A disclosed method of automatically stopping and restarting a vehicle engine determines if one or more stop/start enablement condition has been met. If the stop/start enablement condition or conditions have been met, the method initiates an engine shutdown. If a restart request is made before the engine reaches a predetermined threshold speed, then a first restart sequence is initiated. If a restart request is made when the engine speed is less than the predetermined threshold speed but still greater than 0, then a second restart sequence is initiated.

The disclosure relates to a method for controlling an internal combustion engine configured with a belt starter generator or an electric machine of a hybrid powertrain. The internal combustion engine includes a cylinder and a piston, which together delimit a working chamber. The internal combustion engine includes a variable valve actuation system for actuation of inlet valves of the working chambers, controlling the opening time and/or the closing time and/or the lift. A strategy for operating the internal combustion engine with a negative drive torque or when shutting down or when starting up the internal combustion includes controlling the inlet valves of individual or all working chambers in such a way that the transfer of fresh air from an intake section to an exhaust manifold is controlled and that the drag torque of the internal combustion is reduced.

A decompression shaft (56) of a decompression device (50) includes an engagement pin (53) that is guided by a guide groove (51a) formed in a decompression weight (51), a decompression cam (54) that is provided on one cam surface of an intake valve cam (25c) and an exhaust valve cam (25b) so as to advance and retreat, and a connection portion (55) that connects the engagement pin (53) and the decompression cam (54). The decompression weight (51) is formed with a rotation restricting groove (51e) that restricts rotation of the decompression shaft (56) when a force acts in a direction in which the decompression cam (54) moves on the decompression shaft (56) from an advanced position to a retracted position when an engine (E) is stopped and that is continuous with the guide groove (51a).

A prime mover for a lightweight vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine, a starter motor integrally integrated with the internal combustion engine, and a housing for the prime mover. The prime mover additionally comprises a Hall Effect sensor and an prime mover control module structured and operable to communicate with the Hall Effect sensor, determine when operation of the internal combustion engine should cease, and upon the determination that operation of the internal combustion engine should cease, utilize the communication from the Hall Effect sensor to stop the internal combustion engine such that a piston of the internal combustion engine is positioned at between 15° and 25° after bottom-dead-center.

An engine driving apparatus includes an engine, a starter motor, and a starter motor controller. The engine includes a plurality of cylinders. When any one of the plurality of cylinders enters a compression stroke, another one of the cylinders enters an expansion stroke. The starter motor is coupled to a crankshaft of the engine. The starter motor controller is configured to control the starter motor. Before restarting the engine, the starter motor controller performs pre-restart control for adding torque to the crankshaft by using the starter motor to open an exhaust valve of the cylinder in the expansion stroke.

A valve timing controller includes: a driving-side rotation member rotatable around a rotation axis and rotating in synchronization with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven-side rotation member rotatable around the rotation axis and rotating integrally with a camshaft of the engine; a phase regulating mechanism setting a relative rotation phase of the driving-side and driven-side rotation members by an electric motor; a detection unit detecting the relative rotation phase; a stop control portion displacing the relative rotation phase by controlling the electric motor to stop the engine after the relative rotation phase reaches a stop phase; and a correction control portion displacing the relative rotation phase in a direction closer to the stop phase by controlling the electric motor, when the relative rotation phase is displaced beyond a set amount from the stop phase, in a state where the engine is stopped by the stop control portion.

A method for diagnosing failure of a cold start E/M reduction system confirms the change in the torque reserve compared to the torque reserve confirmed for the ignition timing upon cold start by any one of an operation of an electric load device, an operation of an alternator, an operation of a purge valve, an operation of an air conditioner, a shift state of a transmission, and a coolant temperature state of an engine, and confirms the failure or normality of any one of the electric load device, the alternator, the purge valve, and the air conditioner is normal or failed using the change in the torque reserve to apply the confirmed result to determine whether the cold start E/M reduction system is abnormal, securing failure diagnosis accuracy for the components for the cold start E/M reduction.

A hybrid drive for a vehicle includes an electric machine, an internal combustion engine, and a transmission with a transmission input shaft. The electric machine and the internal combustion engine are coupled to the transmission input shaft such that the electric machine and the internal combustion engine cannot be decoupled.

A valve timing controller includes: a driving-side rotation member rotatable around a rotation axis and rotating in synchronization with a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a driven-side rotation member rotatable around the rotation axis and rotating integrally with a camshaft of the engine; a phase regulating mechanism setting a relative rotation phase of the driving-side and driven-side rotation members by an electric motor; a detection unit detecting the relative rotation phase; a stop control portion displacing the relative rotation phase by controlling the electric motor to stop the engine after the relative rotation phase reaches a stop phase; and a correction control portion displacing the relative rotation phase in a direction closer to the stop phase by controlling the electric motor, when the relative rotation phase is displaced beyond a set amount from the stop phase, in a state where the engine is stopped by the stop control portion.

A decompression shaft (56) of a decompression device (50) includes an engagement pin (53) that is guided by a guide groove (51a) formed in a decompression weight (51), a decompression cam (54) that is provided on one cam surface of an intake valve cam (25c) and an exhaust valve cam (25b) so as to advance and retreat, and a connection portion (55) that connects the engagement pin (53) and the decompression cam (54). The decompression weight (51) is formed with a rotation restricting groove (51e) that restricts rotation of the decompression shaft (56) when a force acts in a direction in which the decompression cam (54) moves on the decompression shaft (56) from an advanced position to a retracted position when an engine (E) is stopped and that is continuous with the guide groove (51a).