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AdvanceTrac error at track day advice please

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Hi all,

At my last track day at Pitt Race I was running with AdvanceTrac full off when I began feeling it creep back in and at the most inappropriate times, applying brakes on the straights randomly until finally a warning came up in the instrument cluster "Service AdvanceTrac", also traction control and stability control icons illuminated solid. My AdvanceTrac defeat button quit responding meaning it was full on and there was nothing I could do. Luckily it happened in the last session before the skies opened up.

I have had some AdvanceTrac errors before but it usually cleared itself up by the time I reached the pits, and if not I would park, turn the ignition off then on again and it would reset. This time was different.

I brought it into the paddock, I scanned the car with three different scanners and no codes were found. I drove it around the pits, and I even disconnected the battery a while. Still the error in the cluster remained. It wasn't until bringing it home and driving on the streets for several miles during the Woodward Dream cruise that it finally went out.

I need to figure out the root cause of the error because this will ruin entire track days. I will be taking the car apart tonight for inspection. Any advice is welcome,

John

See mods in sig. Running 305 Pirreli DH, stock ABS module, 1.6G's that day
 
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While there could be something wrong it is most likely your car sensing your car is about to roll over at 1.6 G’s! Time for the 302S ABS module.
 
Maybe "sustained" isn't the right word, but it wasn't a spike either. The glitches happened primarily after turn 5 hairpin where the G's were pegged at 1.6 for a few moments. Maximum braking + G'd out suspension + sharp turn + uphill + slicks = 1.6 G:

It also produced enough force to puke oil on the driver side where that has never been an issue. (just purchased Watson catch can system)

 
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How are you turning off AdvanceTrack? Are you depressing the brake pedal and then holding down the stability control switch continuously for 5 - 10 seconds? If not, AdvancedTrak is not being fully disabled.
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
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@smallblock there have been a number of users here that have had similar symptoms on high-banked tracks like Daytona. Even if fully disabled, the system will kick back on.

Only known for-sure solution is to go to the 302S ABS controller--however you will lose stability control and advance trac functionality. But you will gain consistency, and improved braking performance with track/race tires. If you need to drive the car on the street, it can be installed/swapped in about 30 mins with a T-20 Torx bit.

There are a few threads here already on the controller as well as the Advance Trac issues.
 
898
544
@smallblock there have been a number of users here that have had similar symptoms on high-banked tracks like Daytona. Even if fully disabled, the system will kick back on.

Only known for-sure solution is to go to the 302S ABS controller--however you will lose stability control and advance trac functionality. But you will gain consistency, and improved braking performance with track/race tires. If you need to drive the car on the street, it can be installed/swapped in about 30 mins with a T-20 Torx bit.

There are a few threads here already on the controller as well as the Advance Trac issues.

True. I just wanted to start with the basics.

The OP has a Cobra Jet intake which means an aftermarket tune. Stability control and advance trac can be fully and permanently disabled via the tune too. Ask your tuner if they know how to do this and if so, getting an update is an option.

For a track car, though, my preference is the 302S ABS controller. It not only disables stability control and advance trac, it also has a higher rear brake bias and the ABS algorithm is calibrated for slicks. But, your dashboard will be lit up like a Christmas tree.
 
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@smallblock there have been a number of users here that have had similar symptoms on high-banked tracks like Daytona. Even if fully disabled, the system will kick back on.

Only known for-sure solution is to go to the 302S ABS controller--however you will lose stability control and advance trac functionality. But you will gain consistency, and improved braking performance with track/race tires. If you need to drive the car on the street, it can be installed/swapped in about 30 mins with a T-20 Torx bit.

There are a few threads here already on the controller as well as the Advance Trac issues.

Yeah thanks I have read those threads. Wanted to make sure it wasn't something else before buying the ABS unit. So it sounds like the forces experienced may have been beyond the CPU's programmed bandwidth causing it to "wig-out" as apposed to hardware failure, hence the no-code?

True. I just wanted to start with the basics.

The OP has a Cobra Jet intake which means an aftermarket turn. Stability control and advance trac can be fully and permanently disabled via the tune too. Ask your tuner if they know how to do this and if so, getting an update is an option.

For a track car, though, my preference is the 302S ABS controller. It not only disables stability control and advance trac, it also has a higher rear brake bias and the ABS algorithm is calibrated for slicks. But, your dashboard will be lit up like a Christmas tree.

