Patent ID: 7523744

Claim:
An engine starting apparatus for starting an internal combustion engine, the engine using an alcohol-gasoline mixture fuel, the apparatus comprising: a fuel supplying device for supplying the fuel for the engine; and a controller operable to: set a first predetermined alcohol concentration value between a highest and a lowest alcohol concentration value of commercially available fuel; calculate a first fuel supply amount based on the first predetermined alcohol concentration value; perform a first engine starting operation by controlling the fuel supplying device to supply the fuel according to the first fuel supply amount; determine whether the engine is properly started in the first engine starting operation; set a second predetermined alcohol concentration value different from the first predetermined alcohol concentration value if the engine is not properly started in the first engine starting operation; calculate a second fuel supply amount based on the second predetermined alcohol concentration value; perform a second engine starting operation by controlling the fuel supplying device to supply the fuel according to the second fuel supply amount; and perform a scavenging operation to discharge remaining fuel from a combustion chamber of the engine prior to performing a subsequent engine starting operation when the engine is not properly started in a prior engine starting operation.