Method and device for monitoring the operation and malfunction of hydraulic dampers in vehicles, in particular of vibration dampers in rail vehicles

The method for the functional and failure monitoring of hydraulic dampers in vehicles, especially oscillation dampers in rail vehicle, entails determining a parameter dependent upon damper temperature of at least one component and/or section (14,16) of the hydraulic pressure medium of the damper (2) and of the outside temperature, and in the event of deviation of this parameter from a predetermined nominal value or nominal value range generating a visual or audible failure signal. An independent claim is included for a device for the functional monitoring of especially oscillation dampers in rail vehicles, with an outside temperature sensor (4), a damper temperature sensor (6), and an electronic computing unit (8) to determine a parameter dependent upon outside temperature and damper temperature.