Yeah, it's the Christmas tree that I wanted to avoid. I'm a bit anal when it comes to idiot lights being lit on my street car but I guess I might have to make this compromise. I could definitely benefit from the improved braking performance though.

Thanks guys
 
The FPP B302S ABS controller part # is M-2353-CA. Tasca Ford Parts sells it for $347. Here's a link: https://www.tascaparts.com/brake-kits-components-abs-module-boss-302r-s-m-2353-ca?parent=1023

Only takes 30 min or so to install (or remove/replace w/ OEM unit). Running the 2353-CA ABS controller will cause the ABS and Brake warning lights to stay on. Not a big deal, IMO, but if they bother you ArizonaBoss has the answer per above. ;)

In addition, a "Check Brake System" message on the center info display will come on, which you can reset by pressing the OK button on the steering wheel. Unfortunately this message will pop up about every 10 min, so you'll have to reset it at least one or twice during a 20 min track session.

A minor annoyance to be sure but worth the improved braking performance and feel, and not having to worry about the electronic nannies coming on on track when you don't want them.
 
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The FPP B302S ABS controller part # is M-2353-CA. Tasca Ford Parts sells it for $347. Here's a link: https://www.tascaparts.com/brake-kits-components-abs-module-boss-302r-s-m-2353-ca?parent=1023

Only takes 30 min or so to install (or remove/replace w/ OEM unit). Running the 2353-CA ABS controller will cause the ABS and Brake warning lights to stay on. Not a big deal, IMO, but if they bother you ArizonaBoss has the answer per above. ;)

In addition, a "Check Brake System" message on the center info display will come on, which you can reset by pressing the OK button on the steering wheel. Unfortunately this message will pop up about every 10 min, so you'll have to reset it at least one or twice during a 20 min track session.

A minor annoyance to be sure but worth the improved braking performance and feel, and not having to worry about the electronic nannies coming on on track when you don't want them.

Yeah I picked one up at Capaldi yesterday. Just not very excited about the lights and chimes. It's more than an a minor annoyance to me on the street. Takes an otherwise nice car and makes it ghetto. Craig Capaldi told me in order to get rid of the chime, remove the cluster and disable the speaker on the back. Black tape for the lights haha
 

xr7

TMO Addict?
706
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Minnesota
So I have a question stock controller vs the 302S controller. If I have the stock module "turned off" using the press switch and hold brake pedal for 5 seconds, does it still interfere with the brakes? I thinking it can't mess with the brake balance front to rear unless you are at lock up. Am I missing something? I run autocross and I don't do a lot a jamb on the brakes and let the ABS sort it out. So I'm wondering if the 302S module would be any benefit for me.
 

ArizonaBOSS

Because racecar.
Moderator
8,730
2,734
Arizona, USA
In an autocross environment, the traditional method to "turn off" Advancetrac should be sufficient.

If you are running race tires or 100TW tires, driving on split friction surfaces (Example: curb and track at same time), or need maximum braking potential, the 302S module is the one for you.
 
Lemme throw in a very strange question.... Are you running a small starter battery to save weight? Or is your stock size battery a bit on the old side?

I had this problem on my 2013 GT running 200 TW tires only pulling about 1.2-1.3 G's. It would reset the stability control back on and since the sensors were not "zero'ed" it would act stupid when it did return.

I was running a Braille 11.5 lb AGM battery that had gotten to be about 5 years old. It still started the car (I live in Florida, CCA's, my butt!) but didn't have enough capacity to service the current surges required by the power steering right after a re-start. Or so my theory went.

I charted the voltage in ForScan at a track day and found it dropped below 12.5 Volts at times. Confirms the power steering is drawing so much current it drops the voltage below the reset trigger for stability control and turns the bugger back on!

I installed a normal size battery and all the problems went away.
 
218
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CA
Now the battery thing is interesting. I recently had massive problems with this myself but the 302s module fixed it.

In t9 @WSIR my Advance Track kept turning itself on, even when running old street tires. The major difference on the car was a new splitter. I am also running an 3lbs lithium-ion antigravity battery. The splitter must have played some kind of role in here and I wonder now if the additional down-force made the electric rack work too hard for the battery.

Sadly the AIM Solo DL won´t track voltages. It definitely would have shown when I was crawling through my data.

In regards of the module, I only get an extra chime when starting the car and that is it. The lights are the same as when Advance Track is off and the only additional light is the TCS one.
 

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