A control device and method are provided for launch assistance for a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine as drive engine. The control device is designed to predict a stall of the internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle on the basis of at least one signal, and, if a stall of the internal combustion engine is predicted, to output a signal for initiating launch assistance. The control device is designed to predict the stall of the internal combustion engine on the basis of the engine rotational speed of the internal combustion engine and the gradient of the engine rotational speed of the internal combustion engine before the clutch-engagement rotational speed is reached. If a stall of the internal combustion engine is predicted, the control device is designed to output a signal for initiating an increase of the engine torque demand of the internal combustion engine.

A vehicle includes an internal combustion engine including an exhaust passage, a catalyst provided in the exhaust passage, and an electronic control unit. When the engine stop condition is established, the electronic control unit stops fuel injection and increases a catalyst inflow oxygen amount that is an amount of oxygen flowing into the catalyst by a specified oxygen increase amount. The engine stop condition is a condition for stopping operation of the internal combustion engine. The specified oxygen increase amount is larger than an increased part of the catalyst inflow oxygen amount that is increased by the stop of the fuel injection.

A SS control device is configured to: be allowed to stop an internal combustion engine when a required voltage is smaller than or equal to a first voltage value under a state where a stopping condition is satisfied, and be prohibited from stopping the internal combustion engine when the required voltage is larger than the first voltage value under a state where the stopping condition is satisfied; and be allowed to restart the internal combustion engine when the required voltage is smaller than or equal to a second voltage value smaller than the first voltage value under a state where the restart condition is satisfied, and be prohibited from restarting the internal combustion engine when the required voltage is larger than the second voltage value under a state where the restart condition is satisfied.

Methods and systems are provided for operating a split exhaust engine system that provides blowthrough air and exhaust gas recirculation to an intake passage via a first exhaust manifold and exhaust gas to an exhaust passage via a second exhaust manifold. In one example, in response to a request to shut down the split exhaust engine system, an intake throttle may be closed and a first valve disposed in a secondary flow passage coupled between the intake manifold, downstream of the intake throttle, and a first exhaust manifold coupled to a first set of exhaust valves, may be opened. As a result, unburned hydrocarbons may be routed to a catalyst disposed in the exhaust passage.

A microchip oxygen sensor for sensing exhaust gases from a combustion process, and related methods. The microchip oxygen sensor includes a dielectric substrate and a heater pattern affixed to the substrate. A first electrode is affixed to the substrate and has a first plurality of fingers forming a first comb. A second electrode is affixed to the substrate and has a second plurality of fingers forming a second comb. The second electrode is disposed in spaced relation to the first electrode such that the first and second combs face each other. A semiconducting layer is disposed over the first and second electrodes so as form a physical semiconductor bridge between the first and second electrodes. The semiconducting layer comprises an n-type semiconducting material or a p-type semiconducting material. A porous dielectric protective layer, advantageously containing a catalytic precious metal, may cover the semiconducting layer.

An engine control method includes determining an intention of a driver for acceleration during vehicle traveling, stopping fuel supply to an engine when a determination is made that the driver does not have the intention for acceleration, detecting a speed of the vehicle during inertial traveling, with fuel supply to the engine kept stopped, permitting restart of the engine when a determination is made that the driver has the intention for acceleration after stopping the fuel supply to the engine, prohibiting the restart of the engine until an engine rotational speed drops to or below a predetermined rotational speed threshold, even when the restart of the engine is permitted, restarting the engine after the engine rotational speed drops to or below the predetermined rotational speed threshold, and changing the rotational speed threshold depending on the detected speed. The rotational speed threshold increases with increase in the detected speed.

Methods and systems are provided for including a single pressure sensor in an evaporative emissions system and fuel system. In one example, a method may include measuring a differential pressure between the evaporative emissions system and the fuel system using a delta pressure sensor coupled across a fuel tank isolation valve disposed between a fuel vapor storage canister of the evaporative emissions system and a fuel tank of the fuel system. Each of the fuel tank isolation valve, the fuel system, and the evaporative emissions system may be checked for degradation using the differential pressure measured by the delta pressure sensor.

In a method for the regeneration of a particulate filter or of a four-way catalytic converter in an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, an increase in the nitrogen oxide emissions during the regeneration of the particulate filter or of the four-way catalytic converter can be prevented or at least reduced. A particulate filter or a four-way catalytic converter is arranged in the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. The fuel injection and the ignition are switched off in response to a request for the internal combustion engine to be turned off. Due to mass inertia, the internal combustion engine transitions from the switch-off rotational speed to a standstill whereby, during this phase, oxygen-rich air is conveyed into the exhaust passage. A partial regeneration of the filter or of the catalytic converter takes place with the oxygen contained in this fresh air, whereby the particulate mass discharged from the filter or the catalytic converter is determined by means of a computational model.

The method determines whether soot loading of a gas particulate filter (GPF) requires regeneration. If it does, the temperature of the GPF is read to determine whether it is sufficiently high to achieve particulate (soot) burning. If it is not, an engine control module is commanded to adjust variables such as spark timing, fuel injection timing and valve timing. If the temperature of the particulate filter is sufficiently high that regeneration can occur, other variables may be adjusted such as leaning the air/fuel mixture, retarding the spark timing, the fuel injection and valve timing. Because the latter adjustments may limit or reduce either engine speed or power, messages in a message center are provided indicating, first, that the driver should continue driving for GPF regeneration and, subsequently, under certain conditions, that the engine power has been reduced. Operation of the motor vehicle proceeds until, based upon sensed conditions or pre-determined experimental or empirical data, the filter has been regenerated.

An auto-start system for a work vehicle includes a data store containing first start and stop initiation conditions; sensors configured to detect information indicative of at least a first parameter; and a controller including at least a start module and a monitoring module and operating in at least a monitoring mode or a cycling mode. In the monitoring mode, the monitoring module evaluates the first start initiation condition in view of the first parameter. In the monitoring mode, the start module generates a start command when the first parameter satisfies the first start initiation condition. Upon generating the start command, the controller operates in the cycling mode. In the cycling mode, the monitoring module evaluates the first stop initiation condition. In the cycling mode, the start module generates a stop command when the first stop initiation condition is satisfied.