Cadillac Owners Forum banner

Service Stability System, then almost no brakes - and usually when it's wet

1K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  kevm14 
#1 ·
So tonight, I turned on the car. It was raining, and I got a "service stability system soon" message on the screen. I have had these in the past, and actually had had one the day before.

As soon as I start driving, I realize the car has almost no braking power at all. In fact, it's frightening. So I turn the car off and then back on at a light, and the brakes come back to full power - but now my trac control light on the dash is illuminated (off). So I drive on for a bit, then turn it off and on again, and voila, everything is perfect.

Does anyone know what could be causing the brake issue? Not the first time the car has had limited stopping power in the rain.
 
#2 ·
This is a complete shot in the dark, but it's possible that the brake booster hose is collapsing under pressure, and you're losing power assist. I've had this happen to me on other, lesser (read: less complicated) vehicles, it's plausible that you could have a similar condition?
 
#3 ·
Do you have headers? Electrical issue perhaps. Type of thing that happened before my alt cable put a hole in the header.
 
#5 ·
My steering position sensor was bad and I know twice it made my brakes feel like mush, all the way to the floor, it would also kick my cruise off on flat level road at random andn apply one front brake. Scary stuff.
 
#7 ·
thanks for the opinions guys.


The brakes don't feel like mush - but it does feel like a total lack of power assist. I've done some reading on the other service stability system threads and I can't find anything that matches my issues so far - no one else is reporting the braking problem, and I don't have any wheel jerking or random stability engagement. :(
 
#9 ·
The Service Stability System condition is most often remedied by replacing one of the three sensors (steering, wheel, or yaw) but, the troubleshooting literature indicates that intermittent conditions are usually from problems with wiring, connectors, or grounds assoicated with the system. Since wet conditions are also related to your problem, I suspect some sort of water intrusion into one or more connectors.

If it were mine, I would check the level of brake fluid (also mentioned in the trouble shooting charts) and the connections and grounds I could find readily. Beyond that, I would take to the dealer or other shop that has the scan tools required to trouble shoot the system. I personally, don't like to take chances with anything that shuts down either the steering or brakes on the car.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top