METHOD OF CONTROLLING AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

A method for controlling an internal combustion engine includes acquiring, at a first operating point of the engine, a value of a first characteristic parameter of the first operating point, and deducing from the value a first liquid coolant temperature setpoint in the engine and a first richness setpoint of a mixture of air and fuel to be admitted into the engine. The method also includes acquiring, on passing a second operating point different from the first, the value of the parameter and deducing from the value, second setpoints for temperature and richness. When the second temperature setpoint is strictly lower than the first temperature setpoint, the method includes determining an additional richness to be added to the second richness setpoint, acquiring a burned gas temperature, and progressively reducing the additional richness as a function of the burned gas temperature acquired.