A vehicle control device disengages a clutch provided between an engine and a driving wheel at a brake-off and an accelerator-off during traveling of the vehicle, and stops the engine and carries out inertia traveling. The vehicle control device starts the engine by the push-start by engaging the clutch and by transmitting the power of the driving wheel to the engine, if it is determined that a brake pedal has been depressed during the inertia traveling.

An electronic control unit permits a shift operation to a neutral position, by which a manual transmission 14 is switched to neutral, during coasting control. Accordingly, shifting to the neutral position can be performed only by the shift operation. Thus, power transmission can be blocked after termination of the coasting control. In addition, the electronic control unit prohibits the shift operation to a particular gear after the transmission is switched to neutral. Thus, overreving or underreving at the termination of the coasting control can be suppressed.

A method for controlling an SSC-SCC system for increasing a SSC distance using SCC is provided. The method includes determining whether a vehicle in operation satisfies a preset SSC entry condition and entering the SSC mode or maintaining the SSC entry state when the vehicle satisfies the preset SSC entry condition. A distance from a preceding vehicle is measured after the entering of the SSC mode or the maintaining of the SSC entry state. Additionally, the method includes determining whether the measured distance is equal to or less than a preset reference distance and performing SCC braking in response to determining that the measured distance is equal to or less than the preset reference distance.

Even if an adjustable speed limitation function (ASL) sets a vehicle speed upper limit to a relatively low vehicle speed, a control unit 10 is configured to, in order to suppress the problem of a decrease in fuel efficiency while the ASL is executing the vehicle speed limitation, suppress an output of an engine 2 so that the vehicle speed does not exceed the vehicle speed upper limit, and cause a gear stage of an automatic transmission 3 to be shifted up to a higher speed side gear stage having higher fuel efficiency than a gear stage that is set based on the driving state of a vehicle 1, when a deviation between the vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor 21 and the vehicle speed upper limit that is set by a vehicle speed upper limit setting switch 24 becomes less than a predetermined threshold.

A vehicle control device includes a controller configured to allow cranking of an engine by increasing clutch torque at a time a deceleration request is detected during free running in which a vehicle is allowed to run in a state in which a clutch is disengaged and the engine is stopped, and makes an increasing rate of the clutch torque larger at a time when a negative pressure of a brake booster is small than at a time when the negative pressure of the brake booster is large.

A method, apparatus and computer program for controlling connection of a driveline within a vehicle (1), the method comprising: detecting a deceleration and/or brake demand while the vehicle is operating in a coasting mode and the vehicle speed is above a threshold speed, determining whether the driveline can be reconnected within a threshold time and controlling the driveline so that the driveline is not reconnected if it is determined that the driveline cannot be reconnected within the threshold time. The method alternatively comprising detecting a deceleration and/or brake demand while the vehicle is operating in a coasting mode and the vehicle speed is above a threshold speed, determining the vehicle's deceleration, determining a threshold deceleration, determining whether the vehicle's deceleration is greater or less than the threshold deceleration and controlling the driveline so that the driveline is not reconnected if the vehicle's deceleration is greater than the threshold deceleration.

A controller of a vehicle that includes a return control unit configured to carry out a complete engagement control of a power connecting/disconnecting device. At the time a return condition from inertia traveling to normal traveling is established and a down shift of an automatic transmission is requested, the return control unit carries out a down shift control of the automatic transmission so that a difference between an increasing gradient of a rotating speed of a first engaging portion and an increasing gradient of a rotating speed of a second engaging portion is within a predetermined range. At the time it can be regarded that the rotating speed of the first engaging portion and the rotating speed of the second engaging portion are synchronized, the return control unit completely engages the power connecting/disconnecting device.

A control apparatus of an automatic transmission including a plurality of gear mechanisms, frictional elements, an oil pressure supply device which supplies an oil pressure for operating the frictional elements between an engaged state and a disengaged state and an oil pressure controller which controls an oil pressure for operating the plurality of frictional elements. The oil pressure controller determines a heat quantity absorbed by the plurality of frictional elements when the frictional elements are switched between the engaged state and the disengaged state, and changes an operation state before the frictional elements proceed to the engaged state or the disengaged state, in accordance with whether the frictional elements have absorbed a predetermined heat quantity.

A fail-safe friction clutch assembly for a vehicle accessory, particularly to drive a vehicle cooling pump, and more particularly as part of a dual mode drive for a cooling pump, together with an electric motor. The friction clutch assembly includes a friction plate member connected to a central rotatable shaft member used for operating the vehicle accessory. A pair of friction lining members are positioned on opposite sides of the friction plate member. An armature member is spring biased to axially force the friction plate member and friction lining member against a housing or cover which is rotating at input speed. A solenoid assembly is used to overcome the spring bias and pull the armature and friction plate member away from the housing.

A method for measuring an engine load of a drive motor in a vehicle. Here, at least one parameter which characterizes the engine load is allocated a driving distance equivalent. This driving distance equivalent is then incremented by a driving distance counter. If the vehicle is equipped with a sailing functionality, the driven distance is counted only if the vehicle is moving and the drive train is coupled to the drive motor without slip. A rate of rotation sensor, a clutch sensor and a driving distance counter able to be switched on and off are required for running the method of the present invention. A computer program is used in addition.