Cal Club Autocross Forums

Just read an article on the new Boss 302 Mustang. What's the deal with the TracKey feature? Basically it's an option that remaps the ECU when you turn the key. Is it stock legal since it's a factory option?

Kurt,
I don't know the answer but wouild love to know it. I might be interested in that car. It would be an A Stock car though. I would love to know how much camber you can get in a stock mode as well. I guess patience will have to prevail.

On the track key thoug - as I read it it came as a package with Recaro Seats and LSD. This sound factory to me.

Ken Lord wrote:Kurt,
I don't know the answer but wouild love to know it. I might be interested in that car. It would be an A Stock car though. I would love to know how much camber you can get in a stock mode as well. I guess patience will have to prevail.

On the track key thoug - as I read it it came as a package with Recaro Seats and LSD. This sound factory to me.

Ken! Resist the Dark Side!!! HP is an evil lure, but like all things with Beelzebub, in the end you will be left soul-less as you no longer have handling!

Stock class? You mean that class that makes you run 19" and 20" wheels and rubber?

I remember reading that the Track Key would not be stock legal since it is issued by the dealer, not the factory. Something like that - check SCCAForums as I don't recall exactly what the argument was.

Dealer installed options are not stock legal - from Ford media:

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Lets Loose with TracKey; Choose Stock or Full-Race Calibration

* TracKey, available for 2012 Mustang Boss 302 owners through Ford dealers, adds TracMode powertrain control software to the car for track use, providing full race calibration and two-stage launch control in addition to stock calibration, without compromising factory warranty
* Using a dual-path powertrain control module (PCM), TracKey software is installed after the vehicle is purchased, accessed by a specially programmed vehicle key; new code coexists with stock Boss software, allowing drivers to choose between street or track use simply by selecting a key
* No aftermarket chips or permanent modifications are made when TracKey is used, allowing owners to return to the stock setting by starting the car with a regular key

For More Information
Visit the 2012 Boss 302 Mini Site

You hold two keys: One has a black Boss logo, the other red: Either will start your 2012 Mustang Boss 302. Slide the all-black key into the lock cylinder, give it a twist and you’re treated to 444 ponies’ worth of smooth, streetable driving joy. Or choose red – the TracKey – and you have a competition-ready track car.

To unleash the competition-ready track car features enabled by the Boss red key, an authorized Ford dealer installs TracKey powertrain control module (PCM) software after the customer takes delivery. The result is an aggressive, race-bred driving experience all the way down to the lopey idle rumbling through the Boss quad exhaust.

A joint project between Mustang engineers and Ford Racing, TracKey adds a second set of PCM software to a customer’s Mustang Boss 302, activated by the specially programmed vehicle key. When invoked by TracKey, the new TracMode software alters more than 400 engine management parameters, increasing low-end torque and turning the potent but well-mannered stock Boss into a competition-ready track car. Remove TracKey and start Boss with the standard key, and all factory engine settings are restored for a comfortable drive home from the course.

“From an engine management standpoint, we’ve done just about everything possible to give TracKey users a full race car experience,” explains Jeff Seaman, Mustang powertrain engineer. “It’s not for use on the street – for example, the deceleration is set up to preserve the brakes, and the throttle response is very aggressive. A skilled driver on a closed course will really appreciate the benefits.”

As part of the TracKey software package, Ford engineers also devised a two-stage launch control feature similar to that used on the Cobra Jet race car. Using a combination of steering wheel buttons, drivers can set the tach needle to a desired launch rpm. Floor the throttle and the engine will rev to the preset rpm until the clutch is released, helping aid acceleration and vehicle control from a standing start.

One key, hundreds of changes
Devised during an all-night garage brainstorming session among core Mustang team members, TracKey introduces the concept known as the dual-path powertrain control module. The industry-first, patent-pending innovation allows two separate sets of engine management software to exist on a single PCM, selected through the existing SecuriLock® Passive Anti-Theft System (PATS) transceiver found in current production keys.

“Anything that could possibly affect all-out performance is deleted from the TracKey calibration,” said Dave Pericak, Mustang chief engineer. “Throttle limiting and torque management – any daily driveability enhancements are removed and replaced with a pure Ford Racing competition calibration.”

When the red TracKey is removed and the vehicle is started with the standard key, the PCM settings are automatically drawn from the factory Boss 302 instruction set again without any additional modifications needed – a huge advantage over aftermarket tuning chips and ECU reprogramming. The convenience is useful for enthusiasts who want all-out performance at the racetrack but stock driveability for the journey there and back.

