It's actually far less complicated. The aftermarket trailer brake is an external, binary system operated by the brake switch. Brake lights activated, trailer brakes activate too. There is no interaction with the StabiliTrak from a networking perspective. Physical force acting upon the tow vehicle could theoretically cause the Stabilitrak system to intervene, but it's not sophisticated enough (on the OP's vehicle) to consider outside forces acting upon it. It's going to take input from the sensors contained within the vehicle to attempt to correct what it perceives as an out-of-control situation independent of outside variables (like towing a trailer, tornado, ice, flooded road, bald tire, civil unrest, lava, black hole, etc.). It will make a best effort to maintain the assumed, intended direction irrespective of any of these things.
I don't think the OP was looking to tie a brake controller into his StabiliTrak system. Rather, he was referencing some verbiage in the manual that says a brake controller does not integrate into the Stabilitrak system. That statement is true on that model year truck.
GM does offer an integrated brake controller on its late model trucks that, when in Trailer Mode, considers potential sway and grade braking where StabiliTrak may intervene. In that case the system does indeed consider the fact that there are outside forces acting upon it. The OP's vehicle doesn't have that.
I don't think the OP was looking to tie a brake controller into his StabiliTrak system. Rather, he was referencing some verbiage in the manual that says a brake controller does not integrate into the Stabilitrak system. That statement is true on that model year truck.
GM does offer an integrated brake controller on its late model trucks that, when in Trailer Mode, considers potential sway and grade braking where StabiliTrak may intervene. In that case the system does indeed consider the fact that there are outside forces acting upon it. The OP's vehicle doesn't have that.
I've towed lots of stuff with my StabiliTrak equipped Avalanche, with and without an aftermarket brake controller, without any problems. Stabilitrak uses a combination of wheel speed, steering wheel position, throttle position, brake position, yaw and pitch sensors to determine whether the vehicle is moving in the intended direction. If it's not, it will reduce engine power and/or apply the brakes to straighten you out. I can tell you that NOTHING gets past it. It won't let me fishtail around corners or do donuts in the snow. It stops those shennanigans immediately. It's pretty impressive. I've never had a trailer "fool" it nor has it ever intervened unintentionally.
Except for the newer models where you can get a factory brake controller integrated with the Stabilitrak, an aftermarket brake controller functions as it normally would without problems.
Except for the newer models where you can get a factory brake controller integrated with the Stabilitrak, an aftermarket brake controller functions as it normally would without problems.
More and more functions, that used to be separate, are now 'highly integrated'
Meaning that they are integrated into the main computer and I'm still
not sure they have master/slave completely understood yet...plus
wonder if they understand industrial/robotic/etc level of 'real time'
Call/email the vendor of the brake controller you are contemplating
for advice on how their controller will work with StabiliTrak
StabiliTrak is tied into your vans computer system (Highly Integrated)
and uses the ABS braking system to brake individual wheels to
get it back on track during a sway/etc condition
I can see why they say no brake controller...as the sensor(s) for
that sway/etc might mistake input from a braking trailer as something
else going on....and....brake the wrong wheel trying to correct
that miss-input...
GMFleet tech site description of StabiliTrak
Meaning that they are integrated into the main computer and I'm still
not sure they have master/slave completely understood yet...plus
wonder if they understand industrial/robotic/etc level of 'real time'
Call/email the vendor of the brake controller you are contemplating
for advice on how their controller will work with StabiliTrak
StabiliTrak is tied into your vans computer system (Highly Integrated)
and uses the ABS braking system to brake individual wheels to
get it back on track during a sway/etc condition
I can see why they say no brake controller...as the sensor(s) for
that sway/etc might mistake input from a braking trailer as something
else going on....and....brake the wrong wheel trying to correct
that miss-input...
GMFleet tech site description of StabiliTrak
