Method for monitoring the operation of a piston-type internal-combustion engine with fully variable cylinder valves

A method for monitoring the operation of a piston-type internal combustion engine with electromagnetic actuators for cylinder valves that are variably actuated by an engine control unit that supplies current based on respective predetermined current flows for the actuators, with said cylinder valves each being associated with a respective for sensor transmitting relevant signals to the engine control unit corresponding to the movement of the respective actuator, said method comprising:

• detecting, in the engine control unit, the respective voltage course and the current flow for each actuator;
• if a sensor signal of a respective actuator is missing, which tends to indicate a non-operating actuator, determining whether a sensor failure or an actuator malfunction is present from the voltage course at the respective actuator;
• if a malfunctioning sensor of an actuator is detected, switching, in the engine control unit, the detection of a sensor operation signal for the respective actuator to that of the sensor at a different, corresponding actuator and initiating a start-up operation for the respective actuator initially detected as non operative;
• and, if a failure of the respective actuator being started up is still detected, shutting down the associated cylinder.