An after-hours obsession
In the early stages of TracKey development, a major challenge was the complexity of installing multiple PCM computers and switching between them. However, Ford controls engineers developed a method to choose between two unique sets of software in a single powertrain control module on the Boss 302: The dual-path PCM was born.

“We installed the 302R software on the same PCM that held the stock Boss software,” says Seaman. “Then the controls engineers developed a software system to activate one or the other, depending upon which key was used to start the vehicle. Really, all the parts to make this work existed – the Ford MyKey® system was already using the PATS transceiver to perform specific actions based on the key used to start the car, and the PCM was flexible enough to handle multiple control modules. It was just putting everything together.”

As the project unfolded, the team was driven by the uniqueness of what they were trying to accomplish, and TracKey became an obsession. Considering the compressed time frame in which the technology was developed, motivation was essential to the creation of the finished product.

“We’ve all been really excited about TracKey, so it came together quickly,” explained Pericak. “The concept was first discussed in spring 2009, and 18 months later we had a finished, tested, verified product. It’s a perfect example of what can happen when you get a core, cross-functional team willing to contribute 24/7 to bring a great idea to life.”

TracKey powertrain software installation and key programming will be available to 2012 Mustang Boss 302 owners through Ford Racing authorized dealers. Pricing will be announced at a later date.

Ken Lord wrote:Kurt,
I don't know the answer but wouild love to know it. I might be interested in that car. It would be an A Stock car though. I would love to know how much camber you can get in a stock mode as well. I guess patience will have to prevail.

On the track key thoug - as I read it it came as a package with Recaro Seats and LSD. This sound factory to me.

Ken, check out the May issue of Fastrak. The Boss 302 is on the Stock exclusion list.

Vincent Wong wrote:

Ken Lord wrote:Kurt,
I don't know the answer but wouild love to know it. I might be interested in that car. It would be an A Stock car though. I would love to know how much camber you can get in a stock mode as well. I guess patience will have to prevail.

On the track key thoug - as I read it it came as a package with Recaro Seats and LSD. This sound factory to me.

Ken, check out the May issue of Fastrak. The Boss 302 is on the Stock exclusion list.

That is only the Laguna Seca edition, the standard 302 was moved from the exclusion list to AS.

Vincent Wong wrote:

Ken Lord wrote:Kurt,
I don't know the answer but wouild love to know it. I might be interested in that car. It would be an A Stock car though. I would love to know how much camber you can get in a stock mode as well. I guess patience will have to prevail.

On the track key thoug - as I read it it came as a package with Recaro Seats and LSD. This sound factory to me.

Ken, check out the May issue of Fastrak. The Boss 302 is on the Stock exclusion list.

Nenvermind, just checked that the Laguna Seca version is on the exclusion list.

Jason Isley BS RX8 wrote:

* TracKey, available for 2012 Mustang Boss 302 owners through Ford dealers

That line in and of itself doesn't mean to me it's dealer installed. It doesn't mean it not either.

To the best of my knowledge you can only buy a
*Solar sunroof, available on a 2011 Pruis 4 through a Toyota Dealer.

etc, etc... for other models and makes.

This says you can buy a 2012 Mustang Boss 302, from a Ford dealer. Nothing special about that.

Farther down however in your quote, it does mentions the software is factory installed.

Craig Naylor wrote:Farther down however in your quote, it does mentions the software is factory installed.

Yeah, from my understanding, the software itself is loaded into every car, and you need to buy the key from the dealer to unlock it. Still ambiguous to me. But I guess if they've already addressed it, then debating is moot.

Kurt Ra wrote: But I guess if they've already addressed it, then debating is moot.

The SAC/SEB love to beat dead horses.... Write a letter.

KJ Christopher wrote:

Kurt Ra wrote: But I guess if they've already addressed it, then debating is moot.

The SAC/SEB love to beat dead horses.... Write a letter.

There're two items to the track key that make it illegal for stock (iirc): 1. The dealer has to activate and the part number billed is FRPP 2. There's question about the wording of "not for highway use", even though it is supposed to be emissions compliant.

But, it does present an interesting intro to the whole ECU tune in stock question...

Front camber should be in the same range as the Shelby, as the service manual for the Boss is the same...which allows the crash bolts under the current rule. Springs might be a little different height, however, so figure somewhere in the -2.3 to -2.0 range as a good estimate.

As far as dead horses go..yeah, we like to beat on them...they aren't moving, so that makes it pretty easy

KJ Christopher wrote:

Kurt Ra wrote: But I guess if they've already addressed it, then debating is moot.

The SAC/SEB love to beat dead horses.... Write a letter.

I don't have a deceased equine in this race. Just interested in general.

for example, the deceleration is set up to preserve the brakes.

The key must activate a jake brake?