Abstract:
The modern vehicles are becoming more and more complex and contain many systems among these is the internal combustion engine which is the heart of the vehicle. Modern engines are controlled by dedicated Electronic Control Unit (ECU) which acts as the mastermind of the engine. The control unit (ECU) receives readings from sensors and takes actions through actuators; the operation of the ECU is regulated by embedded models called MAPs which are stored in the ECU memory.
The use of identical internal combustion engine to drive several vehicle classes is becoming more and more common in automotive industry, such approach allows for production flexibility and reduces production cost as well. In the present study, two vehicles operating with the same engine are selected; the MAPs stored within the two control units (ECUs) have been analysed and compared. The several changes done in ECU MAPs allowed for: steady idle, better acceleration performance, more responsive turbocharging and better fuel utilization with a higher power output.
