Method for operating a lambda sensor during the heating phase

A data storage medium storing instructions which when executed on a computer perform a method for operating at least one lambda sensor during a start and heating phase, comprising:

• substantially, synchronous with the start of an internal combustion engine, charging a heating element with a predefined heating power;
• during the heating, detecting a signal of the lambda sensor and comparing the detected signal to a predetermined threshold value for at least one of a lean fuel/air mixture ratio and a rich fuel/air mixture ratio, which correlates with a temperature value of the lambda sensor which is below a water ingestion critical temperature and at the same time conforms to a valid lambda signal;
• at a first-time arrival of the lambda signal at one of the predetermined threshold values, triggering a determination of a measurement variable correlating with the temperature of the lambda sensor and forwarding the lambda signal, identified as valid, for a further utilization;
• and
• transferring the determined measurement variable correlating with the temperature of the lambda sensor to a closed heating element control loop as a reference value corresponding to a reference temperature.

A vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine, an exhaust gas system assigned to the internal combustion engine comprising at least one lambda sensor and a lambda control system for controlling the fuel/air mixture ratio of a combustion process of the internal combustion engine, wherein assigned to the lambda sensor is at least one electric heating element for heating-up the lambda sensor to an operating temperature and a heating element control for performing the heating-up of the heating element, and

• a control device which is configured:
• to charge, substantially synchronous with the start of the internal combustion engine, the heating element with a predefined heating power;
• to detect, during the heating, a signal of the lambda sensor and to compare the detected signal to a predetermined threshold value for at least one of a lean fuel/air mixture ratio and a rich fuel/air mixture ratio, which correlates with a temperature value of the lambda sensor which is below a water ingestion critical temperature and at the same time conforms to a valid lambda signal;
• to trigger, at a first-time arrival of the lambda signal at one of the predetermined threshold values, a determination of a measurement variable correlating with the temperature of the lambda sensor and to forward the lambda signal, identified as valid, for a further utilization;
• and
• to transfer the determined measurement variable correlating with the temperature of the lambda sensor to a closed heating element control loop as a reference value corresponding to a reference temperature.