Upon a request for switching from a first travel mode of traveling with a clutch disengaged and operation of an engine stopped to a second travel mode of traveling with the clutch engaged and the engine operating, a controller for a hybrid vehicle restarts the engine in the following manner. That is, the controller restarts the engine in a first start mode of starting combustion in the engine with the clutch non-fully engaged when a rotation speed of a motor is greater than a determination value and restarts the engine in a second start mode of starting combustion in the engine with the clutch fully engaged when the rotation speed of the motor is less than or equal to the determination value.

When a vehicle is in a traveling state having a low necessity to quickly increase required traveling torque, high-rotational-speed engine starting unit that reduces an emission amount of particulate matter emitted during engine starting starts the engine. Since quick torque response is not required when the vehicle is in the traveling state having the low necessity to quickly increase the required traveling torque, the high-rotational-speed engine starting unit starts the engine, so that increase of the emission amount of particulate matter emitted during engine starting can be curbed.

An electric starter system (100) for a motorcycle with a mechanical kick-start device (200) and a transmission main shaft (340) which rotates in a starting and drive rotational direction (x) and the kick-start device (200) has a kick-start pinion configured for axial coupling to a kick-start clutch part (240) which is connected to the transmission main shaft (340) in a torque-transmitting manner. The electric starter system (100) comprises an electric starter motor (110) with a starter shaft pinion (112) that can be driven thereby, which makes it possible to carry out the installation or retrofitting thereof with fewer modifications of the original components, less expenditure of time, and/or easier, and/or faster. This is achieved because a torque of the electric starter motor (110) can be transmitted from the starter shaft pinion (112), preferably at the end face, to the kick-start clutch part (240), in particular via interposed starter gearing (120).

A remote vehicle starter system having an antenna that can be flashed to operate in a one-way mode or a two-way mode, such that a user will be permitted a trial period to test the remote starter system in both modes and then the user can select the desired mode by flashing the antenna via link up to a website. The user is charged a price for the remote starter system based on the mode selected by flashing.

A system for starting an engine of a vehicle has a fuel injector injecting fuel into a closed intake port to form an air fuel mixture. The system also includes an actuator rotating a crankshaft in a first direction to open the intake port by moving a piston within a cylinder coupled to the crankshaft. A combustion chamber defines between the cylinder and the port receiving the air fuel mixture through the intake port. The actuator rotates the crankshaft in a second direction to close the intake port. A spark plug ignites the air fuel mixture to start the engine. The engine also includes many other disclosed features.

Systems and methods for starting an engine that may be started via two different electric machines are described. In one example, the method reserves an amount of torque that is based on a torque capability of a belt integrated starter/generator and the engine is started with the reserved torque if engine starting torque is greater than a torque capability of the belt integrated starter/generator.

A method for starting an internal combustion engine has the steps of: oscillating a crankshaft of the engine using the electrical actuator; then injecting fuel in a combustion chamber and igniting the fuel in this combustion chamber to cause the crankshaft to turn in a reverse direction; then injecting fuel in another combustion chamber and igniting the fuel in the other combustion chamber to cause the crankshaft to turn in a forward direction; and then injecting fuel in the other combustion chamber and igniting fuel in the other combustion chamber to cause the crankshaft to turn in the forward direction.

An internal combustion engine includes cylinders that are divided into a first cylinder group and a second cylinder group, a cylinder reduction mechanism that holds intake valves and exhaust valves of the first cylinder group in closed states so as to establish a reduced-cylinder state. When the engine is stopped in the reduced-cylinder state, the electronic control unit provided in the engine starts the engine by ignition, by executing fuel injection and ignition in an expansion-stroke cylinder. When the first cylinder group includes an exhaust-stroke cylinder, the engine is started by ignition through fuel injection and ignition in the expansion-stroke cylinder, after a piston is moved in a reverse direction through fuel injection and ignition in the exhaust-stroke cylinder. When the first cylinder group does not include the exhaust-stroke cylinder, the engine is started by ignition, through fuel injection and ignition in the expansion-stroke cylinder and an intake-stroke cylinder.

A vehicle power source includes a generator motor coupled to an engine, a first power storage, a second power storage, a conduction switch, and a switch controller. The first and the second power storages are coupled, in parallel, to the generator motor. The conduction switch is subject to change between a conductive state and a cut-off state of the generator motor and the second power storage. The switch controller changes the conduction switch from the conductive state to the cut-off state, on a condition that the generator motor is controlled in a powered state. The switch controller changes the conduction switch from the cut-off state to the conductive state, on a condition that the second power storage discharges in excess of a threshold, with the conductive switch changed to the cut-off state.

A control device for a hybrid vehicle includes a push-start mode and a motor start mode. The push-start mode transmits a driving force from driving wheels to the engine via a first transmission route at a speed detected by a speed detection means equal to or more than a predetermined speed to start the engine. The motor start mode starts the engine using a driving force of the motor at a speed equal to or less than the predetermined speed as well as in a stopped state. At a speed outside a speed range that either mode is executable when a start command of the engine occurs in driving only using the electric motor as the driving source, a control means performs the driving force reduction control for reducing a driving force transmitted from the electric motor to the driving wheels of the vehicle.