Abstract: A vehicle control device includes an engine that is a power source of a vehicle, an electrical storage device, a starting device connected to the electrical storage device and configured to consume electrical power to start the engine, and a power steering device connected to the electrical storage device and configured to consume electrical power to generate an assist torque, wherein an engine stop control of causing the engine to be in a stopped state is executable during travelling of the vehicle, and the engine stop control is prohibited in at least one of time of turning of the vehicle, time of steering of the vehicle during travelling, and time of generating an assist torque during travelling.

Abstract: An exhaust system is disclosed for use with an engine. The exhaust system may have a compression relief valve associated with an engine cylinder. The exhaust system may also have an exhaust gas recirculation passage extending from the compression relief valve to an intake of the engine cylinder.

Abstract: A spark ignition engine capable of fixing an ignition coil case even in a small engine includes an intake manifold 9 attached to a cylinder head 1, a coil case attachment stay 10 attached to the intake manifold 9, a cylinder portion through hole 12 formed on a board 11 of the coil case attachment stay 10, and a coil case attaching portion 13 provided in an upper part of the board 11. A flexible cylinder portion is caused to penetrate through a cylinder portion through hole, a tongue piece 15 is caused to protrude from a coil case peripheral wall 14 of an ignition coil case 7. The tongue piece 15 is mounted on the coil case attaching portion 13 and the coil case peripheral wall 14 is caused to abut on an edge portion 16 of the coil case attaching portion 13.

Abstract: A method for controlling a variable valve train of an internal combustion engine including multiple cylinders is disclosed. At a first operating point of the engine, an intake air amount is determined and cylinder-individual values for a fuel amount reduction are determined by successively reducing the respectively supplied fuel amount for each cylinder until a characteristic representing uneven running of the engine has reached a predetermined uneven running threshold value. A ratio of a change in the intake valve lift to the resulting change in the intake air amount is determined for the first operating point. Cylinder-individual deviations of the intake valve lift from a reference value are determined based on the ratio, the intake air amount at the first operating point, and the associated value for the fuel amount reduction. The variable valve train is then controlled on the basis of the cylinder-individual deviations of the intake valve lift.

Abstract: An engine control method includes: a step of determining whether or not a crank angle of the engine lies in a first section between a top dead center in a compression stroke and a first angle in a case where the engine speed of the engine is lower than the prescribed engine speed; a step of running the engine in a forward direction by driving a motor that applies a torque to a crank of the engine in the forward direction in a case where the crank angle of the engine does not lie in the first section; a step of determining whether or not the crank angle of the engine lies in the first section; a step of determining whether or not the crank angle of the engine lies in a second section between a top dead center in a combustion stroke and a second angle; a step of braking the motor in a case where it is determined in the sixth step that the crank angle of the engine lies in the second section; and a step of running the engine in the forward direction by driving the motor in the forward direction in a case where i

Abstract: A fuel injection control device sets an injection sharing ratio of a quantity of a fuel injected in an intake stroke, and a quantity of a fuel injected in a compression stroke, based on an operating state or an environmental condition of the engine, and manipulates the cylinder fuel injection device so as to inject a part or all of a required fuel in the intake stroke and inject a remaining part in the compression stroke, in accordance with the set injection sharing ratio. The injection sharing ratio is set so as to make a proportion of the quantity of the fuel which is injected in the intake stroke larger when a temperature of air which is taken into a cylinder is higher than a fuel which is injected from the cylinder fuel injection device, as compared to when the temperature of the air is lower than the fuel.

Abstract: A stop/start vehicle includes an engine and a stop/start system that selectively prevents an auto stop or auto start of the engine in response to a detected vehicle proximity and direction of travel relative to an emergency vehicle. The stop/start system may be programmed to prevent an auto stop of the engine in response to a detected proximity to an emergency vehicle where the emergency vehicle is traveling in the same direction as the stop/start vehicle, or in response to a detected proximity to an emergency vehicle where the stop/start vehicle is located within an intersection. The stop start system may also be programmed to prevent an auto start of the engine in response to the engine being stopped, and further in response to a detected proximity to an emergency vehicle where the emergency vehicle is traveling in cross traffic relative to the stop/start vehicle.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for varying fuel injection pressure in a gaseous-fueled vehicle. A mechanical pressure regulator may be modified to regulate the pressure of gaseous fuel to varying pressures based on electronic pressure feedback and engine operating conditions. In one example, a regulating pressure in a low pressure chamber of a pressure regulator may be varied by controllably flowing gaseous fuel into or out of a reference chamber of the pressure regulator, and the gaseous fuel exhausted from the reference chamber may be directed to the engine for combustion.

Abstract: An exhaust gas cooling module for an internal combustion engine includes an exhaust gas recirculation valve comprising an exhaust gas recirculation valve housing having an inlet, an exhaust gas heat exchanger, an exhaust gas non-return valve comprising an exhaust gas non-return valve housing, and two exhaust gas channels. The two exhaust gas channels are arranged in the exhaust gas cooling module so as to separately extend from the inlet of the exhaust gas recirculation valve housing to the exhaust gas non-return valve housing via the exhaust gas heat exchanger.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for estimating engine performance information for a combustion cycle of an internal combustion engine. Estimated performance information for a previous combustion cycle is retrieved from memory. The estimated performance information includes an estimated value of at least one engine performance variable. Actuator settings applied to engine actuators are also received. The performance information for the current combustion cycle is then estimated based, at least in part, on the estimated performance information for the previous combustion cycle and the actuator settings applied during the previous combustion cycle. The estimated performance information for the current combustion cycle is then stored to the memory to be used in estimating performance information for a subsequent combustion cycle.

