METHOD FOR MONITORING A COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR AND/OR A CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE SENSOR OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AND CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20120245830A1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Eser, Gerhard, Seyfferth, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US13/382,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20120245830A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/113
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/021 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0414 Air temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 35/025 by determining temperatures inside the cylinder, e.g. combustion temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/222 relating to the failure of sensors or parameter detection devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 15/00 Testing or calibrating of thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 15/007 Testing
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2205/00 Application of thermometers in motors, e.g. of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

In a method for monitoring a coolant temperature sensor and/or a cylinder head temperature sensor of a motor vehicle, during a start (t=tSt) of an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle an actual value (TCOist=TCOSt) of a coolant temperature (TCO) is determined by a coolant temperature sensor, and an actual value (TCYLHist=TCYLHSt) of the cylinder head temperature (TCYLH) is determined by a cylinder head temperature sensor, wherein the coolant temperature sensor and/or the cylinder head temperature sensor are diagnosed as functional sensors when the actual values (TCOist, TCYLHist) of the coolant temperature (TCO) and the cylinder heat temperature (TCYLH) deviate in the same direction upward in relation to an outside temperature (TAM) and/or an intake air temperature (TIA). By a control device, particularly a motor control device, a method can be and is carried out accordingly.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring at least one of a coolant temperature sensor and a cylinder head temperature sensor of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

when an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle is started, determining an actual value of a coolant temperature by a coolant temperature sensor, and determining an actual value of a cylinder head temperature by a cylinder head temperature sensor, wherein

at least one of the coolant temperature sensor and the cylinder head temperature sensor is diagnosed as a functional sensor when the actual values of the coolant temperature and of the cylinder head temperature deviate in the same direction upward in relation to at least one of an outside temperature and an intake air temperature.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for the purpose of starting the internal combustion engine, a decision is initially made as to whether at least one of the coolant temperature and the cylinder head temperature have an unexpectedly high actual value, and

the deviation in the same direction of the actual values of the coolant temperature and of the cylinder head temperature upward is examined only in such a case.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for the purpose of starting the internal combustion engine, the actual value of at least one of the coolant temperature and the actual value of the cylinder head temperature are compared with at least one of the outside temperature and the intake air temperature, and in the case of a specific deviation in one or both temperatures, at least one of an unexpectedly high actual value for the coolant temperature and an unexpectedly high actual value for the cylinder head temperature is output, and the method is carried out after this.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a functional coolant temperature sensor and a functional cylinder head temperature sensor is diagnosed, or the internal combustion engine is started with previous additional heating of the motor vehicle, by:

a predetermined deviation of at least one of the coolant temperature and the cylinder head temperature from at least one of the external temperature and the intake air temperature;

a predetermined deviation in the coolant temperature from the cylinder head temperature if the two temperatures deviate upward from at least one of the outside temperature and the intake air temperature;

a predetermined positive gradient of at least one of the coolant temperature and the cylinder head temperature after the internal combustion engine is started,

examination of a dynamic behavior of the cylinder head temperature in relation to the coolant temperature after the internal combustion engine is started.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a defective coolant temperature sensor or a defective cylinder head temperature sensor is diagnosed when either the actual value of the coolant temperature or the actual value of the cylinder head temperature does not increase after the internal combustion engine is started.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the profile of at least one of the coolant temperature and the cylinder head temperature is monitored after the internal combustion engine is started, wherein

the profile is monitored with a narrow time frame and is continued until a specific respective temperature is at least one of reached and lasts for a specific respective time period.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a duration of a time window for an initial increase in at least one of the actual value of the coolant temperature and the actual value of the cylinder head temperature is 1 s after the internal combustion engine is started.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the method is carried out only after a comparatively long downtime of the internal combustion engine, and the downtime is at least 4 h, and

the method is carried out only in the case of a low outside temperature which is ascertained by an ambient temperature sensor, an intake air temperature sensor or in some other way, and the outside temperature ascertained in the process is below 10°

C.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional heating system is a heating system which is independent of the internal combustion engine and comprises an internal or an external additional electrical or combustion heating system.

16. The method according to claim 4, wherein a comparative value which is ascertained for this purpose in each case is at least one of a current, average, minimum and maximum value.

17. The method according to claim 7, wherein the duration of the time window is 0.75 s, 0.4 s, 0.2 s or 0.1 s, after the internal combustion engine is started.

18. The method according to claim 8, wherein the downtime is at least 8 h, at least 7 h, at least 6 h or at least 5 h.

19. The method according to claim 8, wherein the low outside temperature is below 5°

C., below 0°

C., below −

5°

C., or below −

10°

C.

20. The method according to claim 9, wherein the additional heating system is at least one of a preheating system, a stationary heating system, a block heater, an auxiliary fuel heater, an additional air or coolant heating system, an additional PTC heating system, a glow plug and another heating device.

10. A control device or an engine control device for a motor vehicle, wherein the control device is configured when an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle is started, to determine an actual value of a coolant temperature by a coolant temperature sensor, and to determine an actual value of a cylinder head temperature by a cylinder head temperature sensor, and to diagnose at least one of the coolant temperature sensor and the cylinder head temperature sensor as a functional sensor when the actual values of the coolant temperature and of the cylinder head temperature deviate in the same direction upward in relation to at least one of an outside temperature and an intake air temperature.

11. The control device according to claim 10, wherein, for the purpose of starting the internal combustion engine, the device is configured to initially decide as to whether at least one of the coolant temperature and the cylinder head temperature have an unexpectedly high actual value, and

the deviation in the same direction of the actual values of the coolant temperature and of the cylinder head temperature upward is examined only in such a case.

12. The control device according to claim 10, wherein, the control device is further configured, for the purpose of starting the internal combustion engine, to compare the actual value of at least one of the coolant temperature and the actual value of the cylinder head temperature with at least one of the outside temperature and the intake air temperature, and in the case of a specific deviation in one or both temperatures, to output at least one of an unexpectedly high actual value for the coolant temperature and an unexpectedly high actual value for the cylinder head temperature, and to carry out the method out after this.

13. The control device according to claim 10, wherein at least one of a functional coolant temperature sensor and a functional cylinder head temperature sensor is diagnosed, or the internal combustion engine is started with previous additional heating of the motor vehicle, by:

a predetermined deviation of at least one of the coolant temperature and the cylinder head temperature from at least one of the external temperature and the intake air temperature;

a predetermined deviation in the coolant temperature from the cylinder head temperature if the two temperatures deviate upward from at least one of the outside temperature and the intake air temperature;

a predetermined positive gradient of at least one of the coolant temperature and the cylinder head temperature after the internal combustion engine is started,

examination of a dynamic behavior of the cylinder head temperature in relation to the coolant temperature after the internal combustion engine is started.

14. The control device according to claim 10, wherein a defective coolant temperature sensor or a defective cylinder head temperature sensor is diagnosed when either the actual value of the coolant temperature or the actual value of the cylinder head temperature does not increase after the internal combustion engine is started.

15. The control device according to claim 10, wherein the profile of at least one of the coolant temperature and the cylinder head temperature is monitored after the internal combustion engine is started, wherein

the profile is monitored with a narrow time frame and is continued until a specific respective temperature is at least one of reached and lasts for a specific respective time period.