The Mustang Forum for Track & Racing Enthusiasts

Taking your Mustang to an open track/HPDE event for the first time? Do you race competitively? This forum is for you! Log in to remove most ads.

  • Welcome to the Ford Mustang forum built for owners of the Mustang GT350, BOSS 302, GT500, and all other S550, S197, SN95, Fox Body and older Mustangs set up for open track days, road racing, and/or autocross. Join our forum, interact with others, share your build, and help us strengthen this community!

Track Key Installation and Pricing

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

289
0
5 DOT 0 said:
BossJockey said:
Did you happen to notice what rpm your car was idling at when it was shaking your car?
I didn't but I'll check for that the next time I drive it. I did notice when first starting using TK that the idle was a bit high.
Mine started higher than with the black key, but has since settled down nicely.
 
What a run around. Took three trips and another 350 bucks to get it installad. Lopey idle is a joke. I just got mine installed and it sounds nothing like the ones online or on youtube from earlier in the year. It doesn't even lope at all. Just sunds a little more aggressive. If CARB caused this, then Ford should have just removed this as a selling point and removed the video example on line. Honestly this was one of the main reasons I wanted the car. A factory car that hit a lick without aftermarket tune was a killer deal.

John Lund's ghost Cams is looking better all the time. Too bad I'll have to do away with the trackey to get what I really set out to get in the beginning.
 
jpitman3 said:
What a run around. Took three trips and another 350 bucks to get it installad. Lopey idle is a joke. I just got mine installed and it sounds nothing like the ones online or on youtube from earlier in the year. It doesn't even lope at all. Just sunds a little more aggressive. If CARB caused this, then Ford should have just removed this as a selling point and removed the video example on line. Honestly this was one of the main reasons I wanted the car. A factory car that hit a lick without aftermarket tune was a killer deal.

John Lund's ghost Cams is looking better all the time. Too bad I'll have to do away with the trackey to get what I really set out to get in the beginning.

I'd give it a few days, my car just got flashed this morning, when I got into the car, there really wasn't much Lopey idle(and yes, it was active), but on my drive home and some spirited driving, it started to get more aggressive.
 
When I first ordered my BOSS back in April. I was very excited about TRACKEY & getting it installed when I got my car. But now, with all the problems dealers seem to have installing it & the loss of some of my drive train warranty & the loss of ALL my extended warranty & a lopey idle that's not living up to it's hype...I think I'll just keep my BOSS as it is. Since I'm not tracking my car, I don't think the "pros" outweigh the "cons" as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure you track guys will be happy with yours.
 
jpitman3 said:
What a run around. Took three trips and another 350 bucks to get it installad. Lopey idle is a joke. I just got mine installed and it sounds nothing like the ones online or on youtube from earlier in the year. It doesn't even lope at all. Just sunds a little more aggressive. If CARB caused this, then Ford should have just removed this as a selling point and removed the video example on line. Honestly this was one of the main reasons I wanted the car. A factory car that hit a lick without aftermarket tune was a killer deal.

John Lund's ghost Cams is looking better all the time. Too bad I'll have to do away with the trackey to get what I really set out to get in the beginning.

This trackey/tune has to be learned by the car it takes a few days for all of the sensors to set themself and if it does not idle the way it shows like on youtube then go back cause they did something wrong a simple setting or something Ive had mine now for this week and yes the idle is right and honestly I feel a 60% overall difference in the car I was very hard on my dealer for the installation since ive done a ton of tunes so they did not take any chances and had someone from a different shop of theirs come do it that does tunes all the time he also drove it and made sure everything was the way it is supposed to be the idle takes a bit for the sensors to learn but yes it actually rocks the car side to side after it has been warmed up and reved a few times. I am wondering if the revision is screwing things up I dont think I got the revision frustrating hearing of these problems when mine is fine hope someone finds the core reason of this. I can say that tunes are a very touchy thing it is so easy to screw one up while installing make sure they go step by step and even say hey I want to watch since it seems you arent getting right not step can be done wrong or out of order or it needs to be done again. Good luck and I do agree if you have no worry of warrantee the cams would be sick.
 
332
0
All done but took over 2 hours including my first free oil change. Like all the other dealers they had to download and install the software patch. One of the best features is getting rid of that annoying "skip shift". The idle is certainly cool. Will be track testing at VIR this weekend!
 
Sucks on this end as well. After a full day at the dealer they figured out I needed the "blue" paper, which I told them about, and now they have to order it, and I have to go back.

Dealer did'nt have much more of a clue than the 1 st dealer whom I went to and got my car back from when they called me and said they were trying to "Fix" my broken red key and could I explain more on what it was doing when it broke!!!!
Went and got the Boss and went to the other Ford dealer in town.

V E R Y unprepared is all I can say.

After this long, they should have been prepared. I guess once the sale is done, so is Ford. :(

Were's the next Hitler installment? :)

RichP
 
Information from a Ford Customer Service Rep:

"The following info should answer some of your questions. I did some digging and this is what I found from FRPP and the TracKey:

1) Lopey idle is significantly more pronounced with the side exhaust plates completely removed. It is also more pronounced with the A/C off. Combustion stability increases with increasing engine load, so anything that increases engine load (such as A/C) will decrease the "lopeyness" of the idle, which is created by increasing cam overlap at idle to simulate the "racing cam" sound and feel of 60's muscle cars. This is purely the physics of the way internal combustion engines work.

