Abstract: A method for starting a marine internal combustion engine is independent of a continued signal received from a starting switch. If the operator of the marine vessel momentarily depresses a starting switch, a predetermined procedure is followed by a microprocessor which does not require continued involvement of the marine vessel operator. Various parameters are checked during the starting sequence and various actuators are activated to assure a safe and reliable starting procedure.

Abstract: An engine control system calculates air velocity through a throttle body as a function of mass air flow through the throttle body, air density, and the effective area of air flow through the throttle body as a function of throttle plate position. Mass air flow is calculated as a function of the effective area through the throttle body, barometric pressure, manifold pressure, manifold temperature, the ideal gas constant, and the ratio of specific heats for air. By controlling the throttle plate position as a dual function of throttle demand, which is a manual input, and air velocity through the throttle body, certain disadvantages transient behavior of the engine can be avoided.

Abstract: A calibration procedure involves the steps of manually placing a throttle handle in five preselected positions that correspond with mechanical detents of the throttle control mechanism. At each of the five positions, one or more position indicating signals are received by a microprocessor of a controller and stored for future use. The five positions comprise wide open throttle in forward gear, wide open throttle in reverse gear, the shift position between neutral and forward gear, the shift position between neutral and reverse gear, and the mid-point of the neutral gear selection range. The present invention then continuously monitors signals provided by a sensor of the throttle control mechanism and mathematically determines the precise position of the throttle handle as a function of the stored position indicating signals. In one embodiment, each position indicating signal comprises three redundant signal magnitudes.

Abstract: A method for controlling a fuel system of a multiple injector engine provides a primary fuel injector and a secondary fuel injector which are both connected in fluid communication with an air stream flowing to a combustion chamber of the engine. Based on the total magnitude of fuel required to be injected into the air stream and as a function of the engine speed and percent load of the engine, first and second shares of the total magnitude of fuel are determined for the primary and secondary fuel injectors. The primary and secondary fuel injectors are then caused to inject their respective shares of the total fuel magnitude into the air stream, with the primary and secondary shares being determined as a function of engine speed and percent load of the engine.

Abstract: A data storing method for a marine propulsion system uses two groups of three data logs each in which each data log comprises a plurality of data records. The information on preselected parameters are stored into the data records of the three data logs at different time increments. This allows the three data logs to cover a relatively long period of time at a lesser resolution, a shortest period of time at a highest resolution, and an intermediate period of time at an intermediate resolution. This allows an analyst to carefully review the various parameter magnitudes during the periods of time immediately preceding a catastrophic event, such as an accident or an engine failure, either of which resulting in an engine shut down.