How To Service Traction Control On 2008 Gnc Truck

How to Set Chevy "Service StabiliTrak" & "Service Traction Command"

Early to mid 2000'south Chevy trucks and suburbans have a common trouble with the stabilitrak and traction control service lights appearing on the dash. For about truck owners, the warning lights occur frequently when the truck is idling and and then disappears and reappears while driving. The "Service Stabilitrak" light will usually appear first and then the car volition plow traction command off. One time traction control is turned off, the transmission beings to shift very hard and rough.

Additionally, the warning light nearly usually appears in cold temperatures. Loss of engine power and or limp mode are too symptoms in addition to very difficult shifting. While not isolated to these engines, the problem is most common in 2007-2013 trucks with the 5.3 Vortec and AFM.

What is Stabilitrak?

Traction control obviously help you gain traction on depression-traction surfaces, such as snowfall and water ice. Stabilitrak is some other "electronic stability control" system, but information technology serves a dissimilar purpose than traction control. Traction control will limit power to various wheels to help your Chevy go from stop to start when there is low traction on the road.

Stabilitrak helps your automobile become in a straight line once it is already moving. The organization uses sensors to determine the position of the steering wheel and tires compared to the management the automobile is moving. If you lot are on a glace road and begin to fishtail, Stabilitrak will boot-in to help right your path. If your machine is fish tailing to the right, but you take your tires and steering wheel pointed towards the left, Stabilitrak volition apply the brake on the outside front tire to straighten the machine out.

Stabilitrak is connected to your Chevy's stability control system, your wheels and steering cycle via sensors, and to your brakes. Because its a continued system, multiple issues can cause the "Service Stabilitrak" light to appear in your Chevy.

What Causes the Service Stabilitrak Light?

Despite the system being steering, braking, and traction related, a number of engine and other bug can cause this warning light. Overall, nosotros take seen Service Stabilitrak acquired past a scattering of issues. And the right ready here seems to vary widely by vehicle. Here are the most likely causes, in my best attempt to rank them in order of frequency:

E85 Fuel: many people report their service stabilitrak light disappearing after running their tank dry on E85 fuel and changing back to traditional gasoline
- Changing the fuel filters might gear up information technology as well
Agile Fuel Direction: try turning off AFM (view our guide here on how to turn off AFM)
Failed Throttle Position Sensor or defective Throttle Body Assembly
Bad Steering Wheel Position Sensor
Throttle Position Sensor
Tire Pressure Monitor Sensors
ABS Sensors
Brake Switch
Body Control Module
Engines Misfires / Erstwhile Ignition Coils and Spark Plugs
Bad Fuel Pump: doesn't appear to be very mutual
Lifter Failure: also less mutual

Unfortunately, the dealers are relatively unhelpful when information technology comes to diagnosing the upshot. Codes generally do not appear for this upshot and the trouble is very intermittent making information technology difficult to diagnose. Additionally, as shown above, a number of things accept been know to cause this issue and the set up tends to vary.

It appears most problems are acquired past fuel, AFM, or something around the throttle trunk. Still, years afterward there yet isn't really one known cause or fix for this issue unfortunately. E85 fuel appears to be the most common culprit so my first recommendation is to try using regular gasoline for a tank or two and so plough AFM off information technology keeps appearing afterwards that.

There are thousands of forum threads on this. I did my best to synthesize all of the information. Considering this trouble is nevertheless a mystery today, there could be a number of other issues causing service stabilitrak but I did my best to include all the common culprits I could discover.

Symptoms of Stabilitrak and Traction Control Bug

Difficult shifting
Warning lights actualization
Loss of ability / limp manner
Trouble codes that accept appeared alongside the issue:
- C0561: ABS Disabled
- P0011: Camshaft Positioning A
- P0521: Engine Oil Pressure level Sensor
- P0121: Pedal Position Sensor
- *Getting no engine codes is common*

Can I Go along Driving with the Stabilitrak Lite On?

Your Chevy truck is withal drivable with both the stabilitrak and traction control lights on. However, you may find a lack of power and 90% of the time the problem is accompanied with hard shifts. While still drivable, hard shifts are not good for a manual.

Hard shifting usually occurs from low transmission fluid, which means the metal components within the transmission are rubbing on each other with a lot of friction. Withal, in the service stabilitrak situation, it generally has zippo to practise with low fluid levels. Notwithstanding, the internal manual components are rubbing difficult against each other which is what causes the "hard shift" feeling.

Why the transmission hard shifts with stabilitrak bug is still unknown. With that being said, driving while hard shifting can cause serious wear and tear on your transmission and is not recommended.

Jake is an automotive enthusiast who has been blogging near Chevy'southward and European cars for years. With technical cognition on performance modifications and engine problems, Jake has a passion for helping car enthusiasts prepare bug and accomplish their performance goals.