Patent ID: 7293407

Claim:
A method for operating a diesel engine, comprising: switching from a standard operating mode with at least one preinjection and a main injection of fuel to a special operating mode for regeneration of an exhaust-gas aftertreatment device and setting the fuel/air ratio according to conditions in the special operating mode, when an operating variable of the diesel engine reaches a predetermined value, which is a switching criterion; and in the special operating mode, making at least one afterinjection of fuel, which takes place after, and is separated in time from a main injection, at a late time during the cycle such that fuel injected in the afterinjection is burnt with fuel which has previously been ignited; and during switching into the special operating state, increasing the quantity of fuel in the at least one afterinjection which is burnt and reducing the quantity in the main injection by a corresponding amount in subsequent cycles, until an intended afterinjection quantity is reached.