A vehicle 1 comprises an internal combustion engine 10, a filter 61, a motor 16, a battery 20, a trapped amount calculating part 91 configured to calculate an amount of particulate matter, a state-of-charge estimating part 92 configured to estimate a state of charge of the battery, an engine load setting part 93 configured to set an engine load, and an internal combustion engine control part 94. The engine load setting part is configured to make the engine load increase in the case where the amount of the particulate matter is relatively large compared to the case where the amount of the particulate matter is relatively small when it is estimated that the battery can be charged. The engine load setting part is configured to change an amount of increase of the engine load in accordance with the amount of the particulate matter when making the engine load increase.

A method and a system for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, an engine exhaust after treatment device is cooled at an opportunistic time. The approach may provide improved cooling for exhaust after treatment devices and it may also improve vehicle emissions.

Systems and methods for operating a vehicle that includes a continuously variable transmission are described. The systems and methods adjust engine speed according to one of a plurality of engine speed to vehicle speed profiles so that driveline noise, vibration, and harshness may be reduced. The different engine speed to vehicle speed profiles provide different levels of engine braking.

A controller for the hybrid vehicle selects an engine as a power apparatus of the hybrid vehicle when a request load is higher than a threshold load, and selects ae motor as the power apparatus when the request load is equal to or lower than the threshold load. The controller sets the threshold load in accordance with a SOC of a battery, and decreases the threshold load as the SOC is lower in at least a predetermined SOC range. The controller controls an intake air temperature during stopping of the engine to a target intake air temperature by operating an intake air temperature variable system when the motor is selected as the power apparatus. The controller sets the target intake air temperature in accordance with the SOC, and increases the target intake air temperature as the SOC is lower in at least the predetermined SOC range.

A controller for the hybrid vehicle compensates for a shortage of an engine output to a vehicle demand output by discharge electric power of a battery when the vehicle demand output is higher than an upper limit output of a target operating range, and charges the battery by an excess of the engine output to the vehicle demand output when the vehicle demand output is lower than a lower limit output of the target operating range. The target operating range is set to a low load side as a SOC of the battery is higher in a predetermined SOC range. Also, the controller controls an intake air temperature during stopping of the engine to a target intake air temperature when the hybrid vehicle is traveling with the engine stopped. The target intake air temperature is increased as the SOC is lower in the predetermined SOC range.

A control system and method for a vehicle having a powertrain comprising a torque generating system and an automatic transmission each utilize a pedal position sensor configured to measure a position of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle and a controller configured to, based on the accelerator pedal position, detect a pedal tip-in or tip-out event and, in response to detecting the pedal tip-in or tip-out event: (i) determine a desired output torque for the torque generating system corresponding to the pedal tip-in or tip-out event and (ii) command the torque generating system to gradually transition, over a period, from its current output torque to the desired output torque to mitigate clunk caused by abrupt contact between gear teeth of the torque generating system shaft and the automatic transmission shaft.

A method for controlling a drivetrain of a motor vehicle is disclosed. Either a start mode for starting the reciprocating engine is activated via the driving vehicle wheel, or a coasting mode is activated for driving the reciprocating engine via the driving vehicle wheel. At least one volume-reducing stroke is executed that follows an intake stroke for at least one cylinder of the reciprocating engine with at least intermittently open cylinder. Alternately at least one volume-enlarging stroke is executed for at least one cylinder of the reciprocating engine, which is followed by a compression stroke of this cylinder, and at least one volume-reducing stroke of this cylinder, which follows an expansion stroke that follows the compression stroke, with a cylinder that is closed, if possible, in this operating mode.

Methods and systems are provided for diagnostics of an intake air filter during vehicle-off conditions. In one example, the engine may be reverse rotated, unfueled, and air flow via the exhaust manifold and the intake manifold are estimated and compared to a baseline air flow. A blocked intake air flow may be indicated based on the comparison between air flow via the exhaust manifold and the intake manifold and the baseline air flow upon opening a secondary flow path to atmosphere.

A control system for hybrid vehicles to prevent a reduction in a brake force when an electrical input to a battery is restricted. A controller is configured to execute a regeneration control to deliver a regenerative torque resulting from operating second motor as a generator to the drive wheels, and an engine brake control to deliver a brake torque resulting from a power loss of an engine to the output member. The controller is further configured to select an HV-Lo mode when an input power allowed to accumulate in the battery is smaller than a threshold power.

A pre-stoppage ignition control unit defines, as a stoppage transition air amount, an intake air amount of the engine with which the engine torque becomes the stoppage transition torque in a state in which an ignition timing of the engine is set to a predetermined self-sustaining operation ignition timing, defines, as an intermediate timing, a predetermined timing earlier than timing at which the intake air amount converges to the stoppage transition air amount during an execution period of the pre-stoppage self-sustaining operation control, sets the ignition timing of the engine in a period from the start of the pre-stoppage self-sustaining operation control to the intermediate timing to timing earlier than the self-sustaining operation ignition timing, and sets the ignition timing of the engine in the period after the intermediate timing to the self-sustaining operation ignition timing.