A method of operating a vehicle having an engine, a throttle valve and a throttle operator. A continuously variable transmission is operatively connected to the engine and has a driving pulley, a driven pulley, and a belt operatively connecting therebetween. At least one ground engaging member is operatively connected to the driven pulley and includes at least one of a wheel and a track. A piston is operatively connected to the driving pulley for applying a piston force to the driving pulley when actuated and thereby changing an effective diameter of the driving pulley. A control unit controls actuation of the piston and the piston force. The method includes determining an engine speed, and controlling the piston force based on the engine speed.

A system for enabling an engine to be safely cranked may include a single cranking relay configured to enable the engine to be cranked when activated, a contactless angle sensor for detecting a gear state of a transmission connected with the engine, and a controller. The controller may be configured to check the gear state of the transmission detected by the angle sensor and may allow for activation of the cranking relay when the gear state of the transmission is at one of a Neutral gear state or a Park gear state.

A vehicle includes an engine and driven wheels each having an associated friction brake. A brake pedal is operable to engage the friction brakes. The vehicle includes a transmission having an input shaft driveably connected to the engine, an output element driveably connected to the driven wheels, and a gear mechanism adapted to establish at least one torque flow path between the input shaft and the output element. The transmission further includes a shift element that interrupts the torque flow path when disengaged. A gear selector is disposed in the passenger cabin and includes at least one forward-drive position, a reverse position, and a neutral position. At least one vehicle controller is configured to, in response to the gear selector being in the forward-drive position, a speed of the vehicle being zero, the vehicle being within a first predefined distance of a stoplight, and the brake pedal being depressed, disengage the shift element to put the transmission in neutral idle.

A drive system is provided with a first motor generator as a power source, and a multistage gear transmission for changing the speed of output from the first motor generator and transmitting the output to drive wheels. The multistage gear transmission has a plurality of engagement clutches as shifting elements that are meshingly engaged upon movement from a disengaged position. This hybrid vehicle is provided with a start control device where, when a start clutch has been engaged while the vehicle is stopped, the start control device maintains the engagement of the start clutch for a duration that includes when the vehicle is stopped and until the next vehicle start.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle parking lock system that realizes a parking lock with a positive user perception, and enables energy and cost reductions without complex control and with a simple configuration. The object is achieved by a selectable clutch configured to be switchable between four operating modes and provided to one of an input shaft, an output shaft, and an intermediate shaft of a transmission. The operating mode of the selectable clutch is controlled based on detection signals of a plurality of sensors to prevent an unintended movement of the vehicle when the vehicle is stationary.

A method of adjusting operating parameters of a transmission of a vehicle may include accessing a stored list of clutch parameters; performing a static condition procedure to revise the clutch parameters; and performing a dynamic condition procedure to further revise the clutch parameters. The method may be performed by a transmission control device for the vehicle, the vehicle having a powertrain including an engine, the transmission with a plurality of solenoid actuated friction elements, and sensors. The static condition procedure and dynamic procedures may be performed incrementally, and the static condition procedure may be performed more than once to fine tune the results.

A vehicle includes an engine and driven wheels each having an associated friction brake. A brake pedal is operable to engage the friction brakes. The vehicle includes a transmission having an input shaft driveably connected to the engine, an output element driveably connected to the driven wheels, and a gear mechanism adapted to establish at least one torque flow path between the input shaft and the output element. The transmission further includes a shift element that interrupts the torque flow path when disengaged. A gear selector is disposed in the passenger cabin and includes at least one forward-drive position, a reverse position, and a neutral position. At least one vehicle controller is configured to, in response to the gear selector being in the forward-drive position, a speed of the vehicle being zero, the vehicle being within a first predefined distance of a stoplight, and the brake pedal being depressed, disengage the shift element to put the transmission in neutral idle.

A method for improving fuel-efficiency during a temporary stop may include dividing, by an engine control apparatus, a neutral control condition into a neutral control entry and a neutral control release during a D-stage temporary stop, determining, a neutral control entry D-stage target RPM at a time of the neutral control entry, and a neutral control release D-stage target RPM at a time of the neutral control release, and RPM shifting the neutral control entry D-stage target RPM to a speed gradient conforming to a transmission clutch release time of a transmission control apparatus at a time of a neutral control after the neutral control entry and RPM shifting the neutral control release D-stage target RPM to a speed gradient conforming to a clutch coupling time of a transmission by the transmission control apparatus at a time of a neutral control after the neutral control release.

A method of controlling a transmission park control system for a vehicle comprises receiving a shift request from a transmission controller, wherein the shift request is not completed by the transmission and reporting the shift request from the transmission controller to the transmission park control system. Various vehicle sensors are monitored to detect motion of the vehicle. Detected motion and the shift request are compared to determine that a transmission park control brake action is desired. A brake system is requested to apply one of an electronic parking brake and/or a vehicle service brake to bring the vehicle velocity to zero and hold the vehicle velocity at zero.

There are provided a continuously variable transmission (CVT) in which a belt (7) is wound around a primary pulley (5) and a secondary pulley (6) to transmit power; a primary pulley rotational speed sensor (13) for detecting a rotational speed of the primary pulley (5); a vehicle stopped state determination means for determining whether a vehicle is in a stopped state; a belt slippage detection means for detecting belt slippage on the basis of a signal of the primary pulley rotational speed sensor (13); and a prohibition means for prohibiting detection of the belt slippage by the belt slippage detection means when a parking range or a neutral range is selected by a shift lever operation by a driver. In the vehicle stopped state during selection of the parking range or the neutral range, the rotational speed of the primary pulley (5) is not basically output, and the belt slippage does not occur. Thus, erroneous detection of the belt slippage can be avoided by prohibiting the detection of the belt slippage in this case.