a system labeled StabiliTrak.
What is StabiliTrak?
GMC StabiliTrak is a safety system for all GM vehicles that uses sensors and actuators to help keep your vehicle on the road without breaking traction.
The system keeps track of your steering wheel’s position compared to the front tire orientation and the direction your vehicle is moving in. If there is a discrepancy, it will use brakes and throttle input to channel torque to correct the lateral sway in a car (oversteer and understeer).
It comes in very hand on slippery conditions making it easier to keep your vehicle moving straight forward by limiting sideways slipping. This is different from traction control that focuses on preventing your wheels from slipping.
The most popular GM vehicles with StabiliTrak are:
- Chevrolet
- Chevy Cruze
- GMC Sierra
- Chevy Equinox
- Camaro
- Cadillac
What Does it Mean When the Service StabiliTrak Light Comes On?
Since StabiliTrak is very crucial to your vehicle’s safety, GM made sure to display error codes when something is wrong in the system. This is where the ‘Service StabiliTrak Light’ comes in. The error light will pop up if:
Faulty Input Sensors
StabiliTrak relies on several sensors to detect your vehicle’s direction of travel, steering angle, and front-wheel angle.
A failure in any of these sensors will throw the system off. It will either get no input or receive compromised data outside expected parameters.
The system will then resort to a failsafe that turns off StabiliTrak and triggers the ‘Service StabiliTrak’ light.
ProTip: Sometimes, something as simple as some dirt and gunk on sensors can throw their readings off, triggering the error code.
Faulty Controller Modules
All the information from the sensors has to go through a controller module that analyzes it and issues necessary instructions to counter any under or oversteer.
If the control module is ruined or compromised, it will either not process the data correctly or won’t return an ‘all-good’ signal to the main ECU.
Your ECU will then activate the warning light since the system can no longer function as expected.
A Bad Connection Somewhere in the System
On rare occasions when someone touched StabiliTrak system wiring when servicing another part of the vehicle, there is a chance of loose connections or damaging wiring ruining the connection between sensors, the controller, and actuators.
This could be something as simple as a loose connector to hard-to-find problems like a frayed wire somewhere in your wiring harness.
At other times, it could be from a seemingly unrelated electrical problem like a faulty ground or another faulty sensor that adds noise to the CAN bus, making your StabiliTrak sensor readings unreliable.
Problems With Your Braking System
Since StabiliTrak uses brakes to correct skidding, chances are it will fail if you have a problem with your braking system.
Any issues that could affect your vehicle’s braking efficiency can be culprits here. These include:
- A problem with your brake booster leaving you with no power brake boost
- Low brake fluid levels
- Worn out brake pads
Since these problems also affect ABS and traction control, chances are you will also have these lights pop up, making your dashboard light up like a Christmas tree.
Traction Control Issues
While StabiliTrak is independent of traction control, the two share functions and a problem with one could throw the other off.
Even though there is no direct relationship and it isn’t always guaranteed, you should always start inspecting and servicing your traction control if you also have that light.
Sometimes, traction control and ABS warnings will pop up for something as simple as:
- Turning it off manually by mistake
- Driving on a flat or worn out tire
- Driving with a Donut spare tire
- Installing wrong overall diameter tires
- Dirt on sensors monitoring wheel spin speed
A Car That is Out of Alignment
Another possible cause for your StabiliTrak warning could be an out of alignment vehicle. This could mean the vehicle tugs to one side of the steering wheel is off-center.
Since the StabiliTrak system takes steering angle and wheel angle direction readings, your steering angle and wheel angle are 100 percent representative of what is happening in the cabin.
If anything is off, the system could make wrong adjustments that you will counter or determine that the readings don’t match. It will then infer a problem in the design and throw the Service StabiliTrak warning light.
Other factors that could trigger your Service Stabilitrak warning by affective its efficiency include:
- Faulty ABS sensors
- Defective steering wheel position sensor
- A ruined throttle position sensor
- A problem with your brake switch
- Faulty tire pressure monitoring sensors
- A misfiring engine
- A bad body control module
Other Signs That You Have a StabiliTrak Problem
Other signs that could accompany a problematic StabiliTrak system apart from the warning light include:
- Your vehicle is hard to shift
- The car goes into limp mode or loses power
- Random error codes like
- P0121: Pedal position sensor
- P0011: Camshaft position error
- P0521: Engine oil pressure sensor
- C0561: ABS disabled
How to Fix and Reset the Service StabiliTrak Light
With the StabiliTrak warning light on, you have to be careful of how you drive and fix the issue as soon as possible. In most cases, you will have to troubleshoot the drivetrain, suspension, braking system, and traction control associated sensors extensively to fix the problem.
Focusing on the issues we highlighted above is a great way to fix the problem. However, before going that far, you should first confirm that it isn’t a glitch in the system.
- Pullover your vehicle and turn it off for around a minute so that the system refreshes
- Start the engine again and let the car go through its usual precheck
- If it were a glitch, the error wouldn’t show up again
- If there truly is an error with StabiliTrak, the service message will pop up again.
Can I Keep on Driving With StabiliTrak Light On?
You can still drive with the StabiliTrak light on. While your vehicle won’t be as safe as it could be, you could still control it if you are a good driver.
Be wary when driving in slippery conditions or braking hard. The system won’t be there to compensate for any oversteer or understeer, and you will have to do it yourself.
Some drivers even switch off StabiliTrak to get a pure driving experience and feel in control at all times.
Warning: Your vehicle will be more susceptible to spinning out and sliding about than before. It could lead to accidents and even insurance forfeiture since the insurer could rule that you drove your vehicle with a critical safety system faulty.
How Much Does it Cost to Service StabiliTrak?
Servicing StabiliTrak could be anywhere between $30 and $1000 depending on what causes the fault. Replacing a sensor could be $30 in parts and $30 in labor, while a significant overhaul that involves troubleshooting the entire wiring system and module will cost more.
Another simple problem that could be expensive is replacing worn-out or inappropriately sized tires.
How to Turn Off Service StabiliTrak Warning
After fixing the StabiliTrak issues, you can either use a scanner to erase the error codes or drive your vehicle around.
Since it constantly checks related sensors and actuators, it will not pop back up if it infers that the system is in good health.
How to Turn Off StabiliTrak
Sometimes, you might want to turn StabiliTrak off as it will interfere with driving dynamics. An excellent example of occasions that don’t need this feature (and traction control) include:
- Driving on the track and you want your vehicle to drift
- Hardcore offroading where you want your tires spinning at all cost to maintain momentum
The actual procedure of turning this system off will vary from one vehicle model to another.