What Does Service StabiliTrak Warning Light Mean ?

The StabiliTrak system is a vital function like the traction control system (TCS) that helps to ensure your safety as you drive, especially on a slippery road. However, many people do not understand its operation and what the service StabiliTrak light means when it automatically turns on in the vehicle’s dashboard.

As a safety measure light, you must not ignore its appearance; because doing so may endanger your life if you continue to drive without paying attention to it.

Suppose you are wondering what the StabiliTrak system means, how it works, and the meaning of the StabiliTrak warning light. Read on to learn the relevant information about it.

Service StabiliTrak Explained 

StabiliTrak is an electronic stability control system that is similar to the traction control system (TCS) of a car to a certain extent. However, it performs a different function compared to the traction control system.

While the traction control system helps to limit the degree of power distributed to the various wheels of your car to avoid tire slippage, StabiliTrak enables your vehicle to control the turning effect more precisely, irrespective of the road condition.

The StabiliTrak system works by using speed sensors and steering angle sensors to help enhance the effectiveness of your car’s steering wheels and tires when compared to the driver’s intention.

For instance, if you are driving on a slippery (snowy) road and your car begins to fishtail, the StabiliTrak system will sense the driver’s intended direction using the tilt angle of the steering wheel. And it will quickly activate in the brake’s most effective side to help prevent skidding automatically. This helps the car not to sway or move drastically away from its drive lane during a quick turning of the steering wheel. It is a maneuver system.

While driving, if your vehicle begins to fishtail and moves in a direction opposite to the steering wheel direction, the StabiliTrak will engage the car’s outside brakes. Thus, the motion of the tires can be reduced appropriately so that the vehicle moves in your intended direction.

However, it is better to turn off stability control and traction control at times, especially when you are in a situation where your car is stuck.

StabiliTrak reduces engine power in a situation with the possibility of the tires skidding so the vehicle can gain more stability. But that may not be ideal when your car is stuck and needs more engine power to get it out of being stuck.

When the Service StabiliTrak lights pop up in the dashboard, it indicates one or more of the components involved in properly functioning the system is defective and needs immediate attention.

Symptoms Of Service StabiliTrak Issue

There are several obvious symptoms that you cannot ignore when your car has a StabiliTrak issue. Some of the symptoms are:

What Causes The Service StabiliTrak Light To Come On?

Although the StabiliTrak system combines a car’s steering wheel, brake system, and traction system, there are several challenges outside the areas that relate to its functionality that cause the service StabiliTrak light to come on. Some reasons why your car’s StabiliTrak light may come on are listed below:-

The above-listed issues are some of the challenges that cause the service StabiliTrak light to come on. Some people confirmed that their vehicle’s StabiliTrak light comes on when they use E85 fuel but automatically disappears once they run their tank dry on the fuel and refill with the typical gasoline. Always pay attention to fuel indication signs.

Also, a bad fuel pump may not always lead to your car’s StabiliTrak light turning on, although it does at times. Therefore, you must endeavor to keep an eye on your car’s StabiliTrak light whenever it comes on and check out any possible causes outlined above.

Meanwhile, when there is a StabiliTrak issue in your car, there will always be symptoms to project the problem. You must pay attention to the service traction control and StabiliTrak service notifications.

Service StabiliTrak Chevy

The StabiliTrak of a Chevy operates by getting information on the driver’s intention from the steering wheel position sensor. The sensor compares the vehicle’s wheel’s position to its actual steering response to correct the car’s movement in the right direction. Therefore, a malfunction projected by the service StabiliTrak of a Chevy Cruze may alter this function.

 You can hit the road with an assurance of maintaining control over your vehicle’s movement because your Chevrolet’s StabiliTrak system allows for the adjustment of brake or engine torque in correlation to what the StabiliTrak system detects as it functions.

This can help prevent you from an accident because the brake reduces the wheel slip during a swerve and alters Chevy’s trajectory completely.

StabiliTrak Sensor Location

The previous information in this article has given you details on how the StabiliTrak works, the symptoms, and the possible causes of the issues you might have with a Chevy StabiliTrak sensor. Now, you might be wondering, where exactly can you find this sensor When the StabiliTrak light comes on?., The location of the StabiliTrak sensors may differ from vehicle to vehicle, depending on the vehicle models. For GMC StabiliTrak sensor location and most vehicles’ StabiliTrak sensor Location, it is always linked together with the EBCM(Electronic brake control system), which is also known as the ABS (Anti-lock braking system) for some vehicle models; This module also houses the chevy StabiliTrak sensor.

