CONTROL DEVICE FOR ENGINE

A control device for an engine including cylinders, and configured to perform a reduced-cylinder operation by idling some of cylinders. The control device includes a hydraulic valve-stopping mechanism which closes the intake and exhaust valves of the cylinders in response to establishment of the reduced-cylinder operation execution condition, a hydraulic variable valve timing mechanism capable of changing a phase of the exhaust valve of the engine , and an ECU which controls the valve-stopping mechanism and the hydraulic variable valve timing mechanism . In response to establishment of the reduced-cylinder operation execution condition, the ECU allows the hydraulic variable valve timing mechanism to execute the phase change to the exhaust valve , and subsequently allows the valve-stopping mechanism to bring the intake and exhaust valves of the cylinders into closed state.