Exhaust valve failure diagnostics and management

A method of operating an engine having a plurality of working chambers, each working chamber having an associated intake valve and an associated exhaust valve, the method comprising:

• detecting an exhaust valve actuation fault for a first exhaust valve of the exhaust valves during a first working cycle, the first exhaust valve being associated with a first one of the working chambers;
• in response to the detection of the exhaust valve actuation fault, cutting off fueling to at least the first working chamber;
• attempting to actuate the first exhaust valve in a set of one or more second working cycles that follows the first working cycle in the first working chamber, wherein the one or more second working cycles are not fueled;
• for each of the one or more second working cycles, determining whether the first exhaust valve actuated properly during the set of one or more second working cycles;
• resuming operation of the first working chamber when it is determined that the first exhaust valve actuated properly during the set of one or more second working cycles;
• and
• not resuming operation of the first working chamber when it is determined that the first exhaust valve did not actuate properly during the set of one or more second working cycles.