A method for monitoring the function of an electromagnetic actuator, wherein a magnetic core , which is arranged in the electromagnetic actuator, can be moved by supplying current to an electric coil ; and wherein the method comprises the following steps: - Measuring a time-varying current flowing through the electric coil ; - Selecting at least one temporal evaluation section of the path of the measured current in which the current changes from a section initial current value to a section end current value, the temporal evaluation section having a section duration; - Forming an evaluation product from factors comprising at least, on the one hand, the section initial current value and the section end current value and, on the other hand, the section duration; - Detecting a malfunction of the actuator by comparing the evaluation product with an evaluation product boundary; characterised in that the current flowing through the electric coil during a current increase phase increases, in the course of which the magnetic core is initially in idle; wherein the current increase phase is followed by a peak current phase in which the current decreases from a peak current phase initial value to a peak current phase intermediate value and increases from the peak current phase intermediate value to a peak current phase end value; wherein the peak current phase is followed by a holding current phase in which the current drops and remains in a holding current value range; and wherein the holding current phase is followed by a phase-out phase in which the current increases from a phase-out phase initial current value to a phase-out phase intermediate value and drops from the phase-out phase intermediate value to a phase-out phase end current value; and that an evaluation section lies within the current increase phase ; wherein the section end current value is less than a maximum current value and lies before the end of the current increase phase ; and wherein the section initial current value is given at a deviation point determined by the following substeps: - Forming a logarithmic function of the current measured in the current increase phase ; - Approximating the logarithmic function representing an early temporal segment of idle by a linear function; - Continuously determining a difference between the logarithmic function and the linear function over the early segment of the idle time; and Obtaining the deviation point based on when the difference reaches a predefined difference measure. - Measuring a time-varying current flowing through the electric coil ; - Selecting at least one temporal evaluation section of the path of the measured current in which the current changes from a section initial current value to a section end current value, the temporal evaluation section having a section duration; - Forming an evaluation product from factors comprising at least, on the one hand, the section initial current value and the section end current value and, on the other hand, the section duration; - Detecting a malfunction of the actuator by comparing the evaluation product with an evaluation product boundary; - Forming a logarithmic function of the current measured in the current increase phase ; - Approximating the logarithmic function representing an early temporal segment of idle by a linear function; - Continuously determining a difference between the logarithmic function and the linear function over the early segment of the idle time; and <EOS>