2008 GMC Sierra 1500 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 265

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 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®, ABS and brake 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. 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® light will flash and the 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. 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 Your vehicle may have this feature. Engine power is sent to all four wheels all the time. 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. 4-7