A vehicle failure-factor specifying apparatus includes (a) a peculiarity-presence determining portion configured to determine, based on a pre-failure driving state in a stage prior to occurrence of a certain failure in a vehicle, whether a peculiarity was present or absent in the pre-failure driving state, and (b) a failure-causing-driving state specifying portion configured, when the peculiarity was present in the pre-failure driving state, to determine whether the peculiarity present in the pre-failure driving state of the vehicle is substantially identical with a peculiarity in the pre-failure driving state of other vehicles. The peculiarity-presence determining portion determines whether the peculiarity was present or absent in the pre-failure driving state of the vehicle, depending on whether a frequency distribution of the pre-failure driving state of the vehicle is deviated from a frequency distribution of a non-failure driving state of a plurality of vehicles including the other vehicles in a non-failure case.

A method for controlling a motor vehicle having at least one park lock. A drive train of the motor vehicle has a drive motor, wheel, and a transmission. An operating element actuates the park lock, which can assume a blocking position, in which the park lock blocks the drive train and/or a part of the drive train, and a release position. After actuation of the operating element, the park lock is switched from the release position into the blocking position (or vice versa). Here, the speed of the motor vehicle is determined. After actuation of the operating element and if the park lock assumes the release position beforehand, it is checked whether the speed is greater than a predefined first threshold value. If this check was successful, a first warning signal is produced; and the switching of the park lock into the blocking position is performed.

A form-locking shift element may include a first shift-element half and a second shift-element half which are engageable with each other by moving at least the first shift-element half. A method for determining an operating condition of the form-locking shift element may include monitoring a position of the first shift-element half with a sensor, and, when a value of a signal generated by the sensor is greater than an applicable value and when the first shift-element half is actuated and displaced towards an engaged operating condition, determining that the shift element is sufficiently engaged to transmit a torque at the form-locking shift element. The applicable value corresponds to a defined overlap between the first and second shift-element halves that is less than an overlap when the first shift-element half is in the engaged operating condition.

A shift range control device is provided for a shift range switching system that includes a motor having winding sets and a motor rotational angle sensor. The shift range control device includes controllers configured to control switching of a shift range by controlling drive of the motor. Each of the controllers is provided to corresponding one of the winding sets, and is configured to acquire a motor rotational angle signal from the motor rotational angle sensor and calculate a motor angle, control drive of the motor by controlling a current supply to the corresponding one of the winding sets to make the motor angle become a target rotational angle corresponding to a target shift range, and drive the motor by sequentially switching a current-supplied phase for each predetermined period without using the motor rotational angle signal when the motor rotational angle signal is in fault.

A shift range control device is provided for a shift range switching system that includes a motor and a plurality of detectors. The motor has a plurality of winding sets. Each of the detectors is configured to detect a physical quantity that changes in accordance with rotation of the motor. The shift range control device includes a plurality of controllers configured to control switching of a shift range by controlling drive of the motor. Each of the controllers is provided to corresponding one of the winding sets and configured to acquire detection signals from the detectors, determine, based on the detection signals, a calculation signal having a same value between the controllers, and control, based on a target shift range and the calculation signal, a current supply to the corresponding one of the winding sets.

There is provided a shift control system for a saddle-type vehicle. A gear shift lever is configured to be operated by a driver. A gearshift sensor is configured to detect an operation on the gear shift lever. A shift cam is configured to rotate according to the operation on the gear shift lever. A gear position sensor is configured to detect a rotation angle of the shift cam. In the case where the gearshift sensor does not detect a detection result according to a detection result of the gear position sensor, or in the case where the gear position sensor does not detect a detection result according to a detection result of the gearshift sensor, a control device determines abnormality occurrence, and stops engine operation control based on the detection results of the gearshift sensor and the gear position sensor on the basis of the abnormality occurrence.

A straddled vehicle includes a gear position sensor abnormality detector which is configured to detect an abnormality of a gear position sensor which is provided at a crankshaft-supporter-integrated transmission supporter. The gear position sensor abnormality detector determines that the gear position sensor has an abnormality when the shift of a straddled vehicle from a stopped state to a running state is detected based on a signal from a rotation speed sensor while the gear position detected by the gear position sensor is included in a high-speed gear position class. Furthermore, the gear position sensor abnormality detector determines that the gear position sensor has an abnormality when the gear position detected by the gear position sensor is included in a low-speed gear position class and is different from a gear position estimated based on a signal from a crankshaft sensor and a signal from the rotation speed sensor.

A vehicle control device controls a vehicle control system, which includes a shift range switching system configured to switch a shift range by controlling a drive of a shift actuator, and an electric brake system configured to brake a vehicle by controlling a drive of a brake actuator. The vehicle control device includes a drive control unit, an abnormality monitoring unit, and a presence determination unit. The drive control unit controls a drive of a shift actuator. The abnormality monitoring unit monitors an abnormality of the shift range switching system. The presence determination unit determines whether the driver is in the driver's seat. When the abnormality of the range mismatch, which the actual shift range does not match the target shift range in a state where the driver is absent, the vehicle control device executes the fail safe process different from the fail safe process when the driver is present.

A transmission actuator for tractor includes: a motor which provides power; rails which are movable by operating the motor; a rail sensor which detects a neutral state of the rails; a position sensor which detects a movement displacement of the rails; and a rotation sensor which is mounted to the motor to detect the number of revolutions of the motor.

A form-locking shift element may include a first shift-element half and a second shift-element half which are engageable with each other by moving at least the first shift-element half. A method for determining an operating condition of the form-locking shift element may include monitoring a position of the first shift-element half with a sensor, and, when a value of a signal generated by the sensor is greater than an applicable value and when the first shift-element half is actuated and displaced towards an engaged operating condition, determining that the shift element is sufficiently engaged to transmit a torque at the form-locking shift element. The applicable value corresponds to a defined overlap between the first and second shift-element halves that is less than an overlap when the first shift-element half is in the engaged operating condition.