Cadillac ESCALADE EXT 2003 Manual page 251

Stabilitrak@ and part of the
traction control system can
be turned off or back on
by pressing the
Stabilitrak@ button located
on the instrument panel.
When the system is turned off, the traction off light will
illuminate, and the STABILITY SYS DISABLED
message will appear on the DIC to warn the driver that
both the stability system and part of the traction
control system are disabled. Your vehicle will still have
brake-traction control when Stabilitrak@ is off, but
will not be able to use the engine speed management
system. See "Traction Control Operation'' next for
more information.
When the Stabilitrak@ system has been turned
off
you
may still hear 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 your vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice
or snow, and you want to "rock your 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 You Are Stuck:
In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-44.
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, and it will activate and
display the TRACTION ACTIVE message in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) if it senses that any of the
wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction while
driving. If you turn off Stabilitrak@ , only the brake-traction
control portion of traction control will work. The engine
speed management will be disabled. In this state, engine
power is not reduced automatically and the driven wheels
can spin more freely. This can cause the brake-traction
control to activate constantly. For more information on the
traction active message, see Driver Information Center
(DIC) on page 3-46.
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