A method for operating a drive train in a motor vehicle with a dual mass flywheel driven by an internal combustion engine via a crankshaft and at least a transmission input shaft of a transmission that can be coupled with an output part of the dual mass flywheel. Between the input part and output part a hysteresis-laden damping device is effective, which influences engine torque output from the internal combustion engine and load torque transmitted to at least a transmission input shaft through the hysteresis characteristic. To eliminate the disturbances caused by the dual mass flywheel a state model constantly determines rotation speeds of the input part and of the output part and depending on a differential angle determined from the rotation speeds and from the characteristic numbers of the damping device, a characteristic disturbance torque for influencing at least the load torque is determined in real time.