Abstract: A bulkhead collar for using in conjunction with a bearing housing of a motor vehicle steering column including an upper column shaft and a lower column shaft where the lower column shaft passes through an opening in a bulkhead in the vehicle. The bearing housing is free to rotate on the lower steering column shaft and has a flange for fixing the bearing housing to the collar. The flange comprises two radially extending lugs having holes for alignment with complementary holes on the collar. The collar has a two-way ramp which can abut the edges of the lug so that axial movement of the bearing housing relative to the lower column shaft during installation of the steering column in the vehicle can rotate the bearing housing to automatically align the holes.

Abstract: A roll stability control system (18) for an automotive vehicle (10) includes an external environment sensing system, such as a camera-based vision system, or a radar, lidar or sonar-based sensing system (43) that generates image, radar, lidar, and/or sonar-based signals. A controller (26) is coupled to the sensing system and generates dynamic vehicle characteristic signals in response to the image, radar, lidar, or sonar-based signals. The controller controls the rollover control system (18) in response to the dynamic vehicle control signal. The dynamic vehicle characteristics may include roll related angles, angular rates, and various vehicle velocities.

Abstract: A vehicle mode controller, a driving mode collecting means, and a plurality of subsystem controllers including an engine management system, a transmission controller, a steering controller, a brakes controller and a suspension controller, provide an improved system and method of operating a vehicle control system in a host vehicle in a manner suitable for a respective driving surface in a plurality of different off-road surfaces and terrains such as might be encountered when driving off-road. An improved method is provided for controlling a vehicle control system by avoiding unplanned combinations of subsystem configuration modes and minimizing the transition time when changing between subsystem configuration modes.

Abstract: A stability control system (24) for an automotive vehicle includes a plurality of sensors sensing the dynamic conditions of the vehicle. The sensors include a steering angle sensor (35) and a yaw rate sensor (28). The controller (26) is coupled to the steering angle sensor (35) and the yaw rate sensor (28). The controller (26) determines a desired yaw rate in response to the steering wheel angle input, determines a corrected steering wheel input as a function of the desired yaw rate of an ideal vehicle and the vehicle yaw rate, and controls the road wheel steer angle (front, rear, or both) steering actuator in response to the corrected steering wheel input, the yaw rate and the modified steering wheel input, vehicle speed, lateral acceleration, longitudinal acceleration, yaw rate, steering wheel angle, and road wheel angles.

Abstract: A wheel position indication system for a vehicle comprising a steerable wheel, a wheel position indicator and a controller. The wheel position indicator has an on state and an off state. The wheel position indicator provides a visual indication of the position of the steerable wheel when the wheel position indicator is in the on state. The wheel position indicator does not provide a visual indication of the position of the steerable wheel when the wheel position indicator is in the off state. The controller selectively alters the wheel position indicator between the on state and the off state. The controller places the wheel position indicator into the on state when the vehicle is in a predetermined driving condition and places the wheel position indicator into the off state when the vehicle is not in the predetermined driving condition.

Abstract: A control system (18) for an automotive vehicle (10) has a roll angular rate sensor (34) and a lateral accelerometer (32) that are used to determine the body roll angle of the vehicle when a rollover event has been sensed. A rollover event sensor (27) may be implemented physically or in combination with various types of suspension, load or other types of lifting determinations.

Abstract: A control system (18) for an automotive vehicle (10) having a safety system includes a controller (26) determining a first body to road angle; determining a second body to road angle; determining a final body to road angle from the first body to road angle and the second body to road angle; and controlling the safety system in response to the final body to road signal.

Abstract: A tire pressure monitoring system (12) for a vehicle (10) has a plurality of tires (14a, b, c and d) in respective rolling locations and a spare tire (14e) generating a spare tire identification. A controller (22) starts the timer (44) and sets a tire status to a rolling status, a pending rolling status, a spare status or a pending spare status in response to the timer and the vehicle speed. The controller (22) stores the status and the spare tire identification in the memory.