To prevent problems caused by deposits on a fuel injection valve, while allowing a hybrid vehicle having a direct injection engine and an electric motor to fully exert its engine performance.
The condition of deposits clinging to the nozzle part of the fuel injection valve 23 is determined based on a learning correction amount for the fuel injection quantity of an engine 12. When it is determined that deposits have accumulated on the nozzle part of the fuel injection valve 23, deposit burnoff control is executed. In the deposit burnoff control, engine speed is increased, ignition timing is advanced, and the fuel injection quantity is reduced to raise the temperature of the nozzle part of the fuel injection valve 23 to a predetermined temperature or higher to burn off the deposits. During the deposit burnoff control, torque correction control is executed to control the torque of the electric motor in such a way as to cancel out the torque variation of the engine 12 due to the deposit burnoff control so as to keep drive torque approximately constant as the entire vehicle during the deposit burnoff control.
SAITO KIMITAKA
Next Patent: VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE