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.

Various systems and methods are described for controlling an engine in a vehicle, the engine being coupled to a transmission. One example method comprises, under selected braking conditions, shutting-off the engine and spinning-down the engine to rest while the vehicle is traveling, and in response to a foot-off-brake event, restarting the engine by at least partially engaging the transmission and adjusting engine torque control actuators.

An engine start system has a rotating electrical machine, a starter motor, an engine ECU and an ISG controller. The rotating electrical machine is connected to an output shaft of an engine. The starter motor drives the engine to be restarted. The engine ECU controls the engine operation. The ISG controller instructs an inverter when the rotating electrical machine performs power running and regenerative power generation. The ISG controller communicates with the engine ECU, and adjusts the operation of the starter motor and the rotating electrical machine. When receiving an engine restart request, the ISG controller drives at least one of the starter motor and the rotating electrical machine so as to restart the engine.

A starter includes a coil spring disposed between a pinion gear and a motor and a buffer rubber disposed between the pinion gear and the coil spring. When the pinion gear is subjected to a reactive force from an engine, the buffer rubber absorbs the impact. Before the impact acts on the pinion gear, the coil spring is subjected to a given initial load. When the impact acts on the pinion gear, the coil spring absorbs it transmitted through the buffer rubber. The cover in which the coil spring is stored has a flange which is held from moving to the pinion gear in response to expansion of the coil spring, while it is permitted to move to the motor in response to contraction of the coil spring. This eliminates a risk that mechanical noise occurs when the pinion gear is advanced and then brought into mesh with the engine.

A starter for starting an engine in a vehicle, which includes a motor and an output shaft that rotates by receiving torque from the motor. The starter also includes a pinion movable body that includes a pinion for transmitting the torque of the motor to a ring gear of the engine. The pinion movable body is provided on an outer circumference of the output shaft integrally with the pinion in a manner allowing movement along an axial direction. The solenoid assembly consist of two divisions, one for to pull up the drive in the solenoid and the other to activate the starter motor by energizing the electronic circuit.

A method for determining a future rotational speed of a rotating drive shaft of an internal combustion engine is described, in particular while the internal combustion engine coasts after being turned off, the future rotational speed being calculated from a course of measured rotational speeds. To predict a future rotational speed of the drive shaft of the internal combustion engine as accurately as possible, instantaneous rotational speeds measured at different rotational positions of drive shaft are evaluated.

In the cases where a reverse operation of a crankshaft is performed after fuel injection and ignition in a cylinder in a power stroke and it is determined that an engine start is failed, a starter motor is operated, and fuel injection and ignition are executed in the cylinder in the compression stroke to start an engine.

Provided is a system of carrying out engagement of a pinion and a ring gear at optimal timing and suppressing a bite-in sound, in a vehicle including an idle stop system. In a vehicle control device including an automatic stop unit which automatically stops an engine on the basis of an operating state of a vehicle; an automatic start unit which controls a starter during a period until the engine completely stops after the automatic stop unit executes the automatic stop of the engine, and restarts the engine; and an engine rotation detection unit which detects or operates a crank phase or a rotation number of the engine, the automatic start unit determines a control command of the starter at an interval shorter than an update interval of a signal of the engine rotation detection unit.

Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, an engine is stopped to a desired position via slipping a driveline disconnect clutch so that engine starting may be improved.

Systems and methods for improving operation of an engine are presented. In one example, a position of a throttle is adjusted along with other actuators to improve engine starting.