A method of operating a drive device, in particular a motor vehicle

The invention relates to a method for operating a drive device (12) particularly of a motor vehicle (10), wherein the drive means (12) comprises an internal combustion engine (14) and at least one electric motor (16), and wherein in the warm-up of the internal combustion engine (14) these with a predeterminable torque is loaded, and wherein at least at times produces a torque of at least one electric motor (16) to relieve the internal combustion engine (14) or draining. According to the invention an actual torque (38) of the internal combustion engine (14) with a predetermined first target torque (34) of the internal combustion engine (14) is compared, wherein a difference (39) of the actual torque (38) to the first target torque (34) is formed, and wherein on the formed difference (39) forming a time integral (62), and wherein an error occurs when warm-up of the internal combustion engine (14) is detected in dependence from the formed time integral (62).