Apparatus for and method of controlling a vehicle engine

An apparatus for controlling a vehicle engine provided with a catalytic converter in an exhaust passage, comprising:

• engine temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature Te of the engine;
• catalyst temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature Tc of catalyst in the catalytic converter;
• and
• combustion mode selecting means for selecting a combustion mode from a self-ignition combustion mode and a spark ignition combustion mode based on the engine temperature Te and the catalyst temperature TC;
• and
• control means for controlling the engine according to the selected combustion mode when the engine is in idling operation.

A method of controlling a vehicle engine provided with a catalytic converter in an exhaust passage, comprising steps of:

• detecting a temperature Te of the engine;
• detecting a temperature Tc of a catalyst in the catalytic converter;
• selecting a combustion mode from a self-ignition combustion made and a spark ignition combustion mode based on the engine temperature Te and the catalyst temperature Tc;
• and
• controlling the engine according to the selected combustion mode when the engine is in idling operation.