Patent ID: 7387097

Claim:
A method for controlling a device for varying the control times of gas exchange valves for an internal combustion engine during the operation of stopping the internal combustion engine, with a hydraulic actuation device which has two reciprocally acting pressure chambers, a phase position (φ) of a camshaft in relation to a crankshaft being capable of being held or varied in a controlled way by means of the supply and discharge of pressure medium to and from the pressure chambers, and with a control valve with two working connections (A, B), with an outflow connection (T) and with an inflow connection (P), the first working connection (A) communicating with the first pressure chamber, the second working connection (B) with the second pressure chamber and the outflow connection (T) with a tank, and the inflow connection (P) being acted upon with pressure medium, the control valve being capable of being brought into four control positions by means of an actuation unit, in a first control position of the control valve, neither the first working connection (A) nor the second working connection (B) communicating with the inflow connection (P), in a second control position of the control valve, the first working connection (A) communicating with the outflow connection (T) and the second working connection (B) communicating with the inflow connection (P), in a third control position of the control valve, the first and the second working connection (A, B) communicating neither with the outflow connection (T) nor with the inflow connection (P), or the first and the second working connection (A, B) communicating solely with the inflow connection (P), in a fourth control position of the control valve, the second working connection (B) counnunicating with the outflow connection (T) and the first working connection (A) communicating with the inflow connection (P), comprising the following method steps that are carried out in the order listed, assumption and holding of a defined phase position φ+X°KW, switch-off of the ignition, setting of the second or fourth control position in order to hold the phase position φ+X°KW until the rotational-speed sensor arrangement communicates the rotational speed n= 0 , detection of the rotational speed n via a rotational-speed sensor arrangement, holding of an assumed control position for a predetermined timespan, after the expiry of the timespan, deactivation of the actuation unit.