Patent ID: 7954363

Claim:
A method for detecting a fault in an internal combustion engine having within a housing a crankshaft connected to a piston; the fault generating a predetermined pressure increase in the housing within a fault characteristic period of time; the method comprising the following steps: providing a differential pressure sensor operatively connected through a throttle with the outside of the housing, the differential pressure sensor is also connected with the inside of the housing; determining a pressure difference between the pressure in the housing and the pressure of an area outside the housing; comparing said pressure difference with a fault indicating pressure difference limit and indicating the presence of a fault, if the pressure difference is greater than the fault indicating pressure difference limit, wherein the pressure difference is determined by comparing the pressure existing in the housing with the pressure, after pressure changes are attenuated by the throttle, of the area outside the housing, said pressure changes of the area outside the housing are attenuated so that pressure changes having a duration equal to or less than the fault characteristic period of time are suppressed.