Methods and systems are provided for optimizing engine climate control performance and fuel economy in engines configured with start/stop capabilities. Climate control inhibits of start/stop actions are adjusted as a function of operator driving habits and climate control inputs and preferences. The approach enables climate performance to be improved while also allowing for frequent idle-stop operation.

Methods, systems and devices for evaluating incoming air to an engine for concentrations of explosive or combustible gases, and shutting down the engine to prevent an overspeed condition when elevated concentrations are detected. In some embodiments engine shutdown may be achieved conventionally via an electronic kill signal and in emergency conditions by the shutoff of incoming air to an air intake. The ability to make decisions based on explosive gas concentrations and species and the use of networking to allow additional systems to take action even before explosive gases reach said other valve-sensor devices can provide additional safety.

Methods and systems are provided for refilling a fuel tank devoid of fuel vapors. In one example, a method may include, prior to an upcoming refueling event, conditioning a fuel vapor-less fuel tank by operating a fuel pump. Operation of the fuel pump may agitate and vaporize the residual fuel in the fuel tank.

When an EDU determines that a motor is in a control unstable state where the motor cannot be controlled to a target rotation speed due to a drive voltage output duty value being smaller than a threshold value, the EDU performs a control point shifting operation to shift a control point between a first control point, which is in the control unstable state, and a second control point, which is a control stable state outside the control unstable state. Thus, even when the motor is in a stepping rotation state, it is possible to control the target rotation speed regardless of influence of a cogging torque, and appropriately control the cam phase of the intake camshaft to a target phase when the engine is stopped.

A kill switch assembly for an internal combustion engine may include a housing, a first terminal carried by the housing and connected to a ground wire, a second terminal carried by the housing and connected to an engine microcontroller communication wire, and a kill switch. The kill switch may be carried by the housing, electrically connected to the first and second terminals, and manually operable by an operator to change the state of the electric switch to provide an engine stop signal to the engine microcontroller. The assembly may also include an electronic circuit carried by the housing, connected to the first and second terminals, and through the wires communicating with the engine microcontroller.

A vehicle includes a controller programmed to activate a fuel savings feature upon satisfaction of transition conditions and inhibit the transition according to satisfaction of inhibit conditions. The controller is further programmed to accumulate data indicative of the inhibit conditions and a time associated with the conditions being satisfied over a drive cycle.

Disclosed is a method for detecting physical stoppage of an internal combustion engine, including: at least four cylinders, a set of cylinder pressure sensors, configured such that, over the course of a combustion cycle of the engine, there is at least one cylinder in the compression or expansion phase whose pressure is measured by a pressure sensor of the set, the method including the following steps: measuring the pressure in a cylinder in the compression or expansion phase, calculating, from the pressure measured in the cylinder, a ratio between a pressure variation in the cylinder and the pressure in the cylinder, and detecting a physical stoppage of the engine if the measured pressure is decreasing and if the calculated ratio is constant.

The disclosure relates to a method for controlling an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine includes a cylinder and a piston, which runs in the cylinder, together delimiting a working chamber. The working chamber is supplied with fresh air from a intake section via an inlet valve and is connected to an exhaust manifold via exhaust valves. The internal combustion engine includes a variable valve actuation system for the actuation of the inlet valves, controlling the opening time and/or the closing time and/or the lift. A strategy for shutting down the internal combustion engine includes controlling the inlet valves of individual or all working chambers in such a way that the transfer of fresh air from the intake section to the exhaust manifold is reduced or avoided and that the drag torque of the internal combustion engine is reduced.

A control apparatus controls the operation of a starter such that, after an idling stop is executed and before a request for starting an engine is subsequently issued, the control apparatus executes a preset which causes a pinion to engage a ring gear. A control apparatus controls the operation of a starter such that, after an idling stop is executed and before a request for starting an engine is subsequently issued, the control apparatus executes a preset which causes a pinion to engage a ring gear. It is determined that the preset condition has been cancelled, and the preset is again executed. In that case, the pinion is already engaged with the ring gear at the time point when a request for starting the engine is issued. In that way it is unnecessary for the control apparatus to push out the pinion after a start request is issued.

An electronic control unit controls an air-fuel ratio sensor to detect an air-fuel ratio in an exhaust gas from an internal-combustion engine. An A/D converter and a sample value processor obtain a signal based on an impedance of the air-fuel ratio sensor in response to a power supply to the air-fuel ratio sensor via filters. A microcomputer determines an environment temperature of the air-fuel ratio sensor based on the signal. A switch or the microcomputer switches between an upstream side voltage supply path and a downstream side voltage supply path to obtain a signal depending on whether the air-fuel ratio sensor is operating in a low-temperature environment to improve the accuracy of the obtained signal.