An air flap device for use in a motor vehicle can have an air flap unit comprising a plurality of air flaps pivotally supported about an axis of rotation between a closed position and an open position, wherein the air flaps each have a cover section for covering and uncovering air passages and a fastening section for fixing the air flaps in the air flap device, a drive unit for driving the air flaps, a control unit for controlling an operational capability of the air flaps the control unit having corresponding receiving sections for receiving the fastening sections of the individual air flaps, the air flap device being configured in such a way that a detectable force is generated in the event of a malfunction or non-function of an air flap, wherein the detectable force results from a direct interaction between the fastening section of at least one air flap and the corresponding receiving section of the air flap in the control unit.

In a vehicle that includes an engine including a starter, an automatic transmission unit having an input shaft coupled to an output shaft of the engine via a first clutch, and a motor generator (hereinafter, referred to as MG) coupled to the input shaft of the automatic transmission unit via a second clutch, an electronic control unit starts up the engine with the use of the starter in a state where the MG is disconnected from the engine by releasing at least one of the first clutch or the second clutch when an IG-on operation has been made in an IG-off state (a state where the vehicle is stopped in a P range) and a power control unit that supplies electric power to the MG has a failure.

There is described a closure unit (14) for an air inlet of a motor vehicle which comprises three closure flaps (18, 22, 26) which can be pivoted about a rotation axis (16, 20, 24). In a closed position, the closure flaps (18, 22, 26) close the air inlet and a closure flap which is referred to as a second closure flap (22) abuts a closed position stop (36). In an open position, the closure flaps (18, 22, 26) release the air inlet and a closure flap which is referred to as the third closure flap (26) abuts an open position stop (40). Furthermore, a method for detecting defective closure flaps (18, 22, 26) of such a closure unit (14) is explained. Furthermore, a motor vehicle having one or more air inlets is presented, wherein at least one of the air inlets is provided with such a closure unit (14).

A wheel hub safety device is for a vehicle having a hub and a wheel. The hub having a plurality of opposing equiradially disposed wheel bolts. The wheel having a plurality of opposing equiradially disposed holes spaced for mating engagement with the wheel bolts on the hub. The wheel is configured for attachment to the hub through use of a plurality of lug nuts. The wheel hub safety device has a housing and a plurality of lug nut rotation detectors. The housing is for housing the plurality of lug nut rotation detectors, at least one sensor and a transmitter.

A combined power take off and controller includes a power take off including a housing that is adapted to be supported on a housing of a source of rotational energy, an input mechanism that extends through an opening provided in the housing and is adapted to be rotatably driven by the source of rotational energy whenever the source of rotational energy is operated, and an output mechanism that is rotatably driven by the input mechanism and that is adapted to be connected to a rotatably driven accessory. The controller is responsive to one or more operating conditions of the power take off for monitoring and/or controlling the operation thereof.

An air flap device for a motor vehicle, having an air flap member with a flow-through opening and having a plurality of air flaps, which protrude into the flow-through opening or pass through it and which are each mounted on the air flap member so that they can move between a blocking position as a working position and a feed-through position as another working position, wherein each air flap in its blocking position interferes with flow through the flow-through opening as intended to a greater extent than in the feed-through position, wherein the air flap device has, as one operating position, a closed position, in which each air flap of the plurality of air flaps is in the blocking position as the working position associated with the closed position, and has an open position as another operating position, in which each air flap of the plurality of air flaps is in the feed-through position as the working position associated with the open position, the air flap device having a drive device for supplying a driving force for the movement of the air flaps between the blocking position and the feed-through position and a coupling device for transfer of the driving force supplied by the drive device to the air flaps, the coupling device is coupled to the plurality of air flaps such that at least some of the air flaps, because of an adjustment operation of the air flap device into a target operating position, reach their target working positions associated with the target operating position at different points in time.

Methods and systems are provided for determining a position of active grille shutters (AGS) using a light sensor positioned behind the AGS. In one example, a method may include diagnosing a position of the AGS in response to an output of a light sensor positioned behind the active grille shutters (AGS), and responsive to the diagnosed position, adjusting an engine operating parameter. Further, the AGS diagnostic may be performed in response to an indication of ambient light external to a vehicle being over a threshold level.

A method for determining whether an error is present or not in a motor vehicle, a discrete state, in which the motor vehicle is presently in, being ascertained with the aid of a state machine, a decision being made, depending on the ascertained discrete state, whether an error is present or not, whereby the states of the state machine include acceptable states and unacceptable states, then, if the ascertained discrete state is an unacceptable state, the motor vehicle is transferred into an acceptable state.

A vehicle includes: at least one rotary electric machine; an inverter that drives the rotary electric machine; a capacitor connected between a paired electric power lines that is connected to the inverter; and a control unit. When a vehicle collision is detected, the control unit executes first control for discharging electric charges stored in the capacitor by performing a switching operation of the inverter so as to prevent a flow of a q-axis current but cause a flow of a d-axis current to the rotary electric machine. The control unit stops the first control in a specified case and executes second control for performing the switching operation of the inverter so as to reduce the current flowing through the rotary electric machine to be lower than that during execution of the first control. The control unit executes third control for shutting down the inverter after execution of the second control.

An electric vehicle propulsion system includes an electric motor and a battery pack formed as a single, integrated unit. It is a self-contained, integrated electric propulsion system. It disrupts the long-established engineering paradigm that the electric motor and the battery pack have to be designed, built and installed as separate systems.