Patent ID: 8000853

Claim:
A method for operating an internal combustion engine, which includes an induction tract and an exhaust gas tract, that communicate with the at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine depending on the switching position of at least one gas inlet valve or at least one gas exhaust valve, the method comprising the steps: within a first driving cycle of the internal combustion engine, controlling a combustion process in the at least one combustion chamber for the purpose of checking an emission reduction system of the internal combustion engine, in a second driving cycle after the first driving cycle, checking as to whether an error of the emission reduction system was detected during the first driving cycle, determining an ignition off time of the internal combustion engine between the first and the second driving cycle if during the first driving cycle an error of the emission reduction system was detected, in the second driving cycle of the internal combustion engine, controlling the combustion process in the at least one combustion chamber only for the purpose of checking the emission reduction system if an error of the emission reduction system was detected during the first driving cycle and if the ignition off time was greater than a predetermined repair time.