An engine starting control system for hybrid vehicles is provided to prevent a temporal drop in drive force when starting an engine. The control system maintains an operating mode of a switching mechanism when starting the engine by the first motor, in a case that the vehicle is propelled in the forward direction by the first motor and that the switching mechanism is in a second mode, or in a case that the vehicle is propelled in the reverse direction by the first motor and that the switching mechanism is in the first mode. Thereafter, the control system increases a rotational speed of the engine to a self-sustaining speed, switches the operating mode of the switching mechanism, and increases torque of the engine.

A method for operating a motor vehicle with a start/stop system (2) for a combustion engine (4) of a motor vehicle (1) with a device (3) for detecting an area ahead of the vehicle, wherein the start/stop system (2) stops the combustion engine (4) if a speed of the motor vehicle (1) depending on at least one signal relating to the driving dynamic of the vehicle (1) falls below a limit value, wherein the combustion engine (4) is not stopped if a road unevenness that requires decelerated driving over is detected in the area ahead of the vehicle by means of the device for detecting the area ahead of the vehicle.

A vehicle includes an engine having a crankshaft, an electric machine having a shaft, and a front end accessory drive (FEAD). The FEAD includes a multi-speed pulley assembly mounted to one of the crankshaft and the shaft, a pulley mounted to the other of the crankshaft and the shaft, and a tension member trained around the multi-speed pulley assembly and the pulley. The multi-speed pulley assembly is configured to establish a low speed ratio between the shaft and the crankshaft and a high speed ratio between the shaft and the crankshaft. A vehicle controller is programmed to, in switch between the high speed ratio and the low speed ratio to optimize operating conditions of the FEAD.

Provided are a power generation control method for a vehicle configured to perform idling stop at a predetermined vehicle speed or less by a stop/start system, the vehicle including: a power generator configured to be driven by an internal combustion engine to generate power; and a battery to be charged by the power generated by the power generator, the power being generated in the vehicle under control so as to reduce an amount of fuel to be consumed by the internal combustion engine for power generation, the power generation control method including: detecting a charged and discharged state of the battery; and controlling the internal combustion engine to interrupt power generation involving fuel consumption when a charged state of the battery has recovered to a charged state before the idling stop through charging after the idling stop in accordance with the detected charged and discharged state.

Systems and methods for starting an engine of a hybrid vehicle are disclosed. The systems and methods disclosed may apply to series or parallel hybrid driveline configurations. In one example, engine cranking torque may be adjusted in response to a variety of operating conditions so that the engine may be started faster or slower.

A vehicle includes an engine having auto-stop and auto-start conditions. The vehicle additionally includes a braking system having an auto-hold function. The auto-hold function is configured to, after braking the vehicle to a full stop, automatically apply braking torque independent of a brake pedal position. The vehicle further includes a controller configured to, in response to the engine being in the auto-stop condition, the auto-hold function automatically applying braking torque, and a gear shifter being moved out of a gear other than PARK, maintain the engine in the auto-stop condition.

An engine idle reduction control apparatus includes a first data acquiring unit, a detecting unit, a first determining unit, a control unit, and a second determining unit. The detecting unit is configured to detect a traffic circle, on the basis of traveling environment data acquired by the first data acquiring unit. The control unit is configured to execute an idle reduction, in a case where the first determining unit determines that a control condition for a pre-stop idle reduction control is satisfied. The second determining unit is configured to determine whether a prohibition condition for the pre-stop idle reduction control is satisfied, in a case where the traffic circle is detected. The control unit is configured to prohibit the idle reduction even in a case where the control condition is determined to be satisfied, on a condition that the prohibition condition is determined to be satisfied.

A method and system for operating a vehicle that includes a plurality of engine starting devices and an internal combustion engine is described. In one example, the method selects one of a plurality of engine starting devices to start an engine based on durability metrics of each of the plurality of engine starting devices. In addition, engine starting device selection may be based on calibration parameters that are generated via a server that is external to the vehicle.

A method and system for operating a vehicle that includes a plurality of engine starting devices and an internal combustion engine is described. In one example, the method determines whether or not to inhibit automatic engine stopping so that a lifespan of an engine starting device may be extended. In one example, the inhibiting is based on a ratio of an actual total number of engine starts generated via the engine starting device to an actual total distance traveled by the vehicle since the engine starting device was installed.

A saddle-riding type vehicle includes an automatic clutch mechanism configured to be activated by an actuator which enables a push start to be executed, so that even when a charged capacity of a battery is reduced, an engine can be started. A control unit of the vehicle proceeds to a push start control mode when an engine stopped state detection portion detects a stopped state of an engine, a vehicle stopped state detection portion detects a stopped state of the saddle-riding type vehicle, and a gear selected state detection portion detects a state in which any one of gears of a transmission is selected. In the push start control mode, the control unit applies a clutch to start the engine when a vehicle speed detection portion detects a predetermined vehicle speed or faster, and a cutoff switch state detection portion detects a change in state of a cutoff switch.