A control unit for controlling a drivetrain of a motor vehicle, the drivetrain is located in the installed state in a motor vehicle that can be partially or fully electrically driven using said drivetrain and has an electrical part having electrical components and a mechanical part having mechanical components, wherein the electrical part and the mechanical part are coupled via an electrical machine,
- wherein the control unit comprises a processor device which is adapted to:
- in at least one measuring run, a predetermined mechanical boundary condition for the electrical machine is set and maintained by actuating at least one of the mechanical components of the mechanical part and/or using at least one vehicle-external mechanical component, and wherein a control device of the motor vehicle generates an electrical excitation signal in the electrical part by actuating at least one of the electrical components of the electrical part and detects a response signal using a measuring device of the motor vehicle, which response signal occurs in the drivetrain as a result of the excitation signal, and wherein the control device determines the at least one characteristic value from the at least one response signal using a predetermined calculation rule.