What are the causes of electrical failure in the oil pressure regulating valve?
3 Answers
Oil pressure regulating valve electrical failure causes: 1. Power system failure: (1) Loose connections, short circuits, disconnections, or reversed polarity at power line terminals. Due to on-site vibration, insecure wiring causing loose connections or excessive dust leading to poor contact, signals from the control room to the field may intermittently fail, resulting in erratic valve operation and control oscillations. Incorrect wiring, water ingress, or moisture exposure can cause short circuits at power line connections, making the valve receive weaker signals than the controller, preventing full opening or closing. (2) Faults at intermediate power line connections or damaged sections. Environmental vibration, external pulling, degraded insulation tape, water ingress, or high-temperature exposure can loosen or partially break connections, causing short circuits between wires or to ground, or complete wire breakage. This leads to discontinuous valve operation, inability to fully open/close, or complete failure. (3) Valve not responding to controller. After major overhauls or modifications, incorrect wiring or control room configuration errors may render the valve unresponsive to the controller. 2. Electrical converter failure: (1) Zero/span inaccuracy. Improper installation, vibration, or temperature changes may cause zero/span deviations in converter output signals, preventing full valve operation, causing leaks or flow limitations. Field calibration must first ensure accurate signal meter readings. (2) Orifice blockage. Contaminants in instrument air can clog small orifices, immobilizing the valve. (3) Non-linear output. Aging converter coils/components or environmental factors like vibration/temperature may cause non-linear output, making zero/span adjustments unachievable, resulting in non-linear valve movement and incomplete operation.
I've been running a repair shop for ten years and often encounter electrical faults in oil pressure regulating valves, with wiring issues being the most common. Rodents chewing on wire harnesses or prolonged high temperatures in the engine bay causing wiring to age and crack can easily lead to short circuits or open circuits. There are also cases where the solenoid valve's coil itself burns out, especially when the engine gets flooded, as moisture accelerates corrosion of the valve body. Additionally, for modified vehicles, be cautious—aftermarket electrical equipment with excessive power can destabilize the power supply module, indirectly affecting the pressure valve's operation. Last time, a car owner had improperly flashed the ECU program, causing incorrect pulse signals to the regulating valve, which is a more hidden cause. I recommend car owners regularly check the condition of the engine wiring harness and address any issues promptly.
My off-road vehicle had this issue last year, and it turned out to be a problem with the regulator valve connector. The connectors on these electronically controlled regulator valves are particularly delicate – if dust or grime gets in or if they're plugged/unplugged too often, the metal contacts oxidize and develop poor connections. Another issue is insecure wiring; excessive engine vibration can loosen the connectors. After measuring the supply voltage with a multimeter, I realized unstable alternator output could also interfere with its operation, especially when the battery ages and voltage fluctuations increase. Actually, sensor malfunctions are also worth noting – false signals can make the pressure valve act erratically, presenting symptoms identical to electrical faults.
