A method for the operation of a vehicle drive-train of a working machine having a drive motor, a transmission whose transmission ratio can be varied continuously, and a drive output. A rotational speed (nmot) of the drive motor can be varied by the driver, by the driver's actuation of a first control element (50), within a rotational speed range (53) delimited by an upper characteristic line (nmoto) and a lower characteristic line (nmotu). The characteristic lines (nmoto, nmotu) are functions of a reciprocal transmission ratio (irez) of the transmission. Furthermore, the rotational speed (nmot1) of the drive motor that can be set by the driver by way of the first control element (50), can be influenced by the driver's actuation of a second control element (51) and as a function of an operating condition of the working machine.

A system for enabling an engine to be safely cranked may include a single cranking relay configured to enable the engine to be cranked when activated, a contactless angle sensor for detecting a gear state of a transmission connected with the engine, and a controller. The controller may be configured to check the gear state of the transmission detected by the angle sensor and may allow for activation of the cranking relay when the gear state of the transmission is at one of a Neutral gear state or a Park gear state.

Methods and systems are provided for monitoring knock in a variable displacement engine. During fuel-cut operation, an engine cylinder may be heated. Upon fuel reactivation, a crankshaft sensor profile may be relearned responsive to lack of knock in the heated cylinder. In this way, erroneous identification of a knocking cylinder due to inaccurate crankshaft position data may be determined and mitigated by re-learning the crankshaft sensor profile.

A method of removing sulfur from a lean NOx trap of a mild hybrid vehicle while the vehicle is stationary is disclosed, the method comprising connecting an electrical system of the vehicle to a large capacity external battery, operating an integrated starter generator driven by an engine of the vehicle as a generator to load the engine thereby allowing the engine to be operated at a higher torque level and rich of stoichiometric and storing the electrical energy produced by the integrated starter generator in the large capacity battery during the time period required for the removal of sulfur from the lean NOx trap.

Methods and systems for improving vacuum generation for an engine that may be operated at higher altitudes are presented. In one non-limiting example, a transmission that is mechanically coupled to the engine may be shifted from a gear to neutral in response to an actual total number of times a vehicle brake pedal is applied and partially released while the vehicle is stopped and the brake pedal is applied.

A system for enabling an engine to be safely cranked may include a single cranking relay configured to enable the engine to be cranked when activated, a contactless angle sensor for detecting a gear state of a transmission connected with the engine, and a controller. The controller may be configured to check the gear state of the transmission detected by the angle sensor and may allow for activation of the cranking relay when the gear state of the transmission is at one of a Neutral gear state or a Park gear state.

Methods and systems for improving vacuum generation for an engine that may be operated at higher altitudes are presented. In one non-limiting example, a transmission that is mechanically coupled to the engine may be shifted from a gear to neutral in response to an actual total number of times a vehicle brake pedal is applied and partially released while the vehicle is stopped and the brake pedal is applied.

A system comprises an engine, a torque converter connected to the engine, a transmission connected to the torque converter via an input shaft, a particulate filter connected to the engine, an engine control module connected to the engine, the transmission, and the particulate filter, the engine control module being configured to perform service regeneration operations to lock the input shaft to the transmission and elevate the engine speed to retard the spark in the engine and increase the temperature in the particulate filter.

A method of controlling engine RPM in a marine propulsion device having an engine that effectuates rotation of a propulsor through a gear system that shifts amongst a forward gear position, a reverse gear position, and a neutral position, includes determining that a coolant temperature is below a temperature threshold or that a battery voltage is below a voltage threshold, and then increasing an engine RPM setpoint by a compensation RPM amount while the engines remains in an idle state in order to increase the coolant temperature or the battery voltage. When a shift instruction is detected to transition the gear system from the reverse gear position to the neutral position or from the forward gear position to the neutral position, the engine RPM setpoint is reduced by a shift RPM reduction amount during transition of the gear system, and the engine is controlled according to the engine RPM setpoint.

A method of controlling engine RPM in a marine propulsion device having an engine that effectuates rotation of a propulsor through a gear system that shifts amongst a forward gear position, a reverse gear position, and a neutral position, includes determining that a coolant temperature is below a temperature threshold or that a battery voltage is below a voltage threshold, and then increasing an engine RPM setpoint by a compensation RPM amount while the engines remains in an idle state in order to increase the coolant temperature or the battery voltage. When a shift instruction is detected to transition the gear system from the reverse gear position to the neutral position or from the forward gear position to the neutral position, the engine RPM setpoint is reduced by a shift RPM reduction amount during transition of the gear system, and the engine is controlled according to the engine RPM setpoint.