Abstract: The invention is based on a heating system for a motor vehicle, which is driven by an internal combustion engine (10), in which a heater (30) includes a combustion chamber (32) with a fuel injection device (34) and an ignition device (35) and also includes an air blower (40), and is triggered as a function of operating parameters and/or ambient parameters of the motor vehicle and/or of the internal combustion engine (10) or by actuating signals.

Abstract: The invention proceeds from a vehicle having a clutch and a transmission. The clutch is mounted in the drive train of the motor vehicle and the transmission is mounted in the drive train and is changeable with respect to its transmission ratio. Furthermore, means are provided which generate a clutch signal which represents the actuation of the clutch. The essence of the invention is that a change of the transmission ratio is detected. According to the invention, monitoring means are provided by means of which a fault signal is generated in dependence upon the recognized change and the generated clutch signal. The fault signal indicates whether the means, which generates the clutch signal, operates properly. A further variation of the invention evaluates the clutch actuation with the first start of movement of the vehicle after the engine start.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine, especially for a motor vehicle, is described which is provided with a control apparatus. A number of functions can be executed at time intervals and/or in dependence upon the rpm of the engine. Furthermore, a quantity (RA), which defines the utilization of the control apparatus, and a quantity (N), which defines the rpm of the engine, can be determined. The number of executed functions can be reduced by the control apparatus when the quantity (RA), which defines the utilization, is greater than a utilization threshold value (ASW1).

Abstract: The invention proceeds from a vehicle having a clutch and a transmission. The clutch is mounted in the drive train of the motor vehicle and the transmission is mounted in the drive train and is changeable with respect to its transmission ratio. Furthermore, means are provided which generate a clutch signal which represents the actuation of the clutch. The essence of the invention is that a change of the transmission ratio is detected. According to the invention, monitoring means are provided by means of which a fault signal is generated in dependence upon the recognized change and the generated clutch signal. The fault signal indicates whether the means, which generates the clutch signal, operates properly. A further variation of the invention evaluates the clutch actuation with the first start of movement of the vehicle after the engine start.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and an arrangement for equalizing torque contributions of different cylinders of an internal combustion engine to the total torque of the engine. The engine can operate in an overrun mode and in a fired mode. First quantities (Ka) are provided of a rough running of the engine in the overrun mode and second quantities (Kvi) are provided in the fired mode. Third quantities (Ksi) for a rough-running component based on torsion vibrations are also provided. Cylinder-individual fourth quantities (Kki) for the rough running are formed from the first, second and third quantities with the fourth quantities being independent of the rough running in the overrun mode and independent of the rough-running component based on the torsion vibrations. The torque contributions are equalized on the basis of the fourth quantity.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of diagnosing a catalytic converter mounted in the exhaust-gas system of an internal combustion engine. An exhaust-gas probe is mounted rearward of the catalytic converter and at least one misfire of a combustion of the engine is stimulated. The reaction of the exhaust-gas probe to the stimulation of the misfire is evaluated to diagnose the catalytic converter. The invention is also directed to an arrangement for diagnosing a catalytic converter.

Abstract: A check of an electrical consumer in a motor vehicle is presented with the check being made by evaluating the on-board network voltage for changes in the operating state of the consumer which are triggered by the control apparatus in special operating states. The triggering takes place disengaged from the normal function of the consumer during normal operation. Examples of special operating states are the post-operation of the control apparatus after the switchoff of the internal combustion engine as well as a switchoff of the injection and/or of the ignition in an overrun operating phase.

Abstract: A first signal imaging nonuniformities in the rotational movement of the crankshaft is provided and corrective values are formed and successively changed for each cylinder individually and specifically for each load/rpm range of a plurality of load/rpm ranges until a predetermined condition is satisfied. The corrective value of the first one of the load/rpm ranges wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied is logically coupled to the first signal also in the remaining ones of said the ranges so long until the condition is also satisfied in the remaining ones of the ranges to thereby form a second signal less influenced by the nonuniformities than the first signal. A misfire is then detected when the second signal crosses over a reference value.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for detecting combustion misfires in an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft and a transducer wheel coupled to the crankshaft and a sensor. The combustion misfires are detected on the basis of a time-dependent trace of the rotational movement of the transducer wheel and the transducer wheel has predetermined segments which pass the sensor. In the method, a sensor is utilized to detect segment times in which the segments pass the sensor so that the sensor produces a sensor signal representing the segment times. The sensor signal is applied as an input signal to first and second lowpass filters mutually connected in parallel thereby obtaining first and second output signals which react with different speeds to changes in the input signal. The difference between the first and second output signals is formed and a measure is, in turn, formed for the changes of the difference.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for detecting combustion misfires on the basis of a first input feature signal in which the nonuniformity of the rotational movement (on the basis of rpm or segment times) of the engine is mapped within the first order. According to the method, a permanent misfire at a cylinder is preliminarily detected when a first threshold value is exceeded by the amount of a first input feature signal and a detection signal for permanent misfires at several cylinders is active (and in this way, permanent misfires at several cylinders are recognized) when a threshold value is exceeded by the magnitude of further assigned input feature signals or by the magnitude of the first feature signal when a second threshold value is exceeded. The detection signal for permanent misfires at a cylinder is always switched to be inactive when there is an active detection signal for permanent misfire at several cylinders.

