An engine control method includes a step of setting combustion mode in which a first combustion mode in which a mixed gas is combusted by propagating flame or a second combustion mode in which the mixed gas is combusted by self-ignition is selected, a step of setting air-fuel ratio mode in which a lean first air-fuel ratio mode or a second air-fuel ratio mode equal to or richer than a theoretical air-fuel ratio is selected, a step of setting torque reduction in which a torque reduction amount by which a torque generated by an engine is reduced based on a steer angle of a steering wheel, and a suppressing step in which reducing the torque generated by the engine based on the torque reduction amount set in the step of setting torque reduction is suppressed.

A supercharger and a turbocharger are provided, as well as a load sensor detecting a traction load of a trailer towed by a semi-trailer and being arranged in a coupler. A combined supercharging and turbocharging is performed by the supercharger and the turbocharger when the traction load is heavier than a previously defined traction determination value. Only supercharging is performed by the turbocharger when the traction load is not more than the traction determination value.

A method for controlling a vehicle propulsion system. More particularly, the method estimates a future, upcoming driving condition and controls the vehicle propulsion system to operate the prime mover in a specific operation mode based on a determined regeneration level of a particle filter for the estimated future, upcoming driving condition.

A vehicle includes a fuel pump configured to deliver fuel to an internal combustion engine. The vehicle also includes an accelerometer configured to detect acceleration of a vehicle component. A plurality of sensors are provided about the vehicle for detecting conditions that would indicate aggressive driving. At least one controller is provided and is in communication with the fuel pump, the accelerometer, and the sensors. The at least one controller is programmed to adjust a fuel pump shutoff threshold to an adjusted shutoff threshold in response to one or more conditions indicating aggressive driving. The at least one controller then shuts off the fuel pump in response to the acceleration exceeding the adjusted shutoff threshold.

Methods and systems for distributing engine output among vehicles of a consist are disclosed. One example system comprises a controller including non-transitory media having instructions stored on the media and executed by the controller for adjusting distribution of engine output between at least a first engine and a second engine in response to a regeneration mode, wherein the regeneration mode regenerates an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler that is coupled to the first engine.

A method and apparatus to assist a vehicle ascending a hill are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a trailer connection component configured to determine whether a trailer is connected to the vehicle. The example apparatus also includes a road geometry component configured to determine a slope of a road on which the vehicle is driving. The example apparatus also includes a vehicle payload component configured to determine a gross vehicle weight of the vehicle. The example apparatus also includes a throttle adjuster configured to adjust a throttle based on the gross vehicle weight to maintain a set speed.

A method to control a road vehicle during a slip of the drive wheels, which are caused to rotate by an internal combustion engine provided with a plurality of cylinders arranged in two banks, and with a plurality of fuel injectors each injecting fuel into a corresponding cylinder. The control method comprises the steps of: detecting a slip of at least one drive wheel; and controlling the internal combustion engine, only during a slip of at least one drive wheel, with a signalling law, which causes the internal combustion engine to work in an abnormal manner so as to generate an abnormal vibration and/or an abnormal noise, which can be perceived by the driver. The internal combustion engine has two twin control units, each of which is associated with a corresponding bank, controls all and the sole injectors of its own bank and actuates the signalling law completely independently of and autonomously from the other control unit.

A method to control a road vehicle during a slip of the drive wheels and having the steps of: detecting a slip of at least one drive wheel; and controlling, only during a slip of at least one drive wheel, a driving unit of the road vehicle with a signalling law so as to obtain a cyclic operating irregularity, which generates an abnormal vibration and/or an abnormal noise.

Disclosed herein are techniques for implementing vehicle ECU reprogramming, so the ECU programming, which plays a large role in vehicle performance characteristics, is tailored to current operational requirements, which may be different than the operational characteristics selected by the manufacturer when initially programming the vehicle ECU (or ECUs) with specific instruction sets, such as fuel maps. In one embodiment, a controller monitors the current operational characteristics of the vehicle, determines the current ECU programming, and determines if a different programming set would better suited to the current operating conditions. In the event that the current programming set should be replaced, the controller implements the ECU reprogramming. In a related embodiment, users are enabled to specify the ECU programming to change, such as changing speed limiter settings.

A vehicle control device includes a storage device and a processor. The storage device is configured to store relationship prescription data that prescribe a relationship between a state of a vehicle and an action variable that is a variable related to an operation of an electronic device in the vehicle. The processor is configured to calculate a reward corresponding to the operation of the electronic device. The processor is configured to update the relationship prescription data using, as inputs to updated mapping determined in advance, the state of the vehicle that is based on a detection value that is acquired, a value of the action variable that is used to operate the electronic device, and the reward corresponding to the operation of the electronic device when a computation load on the processor is equal to or less than a predetermined load.