Reducing turbocharged engine overheating

A method for a turbocharged engine, comprising:

• direct injecting fuel to engine cylinders;
• deactivating different numbers of engine cylinders under different conditions and limiting engine load while:
• maintaining an engine cylinder temperature below a threshold temperature by adjusting a turbocharger wastegate;
• maintaining an engine speed below a threshold engine speed;
• and
• upshifting to a higher gear and increasing vehicle speed while increasing available engine torque.

A method for a turbocharged engine, comprising:

• sensing a cylinder head temperature from a sensor in the cylinder head;
• direct injecting fuel to engine cylinders;
• taking different actions depending a degree to which the sensed temperature is above a threshold, the different actions assigned to progressively higher temperature ranges, including
• a first temperature range above normal where an operator warning is provided;
• a second temperature range above the first where cylinders are deactivated while engine load is limited to maintain temperature, while allowing for load excursion when a vehicle launch duration is less than a threshold;
• a third temperature range above the second where cylinders are deactivate while engine load is limited to maintain temperature;
• a fourth temperature range above the third where the engine is shut down.