Idle return system and method for an off highway vehicle

1. An off highway vehicle, comprising:

a chassis;

an engine carried by said chassis; and

a controller in communication with said engine, said controller being configured to execute an engine idle control method that includes the steps of:

detecting a static load on the engine;

detecting a dynamic load on the engine;

determining if said static load is below a predetermined static level;

determining if said dynamic load is less than a predetermined range;

engaging an auto-idle feature dependent upon both of said determining steps;

disengaging said auto-idle feature if either of said determining steps are not true; and

returning an engine speed of the engine to correspond to a throttle setting when said disengaging step determines that at least one of the determining steps are not true.

2. The off highway vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said engaging step of said method is not carried out unless service brakes are activated on the vehicle.

3. The off highway vehicle of claim 2 , wherein said service brakes are considered set when a brake enabled idle variable is set.

4. The off highway vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said method further includes the step of delaying said engaging step until a predetermined time has expired from a time in which said static load is below said predetermined static level and said dynamic load is less than said predetermined range.

5. The off highway vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said determining if said dynamic load is less than a predetermined range step includes a substep of ensuring that said dynamic load is less than said predetermined range for a predetermined time period.

6. The off highway vehicle of claim 5 , wherein said predetermined time period is less than one second.

7. The off highway vehicle of claim 6 , wherein said predetermined time period is approximately 250 msec.

8. The off highway vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said method further includes the step of disengaging said auto-idle feature when an interrupting event is detected.

9. The off highway vehicle of claim 8 , wherein said interrupting event is a seat position change by an operator.

10. The off highway vehicle of claim 8 , wherein said interrupting event is one of a change of a throttle setting, a gear selector not being in a neutral selection, and a one touch idle being activated.

11. An engine idle control method of an off highway vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a static load on the engine;

detecting a dynamic load on the engine;

determining if said static load is below a predetermined static level;

determining if said dynamic load is less than a predetermined range; and

engaging an auto-idle feature dependent upon both of said determining steps.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of disengaging said auto-idle feature if either of said determining steps are not true.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said disengaging step includes the step of returning the engine speed to correspond to a throttle setting.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of delaying said engaging step until a predetermined time has expired from a time in which said static load is below said predetermined static level and said dynamic load is less than said predetermined range.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein said determining if said dynamic load is less than a predetermined range step includes a substep of ensuring that said dynamic load is less than said predetermined range for a predetermined time period.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said predetermined time period is less than one second.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said predetermined time period is approximately 250 msec.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of disengaging said auto-idle feature when an interrupting event is detected.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said interrupting event is a seat position change by an operator.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein said interrupting event is one of a change of a throttle setting, a gear selector not being in a neutral selection, and a one touch idle being activated.