Abstract: A method is introduced for detecting combustion misfires on the basis of the time-dependent course of the rotational movement of a transducer wheel, which is coupled to the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. In this method, the segment times, in which predetermined segments of the transducer wheel pass a sensor, are detected and processed to a measure for the rough running of the internal combustion engine. A conclusion as to misfires is drawn from the behavior of the measure. The measure for the rough running is formed by digital filtering of segment times with predetermined filter coefficients.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of detecting disturbances of the crankshaft rpm for an internal combustion engine which are caused by an empty tank. Uneven-running values (LU) of the engine are detected which are distributed in bands of values and the spacing between the bands of uneven-running values (LU) is computed. A quantity of the engine is detected which is relevant to the exhaust gas of the engine. A check is then made to determine whether the computed band spacing is less than a pregiven threshold spacing and whether the exhaust-gas relevant quantity lies within a pregiven threshold value interval and, if so, this data is utilized as an indication that the disturbances of the crankshaft rpm are caused by an empty tank.

Abstract: An apparatus for cylinder recognition in an internal combustion engine is described, in which the individual-cylinder rpm fluctuations or variables dependent on them are first stored in memory and then, when the engine is restarted, compared with the rpm fluctuations that result at that time. From the results of the comparison obtained, a cylinder recognition can be performed. Particularly in conjunction with engines in which engine roughness detection is performed, the cylinder recognition can be done on the basis of adaptation values for the engine roughness detection.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for detecting combustion misfires on the basis of a first complex input feature signal wherein the nonuniformity of the rotational movement (on the basis of rpm or segment times) of the internal combustion engine is mapped within a first order defined by a rotation of the crankshaft through an angle of 720.degree./k wherein k=1. The input feature signal serves as a feature signal to detect recurring misfires and functions as a feature signal to detect sporadic misfires. The complex input signal is defined by a magnitude and a phase angle which vary as a function of time. The presence of a misfire is detected from the magnitude and the affected cylinder is determined from the phase angle.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for detecting combustion misfires in a multicylinder internal combustion engine. The method includes the steps of: forming a criterion for the rough running of the engine for each cylinder individually on the basis of time intervals during which the crankshaft passes through predetermined angular ranges; and, forming corrective values from rough-running values for each cylinder individually during misfire-free operation so that the rough-running values for each individual cylinder coupled to said corrective values become equal with respect to each other.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for detecting misfires in the combustion of a z-cylinder four stroke internal combustion engine wherein the engine includes a transducer wheel coupled to the crankshaft of the engine and rotating in phase synchronism with the crankshaft. The transducer wheel has typically z/2 segments and the segments are scanned with a sensor device to supply a segment-time signal reflecting the nonuniformity of the rotational movement of the crankshaft with respect to individual ones of the cylinders of the engine. Rough-running values are formed for each cylinder on the basis of the segment times with each of the rough-running values including a component occurring at the frequency of the crankshaft. The component is filtered out and then the filtered rough-running value is compared to a threshold value. A misfire is determined to be present when the filtered rough-running value exceeds the threshold value.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for detecting combustion misfires in a multicylinder internal combustion engine. The method includes the steps of: detecting the time span ts(i) in which the crankshaft of the engine passes through a pregiven angular range (.phi.) for each ignition of the engine; computing a vector element Lut(i) for the rough running of the engine based on at least one detected time span ts(i) for each ignition (i) of the engine; forming a vector LUT(i) from at least two vector elements Lut(i), Lut(j) with the two vector elements Lut(i), Lut(j) being for each ignition (i); computing the spacing between the vector LUT(i) and at least one predetermined reference vector Rn and Ra; and, detecting a combustion misfire when the spacing satisfies a predetermined condition.

Abstract: A transmitter wheel is used for example to detect speed changes of an internal combustion engine with high precision in order to calculate a running imbalance value from them. A transmitter wheel of this kind has for example three segments, which are ideally the same length, but in reality usually have lengths which differ slightly from one another. In order to prevent measurement errors which are caused by this, it is known to determine the actual lengths by means of an adaption process. The device according to the invention is embodied such that for each segment, it has a plurality of adaption filters to detect different adaption values for different speed ranges. It has namely turned out that in different speed ranges, different lengths are measured, which is an error that must be compensated for since the length of a segment is in fact actually constant.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for detecting combustion misfires in an internal combustion engine on the basis of a first signal wherein the nonuniformity of the rotational movement of the crankshaft of the engine is imaged. The method includes the steps of: generating a second signal which is periodic and has a period duration corresponding to one of the following: the cycle duration of a complete work cycle of the engine or the cycle duration divided by a whole number, and the second signal having a fixed phase relationship to the rotational movement of said crankshaft; providing an ancillary signal based on the first signal; modulating the second signal with the ancillary signal and filtering the second signal to form a third signal; and, utilizing the third signal for detecting the presence of misfires and for identifying the cylinder affected by the misfires.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for recognizing an absence or presence of a misfire in each of cylinders of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine without influences of a mechanical deviation in a crank angle sensor and of a combustion state deviation between each of the cylinders. A period of each reference signal (REF) is generated from the crank angle sensor and a fuel combustion state deviation between each of the cylinders. The period of each reference signal (REF), which is generated from the crank angle sensor whenever an engine crankshaft has rotated through a predetermined crank angle expressed as 720.degree./n (n denotes a number of engine cylinders), is measured by a timer. A determination of the absence or presence of the misfire in each cylinder is made based on the measured period of the reference signal for each corresponding one of the cylinders. The measured period being corrected with either or both of first and second correction coefficients (KT.sub.i KKT.sub.