The present invention relates to a method for controlling a fuel
injector (1) of an
internal combustion engine with a magnetic
actuator (10) for actuating an outwardly opening valve element (4, 6), wherein the magnetic
actuator (10) has a magnetic coil (3) and a magnetic armature (2) which is operatively connected to the valve element (4, 6), and the magnetic coil (3) is configured to be supplied with a current in order to open the valve element (4, 6), the method comprising determining a
target control end and a
target control duration of the magnetic
actuator (10) based on a
target control start of the magnetic actuator (10) and a target fuel quantity; determining a
cylinder pressure expected to act on the valve element (4, 6) at the target control end of the magnetic actuator (10);Determining the expected
stroke profile of the valve element (4, 6) during a
holding current phase of the solenoid coil (3) as a function of the determined
cylinder pressure expected to act on the valve element (4, 6) at the target actuation end. If the expected
stroke profile exhibits a maximum
stroke of the valve element (4, 6) during the entire
holding current phase of the solenoid coil (3), the
solenoid actuator (10) is actuated with the determined target actuation duration and the determined target actuation
start time. If one or more values of the expected stroke profile during the
holding current phase of the solenoid coil (3) are less than the maximum stroke of the valve element (4, 6), the determined target actuation duration and / or the determined target actuation
start time are adjusted, and the
solenoid actuator (10) is actuated with the adjusted target actuation duration or the adjusted target actuation
start time.