Limp Mode on the Track

[keiths2kgt]

For sure wtf

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[krt22]

Anyone else think it's a bit stupid that a track-focused car can't run on the track without a specific optional pack.

I would if the manual didnt specifically state to add coolers if you intend to take it to the track. :shrug:

 

[SVTDSM]

Anyone else think it's a bit stupid that a track-focused car can't run on the track without a specific optional pack.

I think it's more like unacceptable...

If this is happening to guys now in 60 degree weather imagine when the summer months get here. The gt350 is marketed as a track focused car. If it can't complete a 15-20 min session in 65 degree weather without overheating the trams fluid and going into limp mode then all gt350's should have gotten the trams cooler.

I think we all need to get together for some answers from Ford, or Ford performance.

 

[chrsschb]

I would if the manual didnt specifically state to add coolers if you intend to take it to the track. :shrug:

Sounds like a cop-out honestly. They are pushing this is a track destroying street car that can play with the big boys. But they forgot to mention it can only play with the big boys for 10 minutes at a time.

 

[SVTDSM]

I would if the manual didnt specifically state to add coolers if you intend to take it to the track. :shrug:

You mean the manual you get after making your purchase?

Even so it's states we "recommend" adding aftermarket coolers for sustained track use. There is a huge difference between recommended, and required...

 

[Essex Wire]

Anyone else think it's a bit stupid that a track-focused car can't run on the track without a specific optional pack.

It's frickin' INSANE. All kinds of stock daily drivers can do track days with no problem. It's also a blatant misrepresentation and false advertising to the public. All FORD does is market this as a track-ready car and they don't just limit it to the Track-Pack or R.

And burying the restriction about not taking the car on track without Track Pak coolers in the middle of the Owner's Manual doesn't change a thing. I couldn't believe it when I read it - but now I guess they really meant it.

And where the F___k is the tow hook or other viable option to tow the car off track quickly!! The under-car J hook option completely doesn't work for track use. And it looks like we can't even get an after-market solution because, unlike the GT350R-C which supposedly uses steel, our front bumper support is aluminum and we may not be able to use the same tow hook solution they use because it could bend(?).

 

[MadCow]

Were the other cars people had issues with equipped with the coolers?

 

[krt22]

Sounds like a cop-out honestly. They are pushing this is a track destroying street car that can play with the big boys. But they forgot to mention it can only play with the big boys for 10 minutes at a time.

Not really a cop-out when Ford likely knew most tech pack owners would not go to the track. The manual explicitly states it, seems like a lot of tech pack owners tried to convince themselves otherwise and are now miffed that Ford gave them good fair warning.

You mean the manual you get after making your purchase?

Even so it's states we "recommend" adding aftermarket coolers for sustained track use. There is a huge difference between recommended, and required...

I agree it should have been noted to future owners when they ordered, but the manual has been posted online for months now and most users on here were well aware of it, heck its debated and quoted over and over.

And the cars do exactly as the manual states, start reducing power once the driveline temps reach a certain point. Add a cooler and call it a day if you want to track the car. Im sure some folks will get crafty and come up with something very shortly.

 

[Spacebird]

Has anyone with a GT350R or a Track Pack GT350 encountered limp mode? I'm curious to hear how well the transmission cooler works.

From what I understand the cooler is integrated into the transmission and can't be added to base or Tech Pack cars without a complete transmission swap.

Found this on Automobile:

To keep the gearbox cool under extreme track use, the GT350 Track Package and the more aggressive Ford Shelby GT350R have an oil-to-air transmission cooler fed by a gerotor pump. The cooler is mounted behind the front fascia with its own unique ducting. A sensor monitors the internal transmission temperature and sends a warning to the driver if the transmission overheats, a situation Ford says is “unlikely."

 

[krt22]

Has anyone with a GT350R or a Track Pack GT350 encountered limp mode? I'm curious to hear how well the transmission cooler works.

From what I understand the cooler is integrated into the transmission and can't be added to base or Tech Pack cars without a complete transmission swap.

The cooler itself is mounted in the front bumper, but the tranny has an internal pump (and fittings) to recirculate the fluid

It will be crappy if the base/tech transmission lacks the fittings required to plumb a cooler too (assuming you have an external pump).

But from the temps reported, it seems really high (higher than the oil temps). so I wonder if its really the tranny generating the heat or if some is coming from the exhaust. In which case some scoops might help a ton

 

[Nataphen]

They said the cars without coolers were good for 15-20 minutes on track from the VERY beginning. I don't think they've misrepresented the car at all.

 

[krt22]

Yep, 15 minutes seems to be around the point where users are seeing issues. 20 minutes is likely more for novices who might do 1-2 days a year. Looks like the guys hitting the limit earlier are more seasoned and thus pushing the car harder

 

[SVTDSM]

They said the cars without coolers were good for 15-20 minutes on track from the VERY beginning. I don't think they've misrepresented the car at all.

That's just it... Since most hpde sessions run 15-20 mins and guys are reporting not being able to complete a session in 60 DEGREE weather, I would say that's a misrepresentation. Wait till its 95 degrees or higher...

 

[Bossing]

Plus this was ran at PBIR... between turn 8 and turn 10, there is a long (sector 9) backstraight. It's 8/10ths of a mile.

When you're correctly tracking out of turn 8, you are already easily pushing north of 70mph at the exit apex which is the start of the backstraight. To start, think of the heat generated in all fluids on that long straight. In my Z06 I can hit over 140mph and in the GT350 I can hit over 130mph on the same straight. You then have a long decreasing radius turn 10 at the end so you're braking and downshifting... again, alot of heat generated because PBIR is known to be hard on suspension/diff, tires and brakes and yes... shifting to/from frequently.

 

[krt22]

Not really a misrepresentation when the manual advises to add coolers if you plan track the car. The 15-20 minute statement was never a hard commit by Ford since there are too many factors to consider. (Driver skill, ambient temp, humidity, track type, etc). Some will get 15 minutes, some 20, some maybe 10. Either way the car protects itself as designed

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