Abstract: A fuel management control method for a hybrid electric vehicle drive having an internal combustion engine and an electric motor arranged in parallel such that both can propel the vehicle; the system including an electric motor driven fuel pump and a programmable microprocessor; and wherein the method further includes monitoring vehicle speed and sensing braking pressure and directing signals of both vehicle speed and braking to the microprocessor and processing such inputs in accordance with an aggressive fuel management program including shut-off of fuel flow to the gas engine in response to vehicle braking at vehicle speeds above a predetermined maximum hysteresis speed and maintaining the fuel shut off during vehicle coasting above a predetermined speed while controlling the electric motor to provide regenerative braking or vehicle start during such fuel shut off modes of operation.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine comprises a crankshaft having a helical spur gear mounted for rotation therewith and a balancer. The balancer includes a balancer housing and first and second balance shafts rotatably carried in the balancer housing about laterally spaced parallel axes. A first gear is mounted on the first balance shaft and driven by the helical spur gear at a speed determined by the crankshaft. A second gear is mounted on the second balance shaft for meshing engagement with the first gear for rotation in a direction opposite to the first gear. The helical spur gear and the first and second gears have teeth yielding an involute contact ratio of approximately 3 and a total contact ratio of approximately 5 to thereby reduce gear rattle. One of the balancer gears is aluminum and the other balancer gear is grey cast iron.

Abstract: A cylinder head for a four-valve per cylinder internal combustion engine comprises a bowl-shaped combustion chamber recess on a lower surface which cooperates with a piston in a cylinder to form a combustion chamber. The combustion chamber recess has first and second exhaust openings, and first and second intake openings. First and second exhaust ports extend from the first and second exhaust openings to an exhaust outlet through an exhaust side wall of the cylinder head. First and second intake ports, divided by a septum, extend from the first and second intake openings, along a curved flow path, to an intake passage. The intake passage delivers intake charge from an intake inlet in an intake side wall of the cylinder head to the first and second intake ports. The first and second intake ports have first and second intake valves to regulate flow of intake charge through the intake valve openings.

Abstract: A container holder for automotive use includes a mounting member wall having a recessed portion with an outwardly extending shelf. An outer member is pivotally mounted to the mounting member for pivotal movement between closed and open positions. The outer member carries container support means stored adjacent the recessed portion in the closed position and lying generally horizontal to support a container in the open position. The outer member includes a first pair of arcuate guide arms projecting from an upper portion of the outer member through laterally spaced slots formed in the wall adjacent laterally opposite sides of the recessed portion. An inner member includes a transverse guide portion connected at opposite lateral ends with a second pair of arcuate guide arms, extending through the slots and mounted for limited arcuate sliding motion of the inner member relative to the outer member.

Abstract: A coupling between a motor vehicle window panel and a horizontal sash bar below a lower edge of the window panel including a pair of plastic clips rigidly attached to the window panel which hook onto an edge of the sash bar to vertically couple the window panel to the sash bar with zero vertical lash therebetween and a retainer which audibly signals that the plastic clips are hooked to the sash bar and thereafter prevents dislodgment of the plastic clips from the sash bar. In a preferred embodiment, each plastic clip is adhesively bonded to the window panel and hooks onto a flat edge of the sash bar adjacent to respective ones of a pair of access slots in the flat edge.

Abstract: A shift control mechanism has a shift tower including a mounting bracket on which a shift lever is mounted to permit fore-aft pivotal movement and transverse pivotal movement. Fore-aft movements provide a ratio selection and transverse movements provide a gate or range selection. An assist plate is pivotally mounted on the bracket to be driven by the shift lever during the fore-aft movement. The assist plate cooperates with the mounting bracket through a spring to provide a force directed to assist in the completion of the shift movement. A detent mechanism is incorporated in the shift tower between the assist plate and the bracket to provide shift feel in feedback to the operator, especially in the neutral condition.

Abstract: A tow assembly is provided for use in a vehicle having a generally laterally extending front bumper rail and generally longitudinally extending, opposing first and second side rails. The tow assembly includes first and second bumper mounting brackets each securely attached to the front bumper rail and first and second side mounting brackets each securely attached to the first and second side rails, respectively. The tow assembly further includes first and second detachable coupling members engaging and extending between the bumper and mounting brackets on respective sides of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle door arrangement is provided including inner and outer panels. The inner panel has a through opening, a tubular grommet which is received in the opening and snap-fittingly secured to the inner panel, and a plurality of electrical conductors extending through the grommet. The through opening in the inner panel extends inwardly from a side edge of the inner panel. The inner panel has at least one ear extending transversely into the opening adjacent the side edge. The grommet is resilient and has a groove which extends inwardly from its outer periphery and whose outwardly facing bottom is shaped substantially complementary to the opening.

Abstract: Integration of vehicle speed and engine control functions in an automotive vehicle internal combustion engine controller compensates for mechanical lash between a cruise control actuator and an engine intake air valve without sacrificing control responsiveness through a parallel control approach, and improves overall control stability and controllability in the absence of mechanical lash through a selective control approach established to provide for smooth transitions between control modes. Improvement in the integration of deceleration fuel cutoff control with cruise control operates to prevent torque disturbances caused by control transitions in sensitive engine operating regions.

