A vehicle control apparatus comprises an engine, a starter, an accessory battery, and a high-voltage battery. The vehicle control apparatus is equipped with a DC-DC converter that is connected between the accessory battery and the high-voltage battery, a capacitor that is connected to a circuit on a side of the high-voltage battery, a high-voltage battery determination portion, and a startup control portion. The startup control portion executes power boost-startup control, whereby an output voltage of the accessory battery is boosted by the DC-DC converter, the capacitor is charged with necessary electrical energy for starting the engine by using an output voltage of the DC-DC converter, and the starter is driven to start the engine by using the electrical energy charged in the capacitor.

A system for controlling operation of a contactor is provided. The system stops outputting a control signal to open the contactor, and then measures a low side sense signal from a low side sense circuit electrically coupled to a low side end of a contactor coil, or a high side sense signal from a high side sense circuit that is electrically coupled to a high side end of the contactor coil, to determine whether the contactor has a closed operational position, and if not, the system stops outputting another control signal to open the contactor.

A controller of a hybrid system including an internal combustion engine and a motor generator connected to each other via a belt includes processing circuitry configured to execute a power generation process that applies a load to the engine by controlling the motor generator to generate power when a first execution condition of an idling stop is satisfied, a slip rate calculation process that calculates a slip rate of the belt based on a rotational speed of the engine and a rotational speed of the motor generator while the power generation process is being executed, a determination process that determines whether or not a second execution condition of the idling stop is satisfied after waiting until a predetermined period elapses, when the slip rate is equal to or more than a threshold, and an idling stop process, when determining that the second execution condition is satisfied.

System and method are disclosed for detecting and refreshing an aged battery in a vehicle with a start-stop system. An example vehicle includes an engine configured to operate in a start-stop mode and a power management system. The power management system is configured for determining that a charge acceptance value of a battery is below a threshold, responsively disabling the start-stop mode and displaying a message via a display, refreshing the battery and enabling the start-stop mode after refreshing the battery.

A system for a vehicle having an engine and a battery includes a memory and a controller. The memory has a first current expected to be provided by the battery for restarting the engine during a warm cranking event and a second current expected to be provided by the battery for restarting the engine during a cold cranking event. The controller to predict a first minimum voltage of the battery expected during the warm cranking event based on the first current and a second minimum voltage of the battery expected during the cold cranking event based on the second current.

A hybrid vehicle includes an isolation switch disposed between a first bus that is electrically coupled to a starter for an engine and a second bus that is electrically coupled to a power converter and accessory loads. The hybrid vehicle includes a controller programmed to normally command the switch closed, and, in response to expiration of a predetermined time interval without starting the engine, command the switch to open for a predetermined duration to perform diagnostics on the isolation switch.

A method for diagnosing a fault mode in a system includes recording a hierarchical precedence rule assigning a priority level to fault modes of the system, and recording, in a fault report matrix, fault reports indicative of a corresponding one or more of the fault modes. The method also includes using the hierarchical precedence rule to determine the assigned relative priority level for the fault reports in response to a predetermined condition, e.g., a requested engine starting event, and identifying a root cause subsystem as a subsystem having the highest assigned priority level. A control action executed via the controller identifies the root cause subsystem by recording a diagnostic code and/or transmitting a message. The system is also disclosed, as is a computer-readable medium programmed with instructions embodying the method.

An apparatus includes a stop/start module in operative communication with an engine. The stop/start module structured to determine whether a stopping event has occurred, determine whether an inhibiting condition is activated, turn off the engine for at least a portion of time in response to determining that a stopping event has occurred, and determine an actual stop ratio for the engine based on a number of times the engine is turned off in response to determining the occurrences of stopping events. Turning off the engine is inhibited in response to determining that an inhibiting condition is activated. The inhibiting condition is activated based on the actual stop ratio for the engine being greater than a target stop ratio at a beginning of a driving event. The target stop ratio is based on an operating parameter.

An engine diagnostic system includes an engine and a control system having a controller operatively connected to the engine. A monitoring system has a measurement device operatively connected to the engine. A diagnostic system is operatively connected to the engine. A communication system is configured to send and receive data from a remote location. The diagnostic system is configured to implement a non-starting engine diagnostic procedure, at least a portion of which is performed while the engine is cranking, and to transmit data generated during the engine diagnostic procedure to the remote location through the communication system.

Diagnosis system, method, and apparatus for a starting system are discloses herein. The method comprises receiving a run condition parameter for a vehicle, receiving a fueling system engagement parameter and an associated time threshold for the fueling system engagement parameter, and receiving an ignition command for turning an engine of the vehicle from an off state to an on state. If the run condition parameter is met, the method receives time data indicative of a time duration from reception of the ignition command to reach or substantially reach the fueling system engagement parameter, compare the time duration to the associated time threshold, and diagnose a starting system of the vehicle based on the comparison.