The traction control system on the first generation of Chevy Equinox is known to have problems. This writeup aims to give you relevant information to help you diagnose issues with the Chevy Equinox traction control light. There are many reasons for the traction control light to come on. Traction control is complicated business.
The good news is that if the traction control light is on, there’ll be trouble codes. A code scanner will give you all the details that you need to diagnose what is going on with the vehicle. A really good one will even give you the ability to run some diagnostic tests on your Equinox.
Equinox Traction Control Light Causes
Wheel Speed Sensors– The same wheel speed sensors that help the anti-lock brakes judge the speed of all four wheels also work with the traction control system. These are far and away the most common reason the traction control system fails.
If any them fail, it’ll cause your ABS and traction control to no longer receive the necessary signal from the wheels.
Wheel speed sensors are going to be the main point of failure when there is something wrong with a traction control system in general. They go bad over time, like anything else.
A bad wheel speed sensor can and will illuminate the ABS and traction control light on the dashboard. So if your ABS light is off, but your traction control light is on it’s a safe bet that the wheel speed sensors are ok. Make sure to get the trouble codes out of the computer though.
EGR Valve- A bad EGR valve can cause a failure in the traction control system. This is the most common point of failure for the Equinox, other than the wheel speed sensors.
This Youtube video describes everything about what you’d need to do to diagnose and fix a traction control light on an Equinox.
Conclusion
While you can operate your Chevy Equinox with no traction control or ABS, you should really get it to a mechanic as soon as you can.
Traction control and ABS save lives. They could save yours. Vehicle stability systems have been around for so long now that many people have never driven without them.