Method and device for lubricating an internal combustion engine

The method involves applying a film (7) of lubricant to the cylinder (4) wall with a lubricant nozzle (6) and detecting a characteristic parameter of the lubricant film with a sensor (8). A drive unit (9) contains a regulating arrangement (10) for driving the lubricant nozzle using the sensor signal so that a state parameter of the lubricant film is optimized. An independent claim is also included for the following: (a) an arrangement for implementing the inventive method.