Control apparatus for vehicle drive-force transmitting apparatus

A control apparatus for a drive-force transmitting apparatus that is to be provided in a vehicle having a drive force source and drive wheels;

• the drive-force transmitting apparatus including a dog clutch which is provided with a synchromesh mechanism and which is to be operated by an actuator to selectively connect and disconnect a drive-force transmitting path between the drive force source and the drive wheels;
• the dog clutch including a sleeve that is to be moved by the actuator so as to switch an operation state of the dog clutch between an engaged state in which the drive-force transmitting path is connected and a released state in which the drive-force transmitting path is disconnected, such that a rotational speed difference between an input-side rotational speed and an output-side rotational speed of the dog clutch is to be zeroed when the sleeve is positioned in a synchronizing position in process of switching of the dog clutch from the released state to the engaged state;
• the control apparatus comprising:
• a processor programmed to function as:
• a failure determining portion configured, in the process of the switching of the dog clutch from the released state to the engaged state, to determine whether the rotational speed difference is equal to or larger than a given difference value when the sleeve is positioned on an engaging side of the synchronizing position for placing the dog clutch into the engaged state, and
• a clutch control portion configured, upon execution of control for operating the actuator for the switching of the dog clutch from the released state to the engaged state, to stop the switching of the dog clutch from the released state to the engaged state and to cause the actuator to place the dog clutch back into the released state, when the failure determining portion determines that the rotational speed difference is equal to or larger than the given difference value with the sleeve being positioned on the engaging side of the synchronizing position, wherein:
• the failure determining portion is configured to determine whether the sleeve is positioned on the engaging side of the synchronizing position, depending on whether the sleeve is positioned to be distant from the synchronizing position by at least a given distance value on the engaging side of the synchronizing position, before the rotational speed difference becomes zero, and
• the failure determining portion is configured to determine whether the sleeve is positioned to be distant from the synchronizing position by at least the given distance value on the engaging side of the synchronizing position, depending on whether a state in which the sleeve is positioned to be distant from the synchronizing position by at least the given distance value on the engaging side of the synchronizing position, continues for at least a given length of time.