Method for treating the waste gas of a combustion engine with a waste gas treatment system for treating the waste gas of the combustion engine , with a waste gas system which is connected to an outlet of the combustion engine , wherein the waste gas system comprises a waste gas channel in which, in the flow direction of a waste gas of the combustion engine through the waste gas channel , a three-way catalytic converter is arranged close-coupled to the engine as the first emissions-lowering component, and downstream of the close-coupled three-way catalytic converter is arranged a four-way catalytic converter or a combination of a particle filter and a second three-way catalytic converter installed downstream of said particle filter ; wherein the waste gas treatment system comprises a secondary air pump and a waste gas burner ; wherein, downstream of the close-coupled three-way catalytic converter and upstream of the four-way catalytic converter or of the particle filter , at least one discharge point is provided at which the hot waste gases of the waste gas burner can be introduced into the waste gas system to heat the four-way catalytic converter or the particle filter , comprising the following steps: - heating the four-way catalytic converter or the particle filter to a regeneration temperature (T R ) by introducing hot burner gases of the waste gas burner , wherein a stoichiometric waste gas is adjusted downstream of the four-way catalytic converter or downstream of the second three-way catalytic converter , - switching off the waste gas burner and blowing in secondary air upstream of the four-way catalytic converter or of the particle filter , wherein the soot retained in the four-way catalytic converter or in the particle filter is oxidized by a super-stoichiometric waste gas (λ > 1), - intermittently alternating between a heating phase, in which the waste gas burner is active and the waste gas is heated by the waste gas burner , and a regeneration phase, in which the waste gas burner is switched off and secondary air is blown into the waste gas channel upstream of the four-way catalytic converter or of the particle filter , in order to supply the oxygen necessary for oxidizing the soot retained in the four-way catalytic converter or in the particle filter , until the four-way catalytic converter or the particle filter is completely regenerated. - heating the four-way catalytic converter or the particle filter to a regeneration temperature (T R ) by introducing hot burner gases of the waste gas burner , wherein a stoichiometric waste gas is adjusted downstream of the four-way catalytic converter or downstream of the second three-way catalytic converter , - switching off the waste gas burner and blowing in secondary air upstream of the four-way catalytic converter or of the particle filter , wherein the soot retained in the four-way catalytic converter or in the particle filter is oxidized by a super-stoichiometric waste gas (λ > 1), - intermittently alternating between a heating phase, in which the waste gas burner is active and the waste gas is heated by the waste gas burner , and a regeneration phase, in which the waste gas burner is switched off and secondary air is blown into the waste gas channel upstream of the four-way catalytic converter or of the particle filter , in order to supply the oxygen necessary for oxidizing the soot retained in the four-way catalytic converter or in the particle filter , until the four-way catalytic converter or the particle filter is completely regenerated. <EOS>