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Track key program intermittantly working

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I have a question, and am looking for some ideas on what to do. My Boss will show the TK active ('13 Boss) and I get the rougher idle and the nice popping on decal for a bit. But within 5 minutes of it being active, there is no popping and a nice smooth idle, like the TK shut off. head temps are still 190 or so (still cool a bit here in Colorado at night) and everything looks correct, but TK is not working. I think it still decels like it should on TK, but the idle and the backfires are missing. If I stop, restart the car, wait the two and a half minutes, the idle and crackle is back. But after 5 or 10 minutes it seems to go missing again.

Has anyone else had this, or heard of this? I am not sure what to do. Have tired the starting with the silver key, no throttle input and waiting over 5 mintues to reset things, but that doesn't seem to work. I was going to pull the battery terminal and give it a time out as I thought I had read to do that in the past, but cannot find any threads on this subject.

Any help will be appreciated. Car is stock, other than side baffles are out.
 
cosm3os said:
Mine does it too (looses the idle). I just assume the computer is seeing something it doesn't like.
Probably this. Try disconnecting your battery for 10 minutes which will reset all the parameters the PCM looks at and see if that helps.
 

Fomoco302

Life is short. Live well!
Just a shot in the dark but are you using gas with high enough octane? When I traveled to Vegas last year for the 50th either in Arizona or New Mexico, I don't remember which, I could only find 89 octane and when I tried to use TK the engine acted like it wanted to go into that mode for a few seconds but would never engage.
 
Something else to check is the battery and charging system. A fellow Boss owner had a issue where the display would read for the track key, but it would not switch to track key mode...he took it to the dealer and they replaced the battery, telling him it was going bad...this is one of the checks the computer does before it switches to track key mode and because the battery was going bad the computer would not allow it to go into track key mode.
 
I've had a similar issue, only the opposite. My track key idle kicks in, and everything seems to activate like it should, only I do not get the TK idle message on my gauge screen. I don't know why, just that sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. The TK idle message is intermittent, but the car always activates the TK tune and drives the same with or without message.
 
4
1
Exp. Type
Circle Track
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Cleveland, Ohio
I have a similar problem. I bought my '13 Boss 302 new in March 2013 and had the track key flashed a month later at 74 miles. The track mode has always engaged without problem. I get the chimes and the "Trackey Idle Enabled" Message. But within the last month I have noticed that after driving about ten miles the track mode drops out. Lopey idle is gone and no loud exhaust barks when rev-matching and downshifting. The odometer just turned over 8,000 miles. I only use Motorcraft 5W50 and Ford parts. I change the oil about once a year when I get the oil minder message. I use Shell 93 Octane exclusively. I changed the battery in 2018. I use a CTEK battery tender when the car is in winter storage. I even bought new key batteries (CR 2032) but that did not help. Ford advises start up the car occasionally using the street key and let it warm up five minutes without touching the throttle and that will reset the PCM to factory specs. I did that yesterday, but no help. Appreciate any ideas/suggestions.
 
4
1
Exp. Type
Circle Track
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Cleveland, Ohio
I have a question, and am looking for some ideas on what to do. My Boss will show the TK active ('13 Boss) and I get the rougher idle and the nice popping on decal for a bit. But within 5 minutes of it being active, there is no popping and a nice smooth idle, like the TK shut off. head temps are still 190 or so (still cool a bit here in Colorado at night) and everything looks correct, but TK is not working. I think it still decels like it should on TK, but the idle and the backfires are missing. If I stop, restart the car, wait the two and a half minutes, the idle and crackle is back. But after 5 or 10 minutes it seems to go missing again.

Has anyone else had this, or heard of this? I am not sure what to do. Have tired the starting with the silver key, no throttle input and waiting over 5 mintues to reset things, but that doesn't seem to work. I was going to pull the battery terminal and give it a time out as I thought I had read to do that in the past, but cannot find any threads on this subject.

Any help will be appreciated. Car is stock, other than side baffles are out.
I just posted an identical problem. 2013 Boss 302, completely stock, side exhaust restrictor plates removed, original owner, 8,000 miles, flashed the TracKey at 74 miles, now it won't stay in track mode. Drops out after about ten to 12 miles of driving. I even replaced the key batteries. No help.
 

TMSBOSS

Spending my pension on car parts and track fees.
7,530
5,248
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Illinois
The track key will only remain active IF there are zero code active. If you are throwing a code, she reverts back to the standard programming.
I have had the track key since late 2012. As long as temps are right and I have zero codes, the track key kicks in.
 

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