# Traction Control and/or StabiliTrak??



## SilverIce2012 (Aug 9, 2012)

I've owned my Cruze for 2 days now ( love it so far  I read the owners manual but am still VERY confused abt when to turn on/off Traction Control and when to turn on/off StabiliTrak??? hope you can help, thanks!


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## Randdon (Jul 30, 2012)

For the most part, you leave the Stabilitrak on. There may be times on wet roads or slippery roads that you may want to turn it off but that would be for advanced driving techniques. BUT the time you would most likely want to turn it off is where you may be stuck in mud or snow and the only way other than a tow to get out of the mess your in is to blast out of the mud or snow! With the traction control on, it will apply the brakes on the spinning wheel thus leaving you stuck in the mud or snow ...

Or if you just want to have plain old fun and you want the wheels to spin a bit or the rear to slide a bit ... then again, traction control would have to be disabled!

Some traction controls systems in the past, were so sensitive to wheel spin, that some cars would come to a grinding halt on slippery surfaces due to the systems inability to differenciate between slight slipping and spinning! Mercedes for one had this issue.

Hope this helps!


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## SilverIce2012 (Aug 9, 2012)

OK, StabiliTrak on...what abt Traction Control? THANKS!!!!:sigh:


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

SilverIce2012 said:


> I've owned my Cruze for 2 days now ( love it so far  I read the owners manual but am still VERY confused abt when to turn on/off Traction Control and when to turn on/off StabiliTrak??? hope you can help, thanks!




SilverIce2012,
I would like to congratulate you on your new Cruze! It is a great car to own! I would also like to welcome you to the forum! This is a great place to get information as well as advice on your Cruze from a really great group of people!

In regards to your question; The Traction Control System (TCS) limits wheel spin. On a front-wheel-drive vehicle, the system operates if it senses that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the system brakes the spinning wheel(s), and/or reduces engine power to limit wheel spin. TCS is on whenever the vehicle is started. To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions, the system should always be left on. But, TCS can be turned off if needed.

The StabiliTrak is an advanced computer controlled system that assists with directional control of the vehicle in difficult driving conditions. StabiliTrak activates when the computer senses a difference between the intended path, and the direction the vehicle is actually traveling. StabiliTrak selectively applies braking pressure at any one of the vehicle's brakes to help steer the vehicle in the intended direction. StabiliTrak is on automatically whenever the vehicle is started. To assist with directional control of the vehicle, the system should always be left on. I hope this helps you! I am always here and happy to help in any way that I can so please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions, comments or concerns that you may have.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Leave them both on unless you have a specific reason to turn one or both off. There is actually a warning in the owners' manual about potential damage to the car if you keep them off.

<Rant> Thank you US Nanny Government forcing this crap on us. Better driver's education and stricter road testing, to include skid recovery tests, would have been much better for everyone. </Rant>


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Press and hold briefly the button to the left of the gear lever to turn off the traction control. Press and hold for 5 seconds to turn off both traction and stability control. 

The only times I've turned off both were in snowy parking lots to do donuts. The only time traction control ever had to come off when on public roads was when it killed wheelspin heading up a snow-covered hill, leaving me stuck on the hill. Turning it off let me safely ascend the hill throwing up giant roostertails of snow. 

Unlike other GM cars, the off button really does appear to turn the systems off, not into a reduced sensitivity mode. 

If you're driving on public roads in fair weather, leave these on. In foul weather, leave it on. Turn it off only when there's a specific situation they're interfering with.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Be forwarned, the stabilitrak system in this car is very sensitive. When I take the corner from C-470 eastbound to I-25 northbound at the posted speed limit, it will sometimes trigger as I come off the bridge. The exit from the bridge is somewhat bumpy and if I don't hit the line just right the car bounces side to side enough that it thinks its lost traction even though it hasn't. This has the documented side effect of turning off the Cruze control. Unfortunately there is no adjustment to this systems sensitivity that your dealership can do.


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## mr_raider (Aug 13, 2011)

Leave Stabiltrak (yaw control) on unless you know what you are doing. Traction control can be problematic is some cases where you want to generate wheelspin. You may consider turning it off when you are stuck in deep snow or mud, or are trying to rock the car back and forth to get out of a snowbank.


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## Nancy Kannel (Jun 20, 2013)

I am having the same issues with my Chevy Cruze. It is incredibly unsafe to drive the car when you intermittently lose power steering. What is more disturbing is that Chevy is MORE than aware of this problem, and has done nothing about it. Our service department has never even heard of it. How many posts are on this site? This is the last Chevy I will own, when the company cares none for our safety. And not to mention that our service department can't even fix it.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Nancy Kannel said:


> I am having the same issues with my Chevy Cruze. It is incredibly unsafe to drive the car when you intermittently lose power steering. What is more disturbing is that Chevy is MORE than aware of this problem, and has done nothing about it. Our service department has never even heard of it. How many posts are on this site? This is the last Chevy I will own, when the company cares none for our safety. And not to mention that our service department can't even fix it.


Loosing power steering and traction control/stabilitrak are two completely different issues. We have not had a rash of lost power steering, nor are there numerous NHTSA complaints about loss of power steering for either the Cruze or the Volt, which uses the same steering system.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Nancy Kannel said:


> I am having the same issues with my Chevy Cruze. It is incredibly unsafe to drive the car when you intermittently lose power steering. What is more disturbing is that Chevy is MORE than aware of this problem, and has done nothing about it. Our service department has never even heard of it. How many posts are on this site? This is the last Chevy I will own, when the company cares none for our safety. And not to mention that our service department can't even fix it.


Nancy Kannel,

I am sorry that you feel this way about your vehicle and are not satisfied with the service you were given. If you would like for us to look further into this for you please let us know.

Amber N.
Chevrolet Customer Care


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