An internal combustion engine control apparatus includes: an ignition coil including a primary coil and a secondary coil that are magnetically coupled to each other; a first switch element for turning on and off a current to the primary coil; and a spark plug, for igniting an air-fuel mixture in an internal combustion engine by using a spark discharge caused by switching the first switch element from the ON state to the OFF state. The internal combustion engine control apparatus is configured to: determine occurrence of one of an abnormality in a discharge voltage and a misfire of the spark plug, when the calculated time duration in which a voltage of the primary coil after the switching of the first switch element from the ON state to the OFF state is above a predetermined comparison reference voltage does not fall within an allowable range.

Methods and systems are provided for operating a pre-chamber to provide ignition to a cylinder during catalyst heating. In one example, a method may include injecting fuel and air into a pre-chamber of an engine cylinder during an expansion stroke of the engine cylinder responsive to a temperature of a catalyst being less than a threshold temperature, and injecting the fuel and the air into the pre-chamber during a compression stroke of the engine cylinder responsive to the temperature of the catalyst being greater than or equal to the threshold temperature. In this way, the pre-chamber may provide robust ignition to the cylinder during a variety of operating conditions.

An engine including a fuel tank, a carburetor, a speed control lever, and a transport valve. The carburetor includes a throttle valve movable between a first throttle position and a second throttle position. The speed control lever is coupled to the throttle valve and is movable between a first position corresponding to the first throttle position and a second position corresponding to the second throttle position. The transport valve is fluidly coupled between the fuel tank and the carburetor, and includes a valve element moveable between an open valve position allowing fuel flow between the fuel tank and the carburetor, and a closed valve position preventing fuel flow between the fuel tank and the carburetor. Movement of the speed control lever to the second position moves the valve element to the closed valve position to stop fluid flow between the fuel tank and the carburetor.

The present invention relates to a device and a method for controlling the start of an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine is equipped with an ignition device comprising a fuel-fed prechamber to ignite an air-fuel mixture in a main combustion chamber. In order to reduce the emissions of the internal combustion engine during engine start a prechamber heating operations is performed by injecting a predetermined amount of fuel into the prechamber and igniting an air-fuel-mixture therein, while the main fuel injector is deactivated during at least a first engine cycle after engine start request.

A system includes an ignition switch, a power source, a power outlet, and an electronic control unit communicatively coupled to the ignition switch. The electronic control unit is configured to: determine that the ignition switch is set to an OFF state, determine whether a state of charge of an electronic device coupled to the power outlet is below a target state of charge, and in response to determining that the ignition switch is set to the OFF state and determining that the state of charge is below the target state of charge, provide power to the electronic device, from the power source and through the power outlet, while the ignition switch is set to the OFF state until the state of charge of the electronic device reaches the target state of charge.

The present invention relates to a device and a method for controlling the start of an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine is equipped with an ignition device comprising a fuel-fed prechamber to ignite an air-fuel mixture in a main combustion chamber. In order to reduce the emissions of the internal combustion engine during engine start a prechamber heating operations is performed by injecting a predetermined amount of fuel into the prechamber and igniting an air-fuel-mixture therein, while the main fuel injector is deactivated during at least a first engine cycle after engine start request.

An internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder bank comprising multiple cylinders, each cylinder comprises a rocker arm box for accommodating rocker arms of a valve train, and each cylinder comprises a rocker arm cover pivotable relative to the rocker arm box. The rocker arm cover carries an ignition coil contactable with a spark plug via an extension extending through a protective tube between the cylinder head and the rocker arm box or the rocker arm cover. The rocker arm cover comprises a first portion with a first introduction aid, into which the protective tube is threaded during closure of the rocker arm cover and a second portion with a second introduction aid, into which the spark plug extension is threaded during closure of the rocker arm cover to automatically and self-centringly form an electrical contact between the spark plug extension and the ignition coil.

An internal combustion engine according to the present disclosure has an ignition coil and an injector that share a power source, and has a controller that controls energization to the ignition coil and energization to the injector. The controller executes setting processing and correction processing. In the setting processing, the controller sets an energization period of the ignition coil in accordance with an operating condition of the internal combustion engine. In the correction processing, when the energization period of the ignition coil overlaps with an energization period of the injector, the controller corrects the energization period of the ignition coil so as to reduce an overlap period between the energization period of the ignition coil and the energization period of the injector.

A system includes an ignition switch, a power source, a power outlet, and an electronic control unit communicatively coupled to the ignition switch. The electronic control unit is configured to: determine that the ignition switch is set to an OFF state, determine whether a state of charge of an electronic device coupled to the power outlet is below a target state of charge, and in response to determining that the ignition switch is set to the OFF state and determining that the state of charge is below the target state of charge, provide power to the electronic device, from the power source and through the power outlet, while the ignition switch is set to the OFF state until the state of charge of the electronic device reaches the target state of charge.

An internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder bank comprising multiple cylinders, each cylinder comprises a rocker arm box for accommodating rocker arms of a valve train, and each cylinder comprises a rocker arm cover pivotable relative to the rocker arm box. The rocker arm cover carries an ignition coil contactable with a spark plug via an extension extending through a protective tube between the cylinder head and the rocker arm box or the rocker arm cover. The rocker arm cover comprises a first portion with a first introduction aid, into which the protective tube is threaded during closure of the rocker arm cover and a second portion with a second introduction aid, into which the spark plug extension is threaded during closure of the rocker arm cover to automatically and self-centringly form an electrical contact between the spark plug extension and the ignition coil.