Patent ID: 7562565

Claim:
A method of testing a functional capability of a secondary air system of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising: acquiring values of a pressure, which arise in the secondary air system between a secondary air pump and a secondary air flow section and which are controlled when the secondary air pump is activated and the secondary air flow section is actuated; developing a measurement for the pressure from the acquired values; comparing the measurement with a set point value; and assessing the functional capability of the secondary air system as a function of a result of the comparison; wherein in the secondary air system, the secondary air flow section are controlled by two secondary air valves, one of the two secondary air valves being actuated to close, while the other of the two secondary air valves is actuated to open, and the assessment of the functional capability for one of first and second secondary air branches of the secondary air system occurs in the one of the first and second secondary air branches, in which the secondary air valve actuated to open is disposed.