Method and device for operating an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder

• Main Authors: Hartmann, Dirk, Mallebrein, Georg, Mezger, Werner, Roth, Andreas, Barbier, Henri, Poertner, Nikolas, Rappold, Juergen, Fecht, Ingo
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.02.2010

A method and a device for operating an internal combustion engine including at least one cylinder are described, the at least one cylinder including at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve and a diagnosis of at least one erroneous intake valve or at least one erroneous exhaust valve is made possible without using a position acknowledgment. A gas exchange of the at least one cylinder is diagnosed thereby. For detection of at least one intake valve or exhaust valve for the existence of an erroneous valve position, at least one intake valve or exhaust valve of the at least one cylinder different from at least one intake valve or exhaust valve to be detected is brought into a predefined position, which is selected in such a way that the gas exchange of the at least one cylinder in the case of an erroneous valve position of the at least one intake valve or exhaust valve to be detected differs significantly from the gas exchange of the at least one cylinder for the case of an error-free valve position of the at least one intake valve or exhaust valve to be detected, a value characteristic for the gas exchange of the at least one cylinder being ascertained, this value being expected at the moment for an error-free state of the set valve positions of the at least one intake valve and the at least one exhaust valve of the at least one cylinder, the actual value characteristic for the gas exchange of the at least one cylinder being ascertained and an error in the position of the at least one intake valve or exhaust valve to be detected is recognized as a function of the deviation in the actual value from the expected value.