Methods and systems for deicing an engine air intake filter and an engine throttle are described. The methods and systems may include activating an evaporative emissions system heater and a pump to de-ice the engine air intake filter and the engine throttle. The deicing may be performed when an engine of a vehicle is not operating.

In the case where a throttle valve has a sticking abnormality, a hybrid vehicle performs failsafe operation (limp home mode) with fixing the throttle valve to an opener position (S100) and sets a restoration diagnosis cooling water temperature T1 such as to decrease with a decrease in state of charge SOC of a battery (S120). When cooling water temperature Tw of the engine becomes equal to or higher than the restoration diagnosis cooling water temperature T1, the hybrid vehicle performs sticking restoration diagnosis to determine whether the throttle valve is restored from the sticking abnormality (S150). This allows for earlier diagnosis of whether the throttle valve is restored from the sticking abnormality at the lower state of charge SOC of the battery and enables the hybrid vehicle to return to normal operation at an earlier time. As a result, this ensures the more adequate sticking restoration diagnosis.

An electrically-operated actuator rotates a valve toward its closing side or opening side. A valve urging part urges the valve from a fully-closed position toward the opening side. An ACT control part controls the electrically-operated actuator to drive. A set load of the valve urging part is smaller than a set load that is capable of returning the valve from a fully-closed position to an intermediate position only by urging force of the valve urging part. When a position of the valve at time of turning off an IG switch for stopping operation of an internal-combustion engine is on the closing side of the intermediate position, the ACT control part shifts the valve to the intermediate position by the electrically-operated actuator after the IG switch is turned off.

Methods and systems for unsticking a stuck gaspath actuator are disclosed. In one embodiment, an engine operating method includes adjusting exhaust valve timing of one or more cylinders of an engine in response to an indication that a gaspath actuator is stuck in position. In this way, pressure waves in an exhaust manifold and/or an intake manifold may be generated, which may act to unstick the gaspath actuator.

A control device is configured to direct an opening degree of a throttle valve disposed in an intake passage or an exhaust passage of an engine including a DOC disposed in the exhaust passage and a DPF disposed downstream of the DOC in the exhaust passage. The control device includes: a hysteresis occurring condition determination unit configured to determine whether a hysteresis occurring condition (predetermined time elapses after instructed opening degree of throttle valve becomes equal to or smaller than predetermined opening degree and/or predetermined time elapses after engine output becomes equal to or smaller than predetermined output) is met; and a hysteresis elimination execution unit configured to cause, if it is determined that the hysteresis occurring condition is met, the throttle valve to execute hysteresis elimination that involves temporarily increasing the opening degree of the throttle valve from the instructed opening degree and then returning it to the instructed opening degree.

Methods and systems for unsticking a stuck gaspath actuator are disclosed. In one embodiment, an engine operating method includes adjusting exhaust valve timing of one or more cylinders of an engine in response to an indication that a gaspath actuator is stuck in position. In this way, pressure waves in an exhaust manifold and/or an intake manifold may be generated, which may act to unstick the gaspath actuator.

A control device is configured to direct an opening degree of a throttle valve disposed in an intake passage or an exhaust passage of an engine including a DOC disposed in the exhaust passage and a DPF disposed downstream of the DOC in the exhaust passage. The control device includes: a hysteresis occurring condition determination unit configured to determine whether a hysteresis occurring condition (predetermined time elapses after instructed opening degree of throttle valve becomes equal to or smaller than predetermined opening degree and/or predetermined time elapses after engine output becomes equal to or smaller than predetermined output) is met; and a hysteresis elimination execution unit configured to cause, if it is determined that the hysteresis occurring condition is met, the throttle valve to execute hysteresis elimination that involves temporarily increasing the opening degree of the throttle valve from the instructed opening degree and then returning it to the instructed opening degree.

A control method for an internal combustion engine including: setting a target valve opening degree of the first throttle valve in accordance with a load, sensing a valve opening degree of the second throttle valve, judging whether or not the valve opening degree of the second throttle valve is an opening degree on a closing side relative to a predetermined set valve opening degree, and correcting the valve opening degree of the first throttle valve to the opening degree on the closing side relative to the target valve opening degree when it is judged that the valve opening degree of the second throttle valve is the opening degree on the closing side relative to the predetermined set valve opening degree.

A throttle valve abnormality determination device includes a permission/rejection determination unit configured to determine whether or not to permit a sticking determination of a throttle valve. The determination unit is configured to prohibit the sticking determination if a first temperature, which is a temperature in a passage through which intake air flows, is less than or equal to a freezing temperature at which the throttle valve may be frozen when an engine is started and, after prohibiting the sticking determination, permit the sticking determination if an integrated value of a heat amount conversion value based on a second temperature, which is a temperature in the passage, and an intake air amount exceeds a threshold value when the second temperature is greater than or equal to a de-freezing temperature at which a frozen portion of the throttle valve is de-frozen.

Systems and methods for performing closed-in-bore diagnostics for a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, select operating conditions may be evaluated before closed-in-bore diagnostics may be initiated. In addition, charging of one or more batteries may be reduced to ensure that an engine throttle may operate with a small opening amount to evaluate the presence or absence of sludge in the engine throttle.