Abstract: A motor vehicle has a multi-speed automatic transmission and a cruise control system. A method of shift control when the cruise control system is enabled infers from a plurality of factors based on cruise control error quantities the desirability of forcing a downshift to a lower speed ratio.

Abstract: A five-speed parallel-shaft clutch-to-clutch shifting automatic transmission has an hydraulically responsive clutch priority valve effective to exhaust fluid pressure from lower priority clutches upon undesirable simultaneous application two or more clutches. Two clutches associated with numerically nonadjacent gear ratios are supplied fluid pressure from a single solenoid controlled fluid valve vis-a-vis a two mutually exclusive state multiplex valve. The clutch priority valve is interposed between the solenoid controlled fluid valve and the multi-plex valve thereby rendering the two clutch states associated with the single solenoid valve indistinguishable by the clutch priority valve.

Abstract: Synchronization of relative engine angular position information is provided in the absence of an absolute engine position input signal by inducing misfires in a known engine cylinder and then monitoring misfire behavior over a test period. If significant misfire activity does not occur in an engine cylinder assumed, in accord with an assumed engine absolute position, to correspond to the known engine cylinder, then the assumed engine absolute position was not correct and is corrected through application of a position offset to the assumed position. Misfires are induced and the absolute position corrected when the engine is operating at a level assumed to be insensitive to the misfires and the correction.

Abstract: A manual shift lever for an automatic transmission has a park position and a plurality of drive positions. The shift lever is detented into each position and has both a brake/transmission shift interlock (BTSI) and an ignition interlock which independently inhibit shifting from the park position prior to predetermined operating inputs, such as manipulating the ignition key and/or the brake pedal. A bell crank connected with the interlocks provides the inhibiting structure. To limit the operator input force on the bell crank, a lost motion structure is provided between an operator button on the shift lever handle and an actuator rod and pin which engage the bell crank.

Abstract: Internal combustion engine ignition timing is adjusted in response to a sensed knock condition and in response to a determination of engine knock propensity through application of fuzzy logic, wherein an inference engine comprised of a predetermined knowledge rulebase generates a set of truths in response to application of a set of input signals from a set of membership functions. The set of truths are combined according to both relative and absolute strength in indicating engine knock propensity.

Abstract: A neutral-reverse shift control actuator is provided in a countershaft transmission. The actuator is operatively connected through a resilient detent mechanism to a forward shift control mechanism. During a neutral-reverse shift maneuver, the drive connection partially manipulates the forward synchronizer, such that synchronization between the input and output shaft is achieved during a reverse shift maneuver. During a five-six or six-five shift, a detent structure is available to reduce the 3-4 neutral force of the centering spring in the shift control mechanism.

Abstract: Timing of delivery of a determined fuel injection quantity is adapted for engine operating conditions including current conditions and likely future conditions under which the fueling requirement may vary significantly from fueling event to fueling event. Parameters are sensed indicating the actual engine operating condition and indicating any current or potential transients, and a fuel injection timing value referenced as a function of the parameters to account not only for the current engine condition, but for likely future conditions.

Abstract: A glass positioning fixture for retaining a glass enclosure in place while the glass enclosure is being adhesively joined to an automotive frame is provided which in one preferred embodiment includes a base which includes a platform with a projecting compliant hook extending therefrom, the hook having a width generally larger than an insertion aperture provided in the frame and the hook expanding outwardly, permanently pivotally joining the base with the frame after insertion into the aperture, the base also having facing channel sides connected to the platform, the channel sides having a series of apertures; and a linear slider having a main body captured adjacent the platform and held by the channel sides and having a curvilinear head for contact with the glass enclosure, the slider also having peripheral sides with protrusions for selective engagement in the holes of the channel to allow bidirectional incremental adjustment of the slider with respect to the base, thereby positioning the glass enclosure.

Abstract: Automotive internal combustion engine air/fuel ratio control accuracy improvement is provided through correction of engine cylinder volumetric efficiency to account for variation in engine intake air temperature away from volumetric efficiency calibration intake air temperature, and to account for heating of the intake air passing through engine intake air passages prior to entry to the engine cylinders. Change in air density and change in airflow dynamics occurring in engine intake air passages are accounted for in the volumetric efficiency correction so that engine control commands more accurately account for actual engine cylinder intake air mass.

Abstract: Internal combustion engine cylinder volumetric efficiency is corrected for deviations in cylinder combustion temperature away from volumetric efficiency calibration combustion temperature to account for engine cylinder intake air and fuel dynamics under conditions deviating away from calibration conditions. The significance of the combustion temperature deviation on cylinder intake air and fuel heating is evaluated in accord with engine intake mass airflow information. The corrected volumetric efficiency is applied for improved cylinder intake air mass determination and for precise cylinder air/fuel ratio control.

Abstract: Internal combustion engine misfires are diagnosed through monitoring of change in engine speed wherein an acceleration spike index is generated for each cylinder event over a number of engine cycles in a test period and is corrected in accord with sensed part tolerancing, and wherein the corrected acceleration spike index is compared to at least one misfire threshold. For each engine cylinder, a degree of misfire severity is diagnosed at the end of the test period in accord with the frequency of excursions by the corresponding misfire index above the at least one misfire threshold.