Abstract: A method for preventing misdiagnosis of an oil level sensor may include determining whether a driving status of a vehicle satisfies a first diagnosis condition, a second diagnosis condition or both. When the first diagnosis condition is satisfied, the method may include measuring oil levels, calculating a first average of the measured oil levels, and comparing the calculated first average of the measured oil levels with a predetermined reference oil level. When the second diagnosis condition is satisfied, the method may include measuring oil levels, calculating a second average of the measured oil levels, and comparing the calculated second average of the measured oil levels with the predetermined reference oil level. The method may also include warning an excess of oil when the first, the second or both first and second averages of the measured oil levels are higher than the predetermined reference oil level.

Abstract: An engine system comprising an accelerator device which is operable to increase the amount of fuel delivered to the engine for combustion; an exhaust gas recirculation system for removing exhaust gas from the engine and recirculating a portion of the exhaust gas to the engine; and an oxygen delivery apparatus adapted to deliver oxygen to the engine in response to operation of the accelerator device. Using this system, performance losses from EGR can be abated by introducing compensatory oxygen.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a vehicle to implement an engine torque management strategy. The engine torque management strategy implements a sophisticated engine knock control method that alleviates/mitigates the cause of the knock while also optimizing vehicle performance and engine efficiency without compromising engine hardware protection. Whenever suitable, the system and method attempt to reduce the amount of air trapped in a knocking cylinder to reduce its effective compression ratio and to eliminate the knock while keeping the same optimal spark timing for combustion efficiency.

Abstract: An ignition timing controlling apparatus for an engine includes an ignition timing map in which high-torque timings are stored, an ECU for changing a high-torque timing obtained from the ignition timing map into a fuel-conserving ignition timing, and an advance angle target amount map in which advance angle target amounts with which the high-torque timing is to be changed into the fuel-conserving ignition timing are stored. The ECU is operable to calculate an advance angle target amount for each of cylinders of the engine based on the advance angle target amount map when a running state of a vehicle is in a cruize state in which little acceleration or deceleration is included, and also to execute advance angle control of changing the ignition timing of each of the cylinders stepwise with respect to the advance angle target amount for each of the cylinders.

Abstract: Valve timing is held to a position close to a target value as much as possible while suppressing control errors of valve timing even though a crankshaft rotates in reverse. In an internal combustion engine which controls the valve timing by a variable valve timing mechanism (an electric VTC) driven by an electric motor, an intake valve timing is controlled after an output of an engine stop command such that: when the engine rotates in a forward direction, a real valve timing (a VTC real angle ?r) detected by a sensor is converged to a target valve timing (a VTC target angle ?trg) advanced for the time of start; and when the engine rotates in a reverse direction, a manipulated variable of the electric VTC is set so that the VTC real angle ?r is held to the VTC real angle ?r detected just before the detection of the reverse rotation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling an exhaust gas recirculation circuit for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. The engine is linked to an air intake circuit and to a gas exhaust circuit linked to the air intake circuit by the recirculation circuit. A first valve controls the flow of air upstream from the recirculation circuit, and a second valve controls the flow of exhaust gases that are recirculated within the recirculation circuit. The method comprises the following steps: a) the first valve is closed, and the second valve is gradually opened; b) if the second valve is opened at an angle greater than a value between 25° and 35°, the first valve is gradually opened concomitantly to the opening of the second valve. As a result of the invention, the EGR rate is easily controllable.

Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a misfire indication module, a valve control module, and a fault indication module. The misfire indication module selectively indicates that misfire occurred within a cylinder of an engine. The valve control module controls lifting of a valve of a cylinder of the engine and, in response to the misfire indication module indicating that misfire occurred within the cylinder, transitions lifting of the valve from one of a low lift state and a high lift state to the other one of the low lift state and the high lift state. The fault indication module selectively indicates that a fault is present in a variable valve lift (VVL) mechanism of the cylinder based on whether the misfire indication module indicates that misfire occurred within the cylinder after the transition to the other one of the low lift state and the high lift state.

Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a knock indication module, a valve control module, and a fault indication module. The knock indication module selectively indicates that knock occurred within a cylinder of an engine. The valve control module controls lifting of a valve of a cylinder of the engine and, in response to the knock indication module indicating that knock occurred within the cylinder, transitions lifting of the valve from one of a low lift state and a high lift state to the other one of the low lift state and the high lift state. The fault indication module selectively indicates that a fault is present in a variable valve lift (VVL) mechanism of the cylinder based on whether the knock indication module indicates that knock occurred within the cylinder after the transition to the other one of the low lift state and the high lift state.

Abstract: A diagnostic system for a vehicle includes a comparison module, a disabling module, and a fault indication module. The comparison module indicates whether a temperature of engine coolant is less than a first predetermined temperature. The disabling module disables the comparison module until the temperature of the engine coolant is greater than a second predetermined temperature. The fault indication module diagnoses a fault in response to the comparison module indicating that the temperature of the engine coolant is less than the first predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A corona igniter (20) comprises a central electrode (22) surrounded by an insulator (26), which is surrounded by a conductive component. The conductive component includes a shell (34) and an intermediate part (36) both formed of an electrically conductive material. The intermediate part (36) is typically attached to a lower ledge (52) of the insulator outer surface (50) prior to inserting the insulator (26) into the shell (34). The shell firing end (56) is typically aligned with the lower edge and the intermediate firing end. The conductive inner diameter (Dg) is less than an insulator outer diameter (Dio) directly below the lower ledge (52) such the insulator thickness (ti) increases toward the electrode firing end (40).