Track Key not working (Boss 302)

[Wunzy]

Hey all,

Just got my Boss 302 (2012) back from the Transmission shop today. Clearly they had to disconnect the battery for the new parts. Upon receiving the car back the TrackKey no longer works, it will tell me the TrackKey is in the ignition but Track Mode will not engage. Is there a setting that I need to engage on my end that anyone who is more familiar with this process is aware of?

Also, I am new here happy to engage with fellow enthusiasts. Just switched over to a dual disk clutch, boy is this a "culture" shock for me. I am not used to having to apply so much gas to get going but man does this thing grip when it grips. Also replaced the flywheel while we were in there.

 

[byronj]

Couple questions? And I don't recall but I think that it does not recognize the track key unless it has been flashed. I am good at being wrong so don't hold me to it.

Did you get the car to operating temp?
Did you let it sit for awhile running and not do anything? If you did, it will not automatically activate. You need to give it some gas and then it will activate.

More info would help or even a video.

 

[BackInBlack]

Looks like another victim of PCM flashing.



Welcome to the forum @Wunzy. I hope I'm wrong and you have better luck. This situation happened to someone else on this forum recently.

If you run out of other possibilities and end up with this one, it seems like the only option is to contact Ford Performance and see if they'll give you a new voucher number. I don't know how this system works as I never got the Trackey for my car, but since they aren't really selling these anymore, there may be no way to fix it. UNLESS -- I have heard that if you keep a backup of your OEM+Trackey tune on your tuner (if you have one) that the software can be restored by reflashing your OEM tune. You should probably backup the current configuration if you try as your car may have been in need of a software fix.

If you want to try your luck, JEGS seems to be one of the few retailers left selling these:

https://www.jegs.com/i/Ford-Performance/397/M-9603-MBTKA/10002/-1

 

[302BOB]

Boy, Am I glad I never got Trackey!!!!!!!!!!!!.............I never knew it was so easy to lose.........................

 

[Wunzy]

Couple questions? And I don't recall but I think that it does not recognize the track key unless it has been flashed. I am good at being wrong so don't hold me to it.

Did you get the car to operating temp?
Did you let it sit for awhile running and not do anything? If you did, it will not automatically activate. You need to give it some gas and then it will activate.

More info would help or even a video.

Yeah TrackKey worked fine before I took it in, went through the usual steps of waiting for warm up and then switching the key over.

I actually was able to fix it, well sort of, it just randomly started working last night.

 

[Wunzy]

Looks like another victim of PCM flashing.

View attachment 99899View attachment 99901

Welcome to the forum @Wunzy. I hope I'm wrong and you have better luck. This situation happened to someone else on this forum recently.

If you run out of other possibilities and end up with this one, it seems like the only option is to contact Ford Performance and see if they'll give you a new voucher number. I don't know how this system works as I never got the Trackey for my car, but since they aren't really selling these anymore, there may be no way to fix it. UNLESS -- I have heard that if you keep a backup of your OEM+Trackey tune on your tuner (if you have one) that the software can be restored by reflashing your OEM tune. You should probably backup the current configuration if you try as your car may have been in need of a software fix.

If you want to try your luck, JEGS seems to be one of the few retailers left selling these:

https://www.jegs.com/i/Ford-Performance/397/M-9603-MBTKA/10002/-1

Thank god this was not the case, it just randomly started working last night a few hours after posting this. I was driving the car around to get some of the break in miles knocked out and bam "track engine enabled" came up. Still not entirely used to the Twin Disk clutch, completely changed the feel but I am sure ill get used to it.

 

[BackInBlack]

Thank god this was not the case, it just randomly started working last night a few hours after posting this. I was driving the car around to get some of the break in miles knocked out and bam "track engine enabled" came up. Still not entirely used to the Twin Disk clutch, completely changed the feel but I am sure ill get used to it.

Good news. Glad it didn't get evaporated. I guess the software was waiting for all of the internal calibrations to complete before it could be used? You should back it up when you get the chance!

 

[Wunzy]

Good news. Glad it didn't get evaporated. I guess the software was waiting for all of the internal calibrations to complete before it could be used? You should back it up when you get the chance!

Oh I am absolutely backing it up after that recommendation! Thank you, the red key included was one of the major reasons I bought this particular Boss and I would have hated to lose it.

 

[byronj]

Good news. Glad it didn't get evaporated. I guess the software was waiting for all of the internal calibrations to complete before it could be used? You should back it up when you get the chance!

You can back the Red key tune? Please tell more

 

[byronj]

Yeah TrackKey worked fine before I took it in, went through the usual steps of waiting for warm up and then switching the key over.

I actually was able to fix it, well sort of, it just randomly started working last night.

I wonder if it just needed some time to relearn and think about it. Kind of like driving a couple hundred milles to reset for a smog. Glad to see its back.

 

[Wunzy]

I wonder if it just needed some time to relearn and think about it. Kind of like driving a couple hundred milles to reset for a smog. Glad to see its back.

Yeah I am not really sure, I was pretty bummed at first and even called the local ford dealership and the parts guys had no idea.

Need to get through this break in period on the new clutch asap so I can get back into the canyons.

 

[BackInBlack]

I wonder if it just needed some time to relearn and think about it. Kind of like driving a couple hundred milles to reset for a smog. Glad to see its back.

Honestly I don't know -- but I've heard in various places that if you back up your tune to a handheld tuner (so you can go to a custom tune for example) that if you restore the OEM tune you backed up, that Trackey gets restored along with it. Could be wrong, but that's what I've heard. Not speaking from personal experience!

I believe that @dcpatters has done this. Might want to ask him about it.

 

[dcpatters]

When the battery was disconnected the ODB-II readiness was mostly likely cleared. Only until driving around, the PCM finally entered readiness state?

 

[BlazeBoss302]

I’m about to have the same issue. My bcm shorted recently. I think i’ll lose track key when we reprogram the new BCM. I was hoping it was just going to be a simple reactivation…doesn’t seem like that now..

 

[gusnav]

I’m about to have the same issue. My bcm shorted recently. I think i’ll lose track key when we reprogram the new BCM. I was hoping it was just going to be a simple reactivation…doesn’t seem like that now..

I just replaced my battery on the boss , it was plug in on a trickle charger , apparently battery the was dead !
The boss was garaged over the summer down here in Houston, replaced the battery, ignition on with track key, warmed up process gave it a blip TRACKEY ACTIVE TRACK USE ONLY, as many batteries replaced over the years never being a problem,thank goodness.

 

[BlazeBoss302]

I just replaced my battery on the boss , it was plug in on a trickle charger , apparently battery the was dead !
The boss was garaged over the summer down here in Houston, replaced the battery, ignition on with track key, warmed up process gave it a blip TRACKEY ACTIVE TRACK USE ONLY, as many batteries replaced over the years never being a problem,thank goodness.

My bcm shorted after being in storage. So now I have to reprogram….

 

[Dave_W]

HP Tuners says they can work with both "sides" of the Copperhead PCM and deal with TracKey programming. Not sure if SCT or others can.

In simple terms, the Copperhead PCM has two different control programs installed and can "dual boot" like a computer with 2 operating systems installed. For most cases, it's used for the MyKey features, sort of an advanced valet key. One program is "normal" and the other is "restricted" and which program the PCM loads and runs depends on which key is being used. TracKey takes this dual-program ability of the PCM and replaces the MyKey feature with the TracKey feature, and the "restricted" program with the "red key" program. You can think of the red key as the "evil valet" key.