Abstract
Almost all low mass black hole X-ray binaries are transient sources. Most of these sources show a certain pattern during outburst: the evolution from low hard state through intermediate state(s) into high soft state and the returning to the hard state at lower luminosity. However, there are outbursts that remain in the hard state (so called "failed" outbursts). Using the technique of covariance spectra we can investigate the variability of individual spectral components on different time scales. Comprehensive studies of covariance spectra for a sample of black hole X-ray binaries observed in the rising low hard state of "normal" outbursts revealed an increase of the covariance ratios towards lower energies that has been interpreted as the sign of additional disc variability on long time scales. There are now two sources (h1743 and gs) that do not show an increase towards lower energies in their covariance ratio. Both sources have been observed during "failed" outbursts and showed photon indices much harder than what is usually observed in black hole X-ray binaries.