Q: Car powers down & says service traction & ESC Light

Hello. When the vehicle detects some instability or if it detects that it cannot control the stability system then this will occur. Many times this happens because of low voltage in the electrical system. I always start by load testing the battery and the alternator and making sure that all of the battery connections are good.

If those are fine, then I use my computer scan tool to check the control module for codes which would indicate why the light is being turned on. If nothing comes up, then I drive the vehicle with the scan too installed to see which sensors are reading incorrectly as it may simply be a bad sensor. If you need to have this service traction system light checked, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose and repair this and any other issues that have emerged.