Method for Operating a Nitrogen Oxide Sensor

A method for operating a nitrogen oxide sensor (14) for recording nitrogen oxide contained in exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, in which an electronic computer (16) is configured to receive a signal provided by the nitrogen oxide sensor (14), wherein the nitrogen oxide recorded by the nitrogen oxide sensor (14) characterises the signal, comprising:

• when, for a number greater than 1 of operating cycles each comprising exactly two directly consecutive periods of time, wherein during a respective first of the periods of time of the respective operating cycle the internal combustion engine is in fired operation and during the respective second period of time of the respective operating cycle a fired operation of the internal combustion engine ceases, it is determined that an arithmetic mean of the first periods of time is less than a first threshold value and an arithmetic mean of the second periods of time is less than a second threshold value, a special overrun operating state of the electronic computer (16) is set, wherein after and despite deactivation of the internal combustion engine, the electronic computer (16) is kept activated in the special overrun operating state for a longer overrun period in relation to a normal operating state, which is different from the special overrun operating state, of the electronic computer (16), whereby the nitrogen oxide sensor (14) is kept in a state of operating readiness during the overrun period, in which state of operating readiness the nitrogen oxide sensor (14) is capable of recording nitrogen oxide and providing the signal.