Systems and methods for improving operation of a vehicle are presented. In one example, a controller notifies a human vehicle driver before electric power consumers that are electrically coupled to the vehicle are deactivated. The controller may notify the human driver in response to a state of charge of a vehicle battery.

A vehicle includes an engine, a start-stop system configured to stop and restart operation of the engine in response to predetermined triggers, and an auxiliary air conditioning AC system including a controller communicably coupled to the start-stop system. The start-stop system is configured to provide a first indication to the auxiliary AC system indicating ignition of the engine and a second indication to the auxiliary AC system after stopping the engine. The auxiliary AC system is configured to turn off the auxiliary AC system in response to receiving the first indication and restart the auxiliary AC system in response to receiving the second indication.

Methods and systems are provided for relieving pressure from a compression locked engine. The engine may be compression locked during an engine start attempt due to operator application of a manual transmission clutch at or around the time of a first combustion event of the engine start. A direct injector of the compression locked cylinder is commanded open to relieve the pressure into the fuel rail.

A method for guaranteeing starting performance of an engine for maintaining driving performance is provided. The method includes executing a quasi-failure mode in which the engine is changed to a driving state when an engine cranking apparatus state is maintained equal to or less than a threshold for a predetermined period of time. As a result, the engine is driven in the quasi-failure mode while the hybrid vehicle is driven in the EV mode to prevent the vehicle system from being aggravated and fundamentally preventing the degradation in the stability of the vehicle causing driver discomfort.

The air-conditioning control device is configured to control an air conditioner for a vehicle having a radiant heater and to output a cancel signal that allows an engine, which has been stopped in response to an idling stop control, to restart. The radiant heater is configured to be supplied with power to heat an occupant in a vehicle compartment of the vehicle. The air conditioner is configured to heat an interior of the vehicle compartment using cooling water for the engine. The air-conditioning control device is configured to extend a stop time from stopping the engine in response to the idling stop control to outputting the cancel signal, which allows the engine having been stopped in response to the idling stop control to restart, to be longer with the radiant heater being operated than with the radiant heater being stopped.

A control device for a vehicle includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: execute first automatic stop control for automatically stopping an engine when a first condition is established during traveling of the vehicle; execute second stop control for automatically stopping the engine when a second condition is established during stop of the vehicle; predict a vehicle stop duration; calculate a required cold and heat storage amount of an evaporator; calculate a reaching time until a cold and heat storage amount of the evaporator reaches the required cold and heat storage amount; predict a time needed for vehicle stop; and when the first condition is established during traveling of the vehicle, in a case where the calculated reaching time is equal to or longer than the predicted time needed for vehicle stop, automatically stop the internal combustion engine during traveling of the vehicle.

An idle stop control system and method for a vehicle includes at least one electronic control unit disposed within the vehicle that is configured to determine whether an idle stop condition for the vehicle is satisfied and whether the vehicle is in a stopped condition. The at least one electronic control unit is further configured to idle stop an engine of the vehicle when determined that both the idle stop condition is satisfied and that the vehicle is in the stopped condition. The at least one electronic control unit is also configured to determine whether an engine restart condition is satisfied after the engine is idle stopped and to restart the engine when determined that the engine restart condition is satisfied.

An idle reduction system for use with an engine can include a main unit including a controller, and a relay controlled by the controller. The relay can be electrically connected between an ignition switch and an electrical power source for starting the engine. A method of reducing idling of an engine can include connecting an idle reduction system, thereby permitting the system to shut down the engine in response to one or more predetermined conditions, the idle reduction system starting the engine in response to at least one of: a) battery voltage being less than a predetermined level, and b) engine temperature being less than a predetermined level, and the idle reduction system controlling operation of at least one of: an auxiliary air conditioner and an auxiliary heater.

A vehicle traveling control method includes starting, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, inertial traveling during which a vehicle travels while stopping fuel supply to an engine of the vehicle, measuring, from a start of the inertial traveling, a temperature decrease amount occurring in a heat exchanger for heating a cabin of the vehicle with heat generated by the engine, and stopping the inertial traveling when the temperature decrease amount is greater than a threshold.

A remote startup system includes a terminal; a center server configured to communicate with the terminal and receive a startup request from the terminal; and a vehicle on which a driving device is mounted, the vehicle being configured to communicate with the center server, receive the startup request from the center server, and start up the driving device, wherein at least one of the center server, the terminal, and the vehicle includes a direct communication permission unit configured to permit direct communication in a case where the communication between the terminal and the center server or between the center server and the vehicle is disrupted, the direct communication being transmission or reception of information on the startup of the driving device based on the startup request, the direct communication being performed between the terminal and the vehicle directly without passing through the center server.