Abstract: A side door for a vehicle includes a folded airbag which inflates upward in response to a side collision of the vehicle, and a cover member disposed above the airbag and covering the airbag. The cover member has a plurality of sections arranged in a fore-aft direction of the vehicle. The sections are defined by a hinge portion extending generally straight in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle and a plurality of lateral thin portions extending from the hinge portion generally in a lateral direction of the vehicle. When the airbag inflates, by means of inflation force of the airbag, the lateral thin portions rupture and the individual sections rotate about the hinge portion and open.

Abstract: In a driving force control apparatus, a target driving torque TO is obtained based on a value determined by subtracting a feedback correction torque TF corresponding to a slip amount DVS from a correction reference torque TBC corresponding to a vehicle body speed VB. Slip is suppressed by a throttle control so that the engine output is reduced to the target driving torque TO. A retard command is output when the slip amount DVS and a slip rate GDVS are greater than predetermined values to retard an ignition timing of the engine, thereby suppressing an abrupt slip. When it is determined that a right and left front wheel speed difference is large and the vehicle is running on a split road, a retard command is made difficult to be reset as compared to a case where the vehicle is not running on a split road. When it is detected that the driving wheels are vibrating, particularly a differential factor is decreased and regulated only to a component to reduce the target driving torque.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting faults in a fuel evaporative emission control system, in which the fuel evaporative emission which is admitted from a fuel tank and adsorbed once by a canister is separated from the canister by purge air and sucked into a suction passage of an engine. The fault diagnostic apparatus fluid-tightly closes the fuel tank such that a vacuum is held in the fuel tank, and then detect the presence of a leak in a fuel evaporative emission flow path on the basis of a rate of increase of the pressure in the fuel tank. At the same time, the average value of the pressure in the fuel tank is calculated at regular intervals, and the calculated average value is compared with levels of the pressure in the tank detected within a predetermined period of time, so that the detection of the leak is interrupted depending upon the result of the comparison.

Abstract: An air-to-fuel ratio control system optimally controls an air-to-fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine according to various engine operating conditions, and aims at assuring quick air-to-fuel ratio control and preventing erroneous operation of the engine. With this control system, a corrective amount of fuel to be supplied is determined according to a deviation .DELTA.(A/F) of a measured air-to-fuel ratio (A/F).sub.i and a target air-to-fuel ration (A/F).sub.OBJ. This corrective amount of the fuel is kept in an allowable range defined by limits K.sub.LMIN and K.sub.LMAX, or K.sub.RMIN and K.sub.RMAX. Therefore, the engine is supplied with the fuel which is controlled according to a target fuel amount LT.sub.INJ determined by the correct fuel amount. The control system is responsive to various engine operating conditions, and protects the engine against troubles, damage and interruption, and prevents deterioration of exhaust gases.

Abstract: A diesel engine includes a variable swirl forming mechanism, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) control mechanism, and an injection timing control mechanism. The variable swirl forming mechanism forms strong, middle or weak air swirls in a combustion chamber according to engine loads and engine speeds. The EGR control mechanism recirculates a part of exhaust gas to the combustion chamber according to the engine loads and the engine speeds. The injection timing control mechanism advances or retards the injection timing according to the engine loads and the engine speeds.