2) One of the videos in circulation shows a prototype level of TracKey software that was not emissions legal. No claim was made as to that being the final product. The level of cam overlap was slightly reduced to pass emissions. We worked very hard to meet emissions regulations and provide the industry-first lopey idle feature, and we feel we've reached the optimal solution that satisfies both criteria.

Please continue to enjoy your Bosses!!! Have a good one!

Deysha"
 
What do they mean by replacement of the air filter cartridge . Never heard that one before.

I think I'm gonna e-mail Badillo Engineering and ask them what happened to the Lopey idle
 
Boss1309 said:
I think I'm gonna e-mail Badillo Engineering and ask them what happened to the Lopey idle
That's a great idea, please post what they tell you.

Edit: I decided to just call them and the number on the internet that ends in 4270 is not their phone number and the guy that answered seemed agitated that he keeps getting calls for them. I could not find any contact info on them but if you do drop me a PM and I'll call or email them.
 
No luck with the e mail address either. I checked out their address and it looks like its out in the middle of nowhere.

One profile says they have 3 employees
 
Got my BOSS back today from the dealer. Started off bad, but ended up good. They recognized the process was bad, so I'm easy. No harm no foul.

Def not as "lopey" as I expected, and I have run the car with no baffels in since day 2.

We'll see over time..........

Rich
 
5 DOT 0 said:
Information from a Ford Customer Service Rep:

"The following info should answer some of your questions. I did some digging and this is what I found from FRPP and the TracKey:

1) Lopey idle is significantly more pronounced with the side exhaust plates completely removed. It is also more pronounced with the A/C off. Combustion stability increases with increasing engine load, so anything that increases engine load (such as A/C) will decrease the "lopeyness" of the idle, which is created by increasing cam overlap at idle to simulate the "racing cam" sound and feel of 60's muscle cars. This is purely the physics of the way internal combustion engines work.

2) One of the videos in circulation shows a prototype level of TracKey software that was not emissions legal. No claim was made as to that being the final product. The level of cam overlap was slightly reduced to pass emissions. We worked very hard to meet emissions regulations and provide the industry-first lopey idle feature, and we feel we've reached the optimal solution that satisfies both criteria.

Please continue to enjoy your Bosses!!! Have a good one!

Deysha"

All things considered, the video still posted on the Ford trackey website(http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PiWSr-Ax8K4) is the prototype according to what I was told by the Ford parts engineer yesterday. The current programming will not ever sound the same. They should remove that video if it does not represent the actual trackey lopey idle, as it misleading. By placing that video on the website advertising the product, it is implied by Ford it is what you will get. I think most lawyers would agree. I understand people want the trackey for performance. That is cool, but I have a garage with a new ZO6 and a 2009 GT500 sitting in it. If I wanted a car to beat a camaro as one person stated before, I'd have just gone and pulled one of them out. I wanted the nastalgic sound from the Factory in this car. May be corny, but that's why I bought this particular car. Believe me I enjoy driving it, it is a quality piece for the money, but I still feel taken at this point on the idle. Why have it a seperate setting, it should just be part of the trackey tune itself since it doesn't really lope. A little shake off and on with an 800- 850 rpm idle is not lopey. For those of you that this isn't important I'm am sure you'll never miss it, so forgive me for my rant.
 
jpitman3 said:
All things considered, the video still posted on the Ford trackey website(http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PiWSr-Ax8K4) is the prototype according to what I was told by the Ford parts engineer yesterday. The current programming will not ever sound the same. They should remove that video if it does not represent the actual trackey lopey idle, as it misleading. By placing that video on the website advertising the product, it is implied by Ford it is what you will get. I think most lawyers would agree. I understand people want the trackey for performance. That is cool, but I have a garage with a new ZO6 and a 2009 GT500 sitting in it. If I wanted a car to beat a camaro as one person stated before, I'd have just gone and pulled one of them out. I wanted the nastalgic sound from the Factory in this car. May be corny, but that's why I bought this particular car. Believe me I enjoy driving it, it is a quality piece for the money, but I still feel taken at this point on the idle. Why have it a seperate setting, it should just be part of the trackey tune itself since it doesn't really lope. A little shake off and on with an 800- 850 rpm idle is not lopey. For those of you that this isn't important I'm am sure you'll never miss it, so forgive me for my rant.
You have very valid points and you're right Ford should take down that TK video.
 
I would like to know if there is anything the consumer can do to increase the lopey idle sound other than what was reported.

Can this tune be altered or is it as is?
 
548
0
Seems pretty clear to me that compromises were made to deal with CARB. That explains the extremely long delay in gettingTracKey out to the owners and also the fact that it is not exactly sounding like the prototypes. I do think Ford should put out a replacement video of an actual demonstration of the sound as well as hard facts on the changes/improvements to performance. That will give every owner the facts they need to decide if this tune is something they want to buy.

Those of you testing out TracKey on the track please continue to post your impressions of the benefits you find with the tune - I think that will be every bit as influential as what Ford does to reset the expectations.
 
Listening to the idle video on trackey site from ford I think mine is the same or even better sounding are you having problems with the idle being lopey? Are you sure it is turned on there is a way to turn it of and on have you seen those instructions? wish I could hear how yours sounds to compare it to mine I will check my rpm at idle this weekend and report back.
 

TMO Supporting Vendors

Top