Traction Control Operation; All-Wheel Drive (Awd) System - Cadillac 2008 Escalade EXT Owner's Manual

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 you start your vehicle. It will activate and the
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StabiliTrak light will flash if it senses that any of the
wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction while
driving. If you turn off traction control, 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 you allow the wheel(s) of one axle to spin
excessively while the StabiliTrak
warning lights and the SERVICE STABILITRAK
message are displayed, you could damage the
transfer case. The repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Reduce engine power and do not
spin the wheel(s) excessively while these lights and
this message are displayed.
4-8
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, ABS and brake
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, 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
cruise control will automatically disengage. When
road conditions allow you to use cruise again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. See Cruise Control
on page 3-11.
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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,
you should see your dealer for service.

All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System

With this feature, engine power is sent to all four wheels
at all times. This is like four-wheel drive, but there is no
separate lever or switch to engage or disengage the front
axle. It is fully automatic, and adjusts itself as needed for
road conditions. See StabiliTrak
more information.
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light will flash and the
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System on page 4-6 for