Patent ID: 8826729

Claim:
A method for detecting a replacement of a sheathed-element glow plug in an internal combustion engine, comprising: determining in a selected driving cycle a value of a selected electrical parameter for each one of sheathed-element glow plugs installed in the internal combustion engine, the same electrical parameter being determined for all sheathed-element glow plugs, wherein the values of the selected electrical parameter of the sheathed-element glow plugs determined in the selected driving cycle define a first specific pattern when the determined values are viewed in relation to one another; comparing the first specific pattern with a second specific pattern of stored values of the selected electrical parameter of the sheathed-element glow plugs determined in a driving cycle preceding the selected driving cycle; and determining an occurrence of a replacement of a sheathed-element glow plug if the first and second specific patterns deviate from one another.