using the invention are illustrated by a start time flow diagram 68 which begins in block 70 moving from block 70 to decision block 72 the method determines whether the engine 46 is ready to start in one aspect of the invention the determination of whether the engine 46 is ready to start is made by checking whether the engine is off i e crankshaft 48 is not rotating while the ignition on signal 162 is asserted if the engine 46 is ready to start the method moves to block 90 where the method resets a start time logic flag and a start test timer before looping back to decision block 72 if in decision block 72 the method determines that the engine is on 46 i e crankshaft 48 is rotating then the method moves to decision block 74 in decision block 74 the method determines whether the crankshaft 48 has just started rotating if the determination is positive the method moves to block 88 and initiates the start test timer 92 before returning to decision block 72 referring briefly to fig3 b the crankshaft 48 just beginning to rotate is an event 14 and the engine rpm is represented by parameter 26 if the determination is negative then the method moves to decision block 76 where the engine speed is compared to a predetermined start rpm threshold represented as lower limit 10 in fig3 b the start rpm threshold is set to a minimum threshold indicative that the engine is running on its own if the engine speed is less than the predetermined start rpm threshold the method returns to decision block 72 if the engine speed is greater than the predetermined start rpm threshold the method moves to decision block 78 in decision block 78 the present.