Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle engine including a turbocharger coupled to a hydraulic pump and hydraulic accumulator. In one example, a method may include, in response to the vehicle coming to a stop, supplying pressure to a hydraulic braking system of the vehicle from the accumulator coupled to a hydraulic pump coupled to a shaft of a turbocharger of an engine installed in the vehicle, and automatically shutting down the engine while the vehicle is stopped.

The electronic control unit determines whether or not an battery state of charge is equal to or above a first state of charge, and determines, based on the result of a determination, whether or not to allow a next automatic stop of an engine while the engine is driven by automatic restart after each automatic stop of the engine. The electronic control unit allows the next automatic stop of the engine when determining that the battery state of charge is equal to or above the first state of charge, and prohibits automatic stop of the engine until the vehicle starts traveling, when determining that the battery state of charge is less than the first state of charge.

A method and start-stop device for initiating an automatic shutdown of an engine, in particular a combustion engine, in a motor vehicle are provided, wherein an automatic shutdown of the engine is initiated if a condition triggering a stop has been met and no shutdown preventer has been met. A first condition triggering a stop is determined depending on a delay request, when with the triggered delay request a braking value is requested that exceeds a predetermined first shutdown braking threshold without exceeding a predetermined second shutdown braking threshold that is greater than the predetermined first shutdown braking threshold. A second condition triggering a stop is determined depending on a delay request, if with the triggered delay request a braking value is requested that exceeds the predetermined second shutdown braking threshold.

A control unit for a vehicle comprises an automatic engine stop-and-restart unit for stopping the engine responsive to predefined stop conditions and for restarting the engine responsive to predefined restart conditions, and a following-cruise control unit for controlling the vehicle to follow a vehicle ahead responsive to predefined following-cruise conditions. The automatic stop-and-restart unit for stopping and restarting the engine is configured to modify at least one of the stop conditions and the restart conditions during the following-cruise control.

An engine starting device is provided with a battery, a starter motor, an inrush current limit circuit and a control unit. The inrush current limit circuit has a resistor and a bypass relay connected in parallel. The inrush current limit circuit is interposed between the battery and the starter motor. The bypass relay has a normally open contact that is configured to be closed at a time of engine startup. The control unit is programmed to include a fault identification unit that identifies a location of fault occurrence in the inrush current limit circuit based on a minimum voltage of the battery existing while the starter motor is determined to be in operation and an amount of decrease in voltage of the battery existing while the normally open contact is determined to be actuated in a closing direction.

A hydraulic brake assist vacuum maintenance system includes a vacuum source, a vacuum booster/master cylinder interfacing with the vacuum source, a brake pedal interfacing with the vacuum booster/master cylinder, a brake control unit interfacing with the vacuum booster/master cylinder, wheel brakes interfacing with the brake control unit and a hydraulic brake assist interfacing with the brake control unit and adapted to hydraulically operate the wheel brakes upon reduction or cessation of vacuum pressure from the vacuum source to the vacuum booster/master cylinder.

An automatic engine control apparatus installed in a vehicle causes an engine of the vehicle to stop automatically when a predetermined stop condition is satisfied, and after the automatic stop of the engine, causes the engine to restart automatically when a predetermined restarting condition is satisfied. The apparatus includes an electronic control unit configured to inhibit or permit, while the vehicle is stopped, a second automatic stop of the engine in response to the predetermined stop condition being satisfied, depending on whether the predetermined restarting condition satisfied most recently to have caused the engine to restart automatically was a first restarting condition or a second restarting condition different from the first restarting condition. The first restarting condition represents an intention of a driver of the vehicle to start moving the vehicle.

A vehicle control apparatus includes at least one electronic control unit (50). The electronic control unit detects a negative pressure that is generated in a negative pressure chamber (34) of a braking operation support device (32). The electronic control unit prohibits, based on the detected negative pressure of the negative pressure chamber, an internal combustion engine (26) from automatically stopping when determining that a driver does not perform the braking operation and that a speed of the internal combustion engine is at a threshold or higher continuously for a specified time period or longer. The negative pressure is generated in the negative pressure chamber in response to rotation of the internal combustion engine. The braking operation support device supports, with the negative pressure in the negative pressure chamber, the driver to perform the braking operation.

A method and start-stop device for initiating an automatic shutdown of an engine, in particular a combustion engine, in a motor vehicle are provided, wherein an automatic shutdown of the engine is initiated if a condition triggering a stop has been met and no shutdown preventer has been met. A first condition triggering a stop is determined depending on a delay request, when with the triggered delay request a braking value is requested that exceeds a predetermined first shutdown braking threshold without exceeding a predetermined second shutdown braking threshold that is greater than the predetermined first shutdown braking threshold. A second condition triggering a stop is determined depending on a delay request, if with the triggered delay request a braking value is requested that exceeds the predetermined second shutdown braking threshold.

A controller puts an internal combustion engine in a first induction control state in which a lift amount of an inlet valve is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount and an opening of a throttle valve is larger than a predetermined opening with respect to a predetermined running state. The controller puts the internal combustion engine in a second induction control state in which the lift amount of the inlet valve is larger than the predetermined amount and the opening of the throttle valve is equal to or smaller than the predetermined opening with respect to the predetermined running state. An automatic stopper automatically stops the internal combustion engine in when the lift amount of the inlet valve is equal to or smaller than the predetermined amount, when a stopping condition of the internal combustion engine is met under which a predetermined vehicle state is produced.