An upper-limit threshold value and a lower-limit threshold value of a fore-and-aft differential pressure of an EGR control valve is calculated based on an intake-air quantity detected by an airflow meter. An actual fore-and-aft differential pressure of the EGR control valve is calculated from detected values of an upstream-side pressure sensor and a downstream-side pressure sensor. Then, these threshold values are compared with the actual fore-and-aft differential pressure, and when the actual fore-and-aft differential pressure exceeds the upper-limit threshold value or when the actual fore-and-aft differential pressure is less than the lower-limit threshold value, it is determined that the pressure loss of an intake and exhaust system has changed. If it is determined that the pressure loss of an intake and exhaust system has changed, EGR is inhibited, and if not so, EGR is permitted to be performed. These threshold values are varied depending on a target EGR rate.

The invention relates to a method for switching between a degraded mode and a normal mode for establishing the angular position of an internal combustion engine (10) of a vehicle (1), the method comprising the steps of, in degraded mode, detecting the free space and the teeth of the toothed wheel (130) of the crankshaft (13) during the rotation of the crankshaft (13) from the signal generated by the crankshaft sensor (16), establishing the angular positions of the crankshaft (13) corresponding to the minimum rotation speeds of the top dead centres established, and switching to normal mode when, for each top dead centre, the deviation between the angular position of the crankshaft (13) and a reference position is less than a position threshold for at least one revolution of the crankshaft (13).

Various methods and systems are provided for health assessments of a fuel system. In one example, a method for an inlet metering valve (IMV) includes reducing electrical driving of the IMV, monitoring a response time of the IMV in real-time responsive to the reducing, and determining if the IMV is degraded based on a response of IMV current over a duration, the duration beginning after an initial decrease in current caused by the reducing.

A fuel injection control method of injecting fuel to a combustion chamber through an injector, the method may include performing, by a controller electrically-connected to the injector, a main injection configured of controlling the injector to inject the fuel in a target injection fuel amount; and performing, by the controller, a pre-energizing configured of driving the injector to inject the fuel in advance, before the performing of the main injection with a predetermined idle time interposed therebetween, wherein the performing of the pre-energizing is configured of magnetizing an injector coil of the injector by applying a current to the injector during a predetermined pre-energizing time, in which a flow rate of the fuel is prevented from being generated by the pre-energizing.

A driving control device for a fuel pump may include a valve-opening-rate calculating unit and a driving control unit. The valve-opening-rate calculating unit may be configured to calculate an injector valve opening rate. The injector valve opening rate may be an injection time of an injector per unit time. The driving control unit may be configured to set a voltage duty ratio of a driving voltage that should be applied to the fuel pump that supplies fuel in a fuel tank to a fuel pipe communicating with the injector. The driving control unit may be further configured to set the voltage duty ratio to a value that is proportional to the injector valve opening rate calculated via the valve-opening-rate calculating unit.

A device and a method for checking switch-off paths in control units of internal combustion engines during ongoing engine operation.

A device and a method for checking switch-off paths in control units of internal combustion engines during ongoing engine operation.

A method for sensing damage to a bearing of an engine using a vibration signal may sense the damage to the bearing even without a sensor for directly sensing the damage to the bearing using a frequency signal input to a knocking sensor from the engine for each traveling state (acceleration traveling, cruise traveling, deceleration traveling) of a vehicle.

A method for synchronizing an internal combustion engine includes: a) a first step of acquiring, by the camshaft sensor, signals corresponding to at least five cam edges x; b) a second step of determining the value, from the camshaft signal, of a first, second and third actual ratio; c) a third step of establishing, for each actual value ratio obtained in b), a list of possible cam edges x by comparing the values of the first, second and third actual ratios, respectively, with a tolerance window corresponding to a value of a first, second or third theoretical ratio for a given cam edge x, each weighted by a tolerance factor k; and d) a fourth step of determining the cam edge x seen by the camshaft sensor, the cam edge actually seen by the sensor corresponding to the cam edge x common to the three lists established in c).

A control apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle including an engine, a starter and an electric motor that is connected to an electric storage device through a relay. The control apparatus executes an engine start control to crank and start the engine by using a selected one of the starter and the electric motor. The control apparatus detects presence or absence of failure of the electric motor, when executing the engine start control by using the electric motor with the relay being closed. When detecting the failure of the electric motor, the control apparatus causes the relay to be opened, and to suspend execution of the engine start control by using the electric motor, and is configured, when start of the engine is requested next, to execute the engine start control by using the starter while keeping the relay to be opened.