Abstract: An engine brake indicator system is provided for use with a vehicular accessory power source and a pair of brake lights mounted on a rear of a vehicle. Included is an engine brake having a plurality of engine brake coils, a stage switch, and an engine brake master switch with a first orientation upon the engine brake being unemployed and a second orientation upon the engine brake being employed. In use, the engine brake master switch is connected between the power source and the brake lights for actuating the brake lights only upon being in the second orientation.

Abstract: A circuit interfaces the brake, the drivetrain, and an accessory driven from the engine through a power take-off with the engine control so as to disallow application of the brake from discontinuing running of the engine at running speed set by the throttle control input whenever there is concurrence of a first input selecting placement of the accessory device in driven relationship to the power shaft, of a second input distinguishing that the transmission is in non-neutral position, and of a third input indicating vehicle speed is below a certain limit. The circuit allows a driver of the vehicle to apply the brake and operate the accessory without interrupting the set running speed of the engine so long the vehicle speed is below the certain limit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method control an automatic transmission of an automobile. When a feedback control is executed by the automatic transmission while the speed is being changed, the control operation may often lose stability due to a large deviation between a target value and a practical value at the start of the feedback control operation being caused by a change in the opening degree of the throttle and a change in the oil temperature in the automatic transmission. To solve such a technical problem, the control apparatus which detects that the automatic transmission is changing the speed, operates the output shaft torque of the automatic transmission, recognizes a point of inflection of the output shaft torque while the speed is being changed, sets a target output shaft torque of the automatic transmission, and sets an initial target value at a moment of the point.

Abstract: An automatically controlled clutch is arranged between the engine and the driving wheels in the transmission line of a motor vehicle having a transmission which can be shifted manually in an arbitrary manner between idling and driving positions. A control device used for operating the clutch constantly determines the operating performance of the clutch and stores correspondingly adapted characteristic values.

Abstract: A control system for a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a drive shaft driven by the engine, a generator for converting kinetic energy of the drive shaft to electrical energy to generate electric power, and an electrical storage device for storing electrical energy output from the generator, wherein idling of the engine is detected. An amount of electrical energy to be regenerated by the generator during the idling of the engine is calculated. An output from the generator is calculated based on the amount of electrical energy to be regenerated by the generator. An amount of intake air supplied to the engine is controlled in a manner such that the amount of intake air to be supplied to the engine is increased when the generator regenerates electrical energy during the idling of the engine. And an air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine is controlled to a leaner value than a stoichiometric value during the idling of the engine.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a power take off ("PTO") controller used on a vehicle. The controller includes a PTO on/off switch, a brake/clutch ignore switch, and a PTO set/resume switch connected to an electronic controller. The controller sets the engine speed command to a PTO default speed in response to the PTO on/off switch being in an on position. By placing the brake/clutch ignore switch in an ignore position, the vehicle operator can use the brake or clutch without affecting the PTO engine speed.

Abstract: A brake system for an automobile comprises a planetary gear set, a clutch operating unit and an emergency braking unit. The planetary gear set is disposed between gear and clutch assemblies of the automobile and includes a bell-shaped casing with a central neck connected securely to an input shaft of the gear assembly. The bell-shaped casing has an annular wall portion with an internal thread therein, a sun gear disposed centrally in the casing and fixed to a clutch shaft of the clutch assembly which passes axially and centrally therethrough, and a planet gear which meshes with the internal thread of the casing and the sun gear. The planet gear has a planet shaft connected rotatably to a clutch shell of the clutch assembly.

Abstract: An elevated idle speed control is disclosed for use with an internal combustion engine on a vehicle. The control includes an electronic controller connected to a brake pedal sensor, a clutch pedal sensor, an engine speed determining means, a vehicle speed determining means, and a high idle mode selection means. The control permits a vehicle operator to select a desired high idle speed within a default high idle speed and a maximum high idle speed. The control permits the operator to select a high idle mode as a function of signals from said brake pedal sensor, said clutch pedal sensor, the engine speed determining means, the vehicle speed determining means and the high idle mode selection means.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for use in a vehicle having an engine driven transmission which includes a plurality of gear ratios. The apparatus includes a sensor adapted to sense an operating parameter and responsively produce a parameter signal. A memory device includes a custom shiftpoint map for storing data which relates transmission gear ratio to the parameter signal. A programming device for allowing the custom shiftpoint map to be reprogrammed during vehicle operation. A controller is adapted to receive the vehicle speed signal, retrieve data from the custom shiftpoint map, and process the retrieved data and the parameter signal to produce a transmission control signal. An actuator is adapted to receive the transmission control signal and responsively control the transmission gear ratio.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an control system for a motor vehicle and includes: a plurality of control elements coacting for carrying out control tasks with reference to engine power, drive power and braking operation, respectively, and a plurality of coordinating elements for coordinating the coaction of the first elements to effect a control of operating performance of the motor vehicle in correspondence to a request of the driver. The elements are arranged in the form of a plurality of hierarchial levels. At least one of the coordinating elements of one of the hierarchial levels is adapted for acting on the elements of an adjacent hierarchial level when translating the request of the driver into a corresponding operating performance of the motor vehicle thereby acting on a pregiven subordinate system of the driver-vehicle system while providing the performance required from the higher hierarchial level for this subordinate system.