To provide a valve opening characteristic variable type internal combustion engine in which a prescribed cam phase is quickly established during failure of a cam phase control mechanism.
If operation failure or the like of an exhaust side VTC actuator 21 causes deviation between a target cam phase ECAtgt and an actual cam phase ECAreal, resulting in determination in Step S3 indicating Yes, an engine ECU 70 outputs a drive current to an electromagnetic shut valve 17 in Step S4 as processing during failure, and then in Step S5, the engine ECU 70 outputs a high lift command to an exhaust side VLC mechanism 51. The high lift command is for operating a first coupling pin 54a (for discharging operating oil from a first oil passage 58a), and coupling a first rocker arm 53a to a second rocker arm 53b. By this command, both exhaust valves 3 are driven by a first cam 52a having the largest operating angle and the lift amount.
TOYOKAWA MASAYUKI
ICHIKAWA KAZUKI
SHINOZAKI KOICHIRO
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