A method and an apparatus for monitoring a temperature of a coil wire of a solenoid valve are provides. An actuation signal has actuation intervals which follow one another is used in this case, wherein a start pulse, which causes an increase in current in the coil wire of the magnet coil and has a prespecified pulse duration, and a pulse sequence, which follows the start pulse and has a duty cycle, are provided in each actuation interval. The current intensity of the current flowing through the coil wire of the solenoid valve is measured at two different times during the increase in current, and the current gradient is subsequently calculated from the measured current intensities. A prespecified threshold value for the current gradient is then compared with the calculated current gradient.