The StabiliTrak sensor is not always a stand-alone sensor since it functions using a combination of information provided by the steering angle sensor, speed sensors, and Engine power. Still, the StabiliTrak has a switch that helps toggle its function on and off, depending on the driver’s preference. The EBCM helps to coordinate all the information needed to activate the StabiliTrak; it is just like the brain box behind the design of this function. After the coordination of the signals received from the steering and speed sensors, the EBCM/ ABS now sends signals to the PCM/ECM, which then processes the information to determine if the engine power needs to be reduced.

The Stabilitrak does not have a specific sensor; it combines different sensor inputs for optimum efficiency. The StabiliTrak has a switch, which can be located on the steering wheel for some vehicle models, at the center dash control panel, and for some Vehicle models, its switch option can be found on the dashboard.

How To Reset Service StabiliTrak Issue

Once you notice that your car’s service StabiliTrak warning light is on, it is time to pay attention to the issue and find out what could be wrong, as well as a possible way to curb the challenge. Since the StabiliTrak warning light is a sign of a malfunction, the following steps will help you rectify the issue.

Step 1: Pullover: Immediately you find your vehicle’s StabiliTrak warning light on, the first thing you must do is find a suitable location and pullover. 

Step 2: Turn off the engine: After getting a good place to pull over, turn off your car’s engine for about 20 to 30 seconds; this will ensure that all systems can refresh.

Step 3: Start the engine: Start the car after the recommended period. The warning light should disappear after you do this. However, if it still appears, you may have to consult a professional auto mechanic to carefully diagnose the component that may be defective, which relates to the StabiliTrak system, thereby projecting the warning light.

Related Queries 

How much does it cost to fix the service StabiliTrak?

A car’s service StabiliTrak cost is estimated at around $80 to $200; this includes labor costs of about $45 to $100 and parts costs of about $35 to $100, respectively. There may be some price variation from one location or service center to another.

Some parts sellers may include shipping costs if they have to ship the parts to you in another location. Maybe you could find out the price from the service center near you.

Can I drive with the aStabiliTrak light on?

It depends. If you are considering whether it is safe to drive while your car’s TCS or StabiliTrak light is on, it could be safe to drive with your car’s StabiliTrak light on if it comes on when it seems your vehicle is losing traction. It is a sign that the TCS is engaging quite alright.

When you drive without your car’s traction control, the vehicle is susceptible to sliding around or spinning out of the road. Therefore, you must ensure that the system is in good condition.

How do I turn off service StabiliTrak?

If your car’s service StabiliTrak light comes on automatically and you need to turn it off, follow these simple steps:

However, this process may not be the same for every car; hence, you must check your car’s manufacturer’s manual to ascertain where to find your car’s traction control button. You will usually locate it close to the steering wheel on the left side.

Can StabiliTrak cause a car to stall?

StabiliTrak can stall your car when the stability control system malfunctions when your car is fishtailing, and the system cannot remedy the problem. When this happens, the vehicle may not have enough power to get through the obstacle; hence, it could stall, and the engine may go off.

What is the difference between stability control and traction control?

Stability control is different from traction control. Stability control involves cutting power and brake wheels to enable a car to move in the direction the driver points. It helps to maneuver a vehicle from the wrong path, especially when driving on a snowy road.

Meanwhile, traction control limits the vehicle’s wheels from spinning. It may not help the vehicle maneuver back to the direction the driver points. All stability control involves traction control, but all traction control does not include stability control. However, both functionalities are vital for you to enjoy a fair ride.

Final Words

Since your car’s StabiliTrak system helps ensure your safety as you drive, it would be helpful to keep an eye on the service StabiliTrak warning light if it pops up.

If you ever discover the warning light on, it is not the time to manage your car driving around until you think it is convenient to check it out. Ensure to pull over and try out the quick-fix way recommended in this article.

However, if the light remains on persistently, you may have to seek the attention of an expert auto mechanic to help you remedy the situation.