Methods and systems are provided for performing mitigating actions in response to detecting a fuel injector leak. In one example, a method may include in response to detecting a fuel injector leak, performing first high pressure mitigating actions including increasing a fuel rail pressure, increasing a pulse width delivered to the leaking fuel injector, and commanding fuel injection during compression stroke; in response to the first mitigating actions not reducing the leak below a threshold rate, performing second high pressure mitigating actions including increasing the fuel rail pressure, increasing the pulse width delivered to the leaking injector, and commanding fuel injection during intake stroke for a cylinder receiving fuel from the leaking injector; and in response to the second mitigating actions not reducing the leak below the threshold rate, reducing the fuel rail pressure, and commanding intake stroke fuel injection to all cylinders.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling air ingestion in an engine during idle conditions. One example approach includes adjusting an opening of a common shut-off valve via an electronic controller, the common shut-off valve regulating each of motive flow through an aspirator and crankcase ventilation (CV) flow from a crankcase. As such, the common shut-off valve may be closed by the electronic controller during engine idle to cease each of the motive flow through the aspirator and the CV flow from the crankcase.

An abnormality detector of a turbocharged engine includes: a compressor including a plurality of blades that are detected portions; and a detecting portion configured to electrically detect the plurality of blades. Each time the blades are detected a predetermined number of times, one pulse having a pulse width corresponding to a measurement time required to detect the blades is output, and a turbo revolution is calculated from the pulse width of the output pulse. When it is judged that a rotation change of the rotating body which change is calculated based on a pulse width of a first pulse and a pulse width of a second pulse output after the first pulse exceeds a predetermined rate in a region where the rotating body exceeds a predetermined revolution, it is determined that an abnormality of the blade or an electromagnetic noise abnormality of the detecting portion occurs.

A booster circuit installed in a fuel injection device of an internal combustion engine, wherein malfunctions and characteristic changes of the booster circuit are detected, among which the detection distinguishes between decreases in capacity caused by deterioration or broken wires in a booster capacitor, and failures of a current monitor circuit, coil, externally connected fuel injection valve, and other components. The range of decrease in boost voltage when the fuel injection valve is opened is monitored, as is the range of increase per switch performed in order to restore the boost voltage. This makes it possible to detect malfunctions and characteristic changes of the booster circuit.

A method for extracting characterizing features from an ion current trace retrieved from spark plugs of cylinders of an internal combustion engine, comprises the steps of: i. dividing the ion current signal into crank angle subintervals; ii. calculating a measure of ion current in each crank angle subinterval; and iii. Performing a calculation on the measure of ion currents from different subintervals such that the result of the calculation is dimension free. Further it relates to a method of monitoring combustion processes where a plurality of ion current signals from a number of spark plugs (4A, 4B) are retrieved and used in combination.

Disclosed is a method for monitoring a fuel injector, the injector including a piezoelectric actuator controlling a valve unit to open or close the injector, the fuel injector including an actuator play. The method includes: measuring a plurality of compensation times of the actuator play during a simulation step preceding an injection for a given plurality of fuel pressures; calculating a parameter representing the current actuator play per the measured compensation times; comparing the parameter representing the calculated current actuator play with a predetermined reference parameter of the actuator play; and transmitting a warning message if the reference parameter is exceeded; the parameter representative of the current actuator play being calculated on the basis of a polynomial function of the measured compensation times. The polynomial order of the polynomial function corresponding to the number of measured compensation times of the actuator play for different fuel pressures.

A method of controlling an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system for preventing a valve from sticking may include performing, by an ECU, an EGR Cooler By-Pass Valve (ECB V/V) normal mode for operating an ECB V/V under a low temperature and low load condition to prevent fouling of an EGR cooler and overcooling of an EGR gas, when an EGR is controlled with a vehicle driven, and performing, by the ECU, an ECB V/V self-cleaning mode for operating an ECB V/V in consideration of an engine condition when the OFF-state of the ECB V/V is determined and an ECB V/V sticking detection mode for detecting sticking of the ECB V/V in continuous performing, cold performing, and in-driving performing in consideration of an opening amount of the ECB V/V when a fixed state of the ECB V/V is determined.

A control apparatus for operating a fuel injector is provided. The control apparatus includes an electronic control unit configured to: identify when the engine is running under a fuel cut-off condition, and then perform a learning procedure to determine an actual value of energizing time that causes the fuel injector to inject a target fuel quantity. The learning procedure provides for the electronic control unit to perform several test injections with different energizing time values and measure an engine torque value caused by the test injection. The measured engine torque values and their correspondent energizing time values are used to extrapolate the actual value of the energizing time as the value that corresponds to a reference value of engine torque that is consistent with the target fuel quantity.

In an injector driving apparatus, a driving circuit supplies a current individually to each coil of multiple injectors, a current detection element detects the current flowing in a common current flow path, which is common to the coils, a current supply period guard part forcibly stops the current supplied from the driving circuit to the coil upon determination that a measured period reached a predetermined set period based on a detection result of the current detection element, and a diagnosis part operates in a period of no fuel injection to check whether the current supply period guard part normally stops the current supplied to the coil, by continuously supplying the current to the coil for only a short period, which disables the injector to open a valve, and sequentially switches over the coils.

When opening or closing an exhaust cut valve in accordance with an operation range of an engine and performing feedback control for an opening degree of a wastegate valve such that a target supercharging pressure is achieved in each of an open operation range where the exhaust cut valve is opened and a closed operation range where the exhaust cut valve is closed, a failure of the exhaust cut valve can be accurately determined. Whether or not an abnormal state occurs is determined in each range. In the abnormal state, although feedback control for closing the wastegate valve is performed, the actual supercharging pressure is lower than the target supercharging pressure, and a deviation between the actual supercharging pressure and the target supercharging pressure is maintained at not less than a predetermined value. Further, whether the exhaust cut valve is normal or in failure is determined.