Patent attributes
An internal combustion engine (10) for a vehicle comprises a fuel injector (12) which supplies fuel to a combustion chamber formed in a piston (1), and an oil pan which stores engine oil below the piston (1). With regard to a phenomenon whereby the engine oil is diluted with the fuel injected by the fuel injector (12), a controller (90) determines whether or not the engine oil needs to be regenerated (S13). When the engine oil needs to be regenerated, the controller (90) switches a cooling water path in the engine (10) by controlling an electrically controlled thermostat (74), and raises the temperature of the engine oil over a predetermined time period (S15, S17). As a result of this temperature increase, the fuel in the engine oil is vaporized, thereby reducing the dilution ratio of the engine oil, and thus the engine oil is regenerated.
