Method and arrangement for diagnosing a tank-venting system

摘要

The invention is directed to a method for checking the tightness of a tank-venting system used with an internal combustion engine having an intake pipe. The tank-venting system includes a fuel tank wherein fuel vapor forms, a storage device connected to the fuel tank, the storage device having a vent opening and a device for closing the vent opening, and a tank-venting valve interconnecting the intake pipe and the storage device whereby the fuel vapor is conducted from the tank to the intake pipe via the storage device and the tank-venting valve. The method includes the steps of: (a) during operation of the engine and while the venting opening is closed, carrying out one of the following: (a1) opening the tank-venting valve and drawing a predetermined quantity of gaseous substance through the tank-venting valve, or (a2) opening the tank-venting valve and drawing a gaseous substance through the tank-venting valve so long until a predetermined underpressure is reached in the tank-venting system, so that a pressure fluctuation is produced in the tank-venting system with the pressure fluctuation being characterized by a plurality of characteristic variables; (b) evaluating at least one of the characteristic variables to judge the tightness of the tank-venting system.