In some embodiments, a vehicle includes a temperature monitoring controller. The temperature monitoring controller is a processor, control module, or other suitable hardware that is configured to receive temperature sensor values from an engine control module (ECM) when an ignition bus is in a powered on state, and to decide when the engine should be automatically started in order to maintain a temperature above a low temperature threshold. The temperature monitoring controller periodically causes an ignition bus of the vehicle to be placed in the powered on state when the engine is shut down in order to collect temperature sensor values. The temperature monitoring controller determines whether to automatically start the engine, and if not, determines how long to wait before collecting temperature sensor values again based on a rate of change of the temperature sensor values.

Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing a cylinder valve deactivation mechanism in an engine system having cam-actuated valves. Movement of a latch pin of the deactivation mechanism is inferred from an induction current generated by a solenoid coupled to the latch pin, and the inferred movement is used to diagnose operation of cylinder valve deactivation mechanism. The inferred movement and a profile of the induction current is also used to estimate camshaft and crankshaft timing for improved cylinder fuel delivery in the absence of a camshaft sensor.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, sensors mounted on a vehicle can allow opportunities for coasting to be predicted based on environmental conditions, route planning information, and/or vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure signaling. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, these sensors can also predict a need for power and/or an end of a coast opportunity. These predictions can allow the vehicle to automatically enter a coasting state, and can predictively re-engage the engine and/or powertrain in order to make power available with no delay when desired by the operator.

A vehicle start/stop method includes inhibiting auto-stopping an engine responsive to an engine auto-stop command, activating a transmission gear shifter, and a rotational speed of a steering wheel being less than a threshold; auto-stopping the engine responsive to the engine auto-stop command, activating the gear shifter, and the rotational speed being greater than the threshold; auto-starting the engine responsive to activating the gear shifter and the rotational speed being less than the threshold while the engine is auto-stopped; and inhibiting auto-starting the engine responsive to activating the gear shifter and the rotational speed being greater than the threshold while the engine is auto-stopped.

An apparatus includes a sensor module, an offset diagnostic module, and a notification module. The sensor module is in operative communication with a cylinder pressure sensor and structured to acquire cylinder pressure data from the cylinder pressure sensor indicative of an actual in-cylinder pressure of a cylinder of an engine. The offset diagnostic module is structured to interpret the cylinder pressure data to determine an offset of the cylinder pressure sensor based on a reference in-cylinder pressure and the actual in-cylinder pressure. The notification module is structured to provide an offset error notification responsive to the offset being greater than a threshold offset.

Methods and systems are provided for mitigating spark plug wet-fouling in an engine system. In one example, a method may include, after spark plug wet-fouling has been detected prior to an engine start, selecting between drying one or more of the wet-fouled spark plugs by routing a heated gas through one or more engine cylinders and by routing a compressed gas through the one or more engine cylinders. In this way, on-demand airflow may be provided to expedite spark plug drying.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an electric motor is used to generate correction torques to counteract unwanted torque pulses generated by an internal combustion engine during startup and/or shutdown. In some embodiments, the electric motor may be mounted to an accessory drive such as a power take-off mechanism or a front end accessory drive (FEAD). In some embodiments, the correction torques may be used to enforce an engine speed target profile for startup or shutdown, and may be determined using a feedback control loop based on the engine speed. The correction torques help to reduce or eliminate noise, vibration, and/or harshness (NVH) during startup and/or shutdown.

An internal combustion engine 1 is provided, in an exhaust passage thereof with an electrochemical reactor including: an ion conductive solid electrolyte layer; an anode layer arranged on a surface of the solid electrolyte layer; and a cathode layer arranged on a surface of the solid electrolyte layer and able to hold NO.sub.X. The engine includes a current control device for controlling the current supplied to the electrochemical reactor so as to flow from the anode layer through the solid electrolyte layer to the cathode layer. The current control device is configured so as to supply current to the electrochemical reactor at least temporarily while that internal combustion engine is stopped.

A vehicle controlling device comprises: a VSA-ECU which controls deceleration of a host vehicle using an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and another vehicle running ahead of the host vehicle; and an engine controller which performs idling stop control to stop drive of an engine as a driving power source of the host vehicle when a stop condition, inclusive of an entry of a vehicle speed of the host vehicle into a predetermined low vehicle speed range, is satisfied, and which performs restart control to restart the engine when a predetermined restart condition is satisfied. A power supply mounted on the host vehicle is used in common as a power supply used for the deceleration control and a power supply used for the restart control. While the idling stop control is on, the VSA-ECU disables execution of the deceleration control of the host vehicle using the inter-vehicle distance.

A control apparatus is applied to an internal combustion engine that is capable of implementing reduced-cylinder operation and all-cylinder operation. When the internal combustion engine is stopped during implementation of reduced-cylinder operation, and then the internal combustion engine is restarted in reduced-cylinder operation with the same cylinders as idling cylinders, the initial crank angle when cranking starts is controlled so that the position of the piston of at least one among the idling cylinders is in the vicinity of its top dead center.