Diagnostic systems and methods for detecting leaks in an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system of an engine of a vehicle utilize an upstream oxygen (O2) sensor disposed in an exhaust system of the engine upstream from an EGR port of the EGR system and configured to measure an upstream O2 concentration of exhaust gas produced by the engine, a downstream O2 sensor disposed in the exhaust system downstream from the EGR port and configured to measure a downstream O2 concentration of the exhaust gas, and a controller configured to receive the measured upstream and downstream O2 concentrations from the upstream and downstream O2 sensors, respectively, and detect a leak in the EGR system when a difference between the measured downstream and upstream O2 concentrations exceeds a diagnostic threshold.

An exhaust manifold cover is provided with a plate-shaped cover member for covering at least a part of a heat source. The cover member has a first affixation section and a second affixation section, which are affixed so as to be in contact with the heat source. A bellows section in which ridges and grooves extending in a transverse direction perpendicular to a centerline passing through the first and second affixation sections are alternately formed is provided on the cover member at a position between the first and second affixation sections. The bellows section has formed therein a groove pair composed of two grooves having different widths of the two grooves composing the groove pair, the first groove which is near the first affixation section has a greater width than the second groove which is near the second affixation section.

There is provided a zeolite having a CHA structure. When a total integrated intensity of a (211) plane, a (104) plane, and a (220) plane in an X-ray diffraction spectrum obtained by an X-ray powder diffraction method is defined as X.sub.0 and the total integrated intensity after heat endurance test for five hours at 900 C. under an air atmosphere is defined as X.sub.1, a ratio of X.sub.1 (X.sub.1/X.sub.0) to X.sub.0 is within a range from 0.2-0.7; and as measured by a .sup.27Al-NMR method after the heat endurance test for five hours at 900 C. under the air atmosphere, when a peak intensity of tetra-coordinated Al atoms is defined as P.sub.4 and a peak intensity of hexa-coordinated Al atoms is defined as P.sub.6, a ratio of P.sub.6 (P.sub.6/P.sub.4) to P.sub.4 is 0.1 or less.

A vehicle exhaust system includes a vehicle body structure, an exhaust system, a rear bumper assembly, an exhaust finisher and a boot. The exhaust assembly is supported to an underside of the vehicle body structure. The rear bumper assembly is also supported to the vehicle body structure. The exhaust finisher is non-movably attached to one of the vehicle body structure and the rear bumper assembly. The exhaust finisher extends at least part way through an opening of the rear bumper assembly. The boot has a first end, a second end, and a flexible portion. The first end is attached to a rear end of the exhaust assembly. The second end is attached to a forward end of the exhaust finisher and the flexible portion extends from the trout end to the second end. The flexible portion is elastically deformable in response to thermal expansion and contraction of the exhaust assembly.

A feedthrough in a housing component that is subject to thermal loading for a functional assembly includes: an inner conductor; an outer conductor having a sleeve assigned to or formed on the outer conductor that retains or makes it possible to fasten the feedthrough to the housing component; and an electrically insulating component between the outer conductor and the inner conductor, the electrically insulating component retaining the inner conductor relative to the outer conductor in an electrically insulated fashion.

A pressure compensator for regulating the pressure in a bubble of liquid entirely enclosed in a forming volume of ice, atop which is a volume of gas, and which is contained in a reservoir closed by walls. The compensator includes a plunger formed of a head atop a body. The faces of the body of the plunger have a taper which is positive or zero in an essentially vertical, top to bottom direction.

A support for an electric heating catalyst includes: a honeycomb structure having partition walls extending between inflow and outflow to define cells forming a through channel; and an outer peripheral wall; a pair of electrode layers disposed on the outer peripheral wall; and a pair of electrode portions. Each of the electrode layers is formed in a strip extending in an extending direction of the cells. In a cross section orthogonal to the extending direction, one electrode layer is disposed on a side opposite to the other electrode layer across a center of the honeycomb structure. Each of the electrode layers is electrically connected to each of the electrode portions via two or more base layers, and the base layers are spaced apart from each other and include a metal material and a ceramic material.

Diagnostic systems and methods for detecting leaks in an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system of an engine of a vehicle utilize an upstream oxygen (O2) sensor disposed in an exhaust system of the engine upstream from an EGR port of the EGR system and configured to measure an upstream O2 concentration of exhaust gas produced by the engine, a downstream O2 sensor disposed in the exhaust system downstream from the EGR port and configured to measure a downstream O2 concentration of the exhaust gas, and a controller configured to receive the measured upstream and downstream O2 concentrations from the upstream and downstream O2 sensors, respectively, and detect a leak in the EGR system when a difference between the measured downstream and upstream O2 concentrations exceeds a diagnostic threshold.

A support for an electric heating type catalyst includes: a honeycomb structure having: porous partition walls extending through the honeycomb structure from an inflow end face to an outflow end face to define a plurality of cells forming a through channel; and an outer peripheral wall located at the outermost periphery; a pair of electrode layers disposed on the outer peripheral wall of the honeycomb structure; and a pair of electrode portions. Each of the electrode layers is formed in a strip shape extending in an extending direction of the cell of the honeycomb structure. In a cross section orthogonal to the extending direction of the cell, one electrode layer of the pair of electrode layers is disposed on a side opposite to the other electrode layer across a center of the honeycomb structure. Each of the electrode layers is electrically connected to each of the electrode portions via two or more base layers, and the base layers have conductivity and are spaced apart from each other. Each of the electrode portions includes two or more electrodes, and each of the electrodes is fixed to outer surfaces of the base layers.

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes an ECU configured to: determine whether a temperature-increasing process is being executed; calculate a target value of a parameter correlated with a difference between a rich air-fuel ratio and a lean air-fuel ratio achieved in the temperature-increasing process, based on an operating state of the internal combustion engine; calculate, as an upper limit, a value of the parameter required to increase the temperature of the catalyst to a predetermined upper limit temperature; determine whether the target value is equal to or lower than the upper limit; adjust the parameter used in the temperature-increasing process to the target value when the target value is determined to be equal to or lower than the upper limit; and adjust the parameter used in the temperature-increasing process to the upper limit when the target value is determined to be higher than the upper limit.