When the StabiliTrak® system has been turned offyou may still hear system noises as a result ofthe brake-traction control coming on.To limit wheel spin and realize the full benefits of thestability enhancement system, you should normallyleave StabiliTrak® on, but it may be necessary to turnthe system off if your vehicle is stuck in sand, mud,ice or snow, and you want to “rock” your vehicleto attempt to free it. It may also be necessary to turn offthe system when driving in extreme off-road conditionswhere high wheel spin is required. See If You Are Stuck:In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-42.Traction Control OperationThe traction control system is part of the StabiliTrak®system. Traction control limits wheel spin by reducingengine power to the wheels (engine speedmanagement) and by applying brakes to each individualwheel (brake-traction control) as necessary.The traction control system is enabled automaticallywhen you start your vehicle, and it will activateand display the TRACTION ACTIVE message in theDriver Information Center (DIC) if it senses that any ofthe wheels are spinning or beginning to lose tractionwhile driving. If you turn off StabiliTrak®, only thebrake-traction control portion of traction control will work.The engine speed management will be disabled.In this state, engine power is not reduced automaticallyand the driven wheels can spin more freely. Thiscan cause the brake-traction control to activateconstantly. For more information on the traction activemessage, see Driver Information Center (DIC) onpage 3-46.Notice: If the traction off light comes on due toheavy braking and/or because the traction controlsystem has been continuously active, do notallow the wheel(s) of one axle to spin excessively.If you do, you may be causing damage to thetransfer case. This could lead to costly repairs notcovered by your warranty.If the brake traction-control system activates constantlyor if the brakes have heated up due to high-speedbraking, brake traction-control will be disabled and theTRACTION SYS LIMITED message will be displayed.In the limited mode, the traction control system will onlyuse engine traction-control and is limited in its abilityto provide optimal performance since the system will notutilize brake traction-control to control slip on thedrive wheels. The system will return to normal operationafter the brakes have cooled. This can take up totwo minutes or longer depending on brake usage.4-10
