Method for regulating knocking

In a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having 2n cylinders, at least one of the cylinders, upon activation of a guide-cylinder function, being able to function as a guide cylinder for a cylinder declared to be guided;

• having a cylinder counter;
• at least one knock sensor;
• and having an analyzing device for analyzing a knock-sensor signal of the at least one of the cylinders, a method for controlling a knocking in a knock-control emergency operation occurring when the guide-cylinder function is activated and when a phase detection fails that corresponds to when the analyzing device is unable to determine whether the knock-sensor signal is to be assigned one of to the cylinder corresponding to a cylinder counter reading and to the cylinder operating at a 360° offset, the method comprising:
• forming cylinder pairs from the cylinders running in each instance at an offset of 360 degrees;
• assigning each twin pair having at least one cylinder to be guided at least one of the available guide cylinders, so that an ignition timing retard of the cylinder pair to be guided is based on the ignition timing retard of the associated guide cylinder;
• and
• triggering a safety retard timing only when a number of available guide cylinders is insufficient, the safety retard timing occurring when an ignition angle is set which has been predefined for all the cylinders.