Water valve controller disasembly

While I can confirm that one time I installed an aftermarket one 5 years ago that recently failed, but for the most part the lowest priced non-OEM ones I installed are not much different in terms of reliability.

 

Now hold on a sec do the fake valve look different? I just undo screws remove gear leave out set the door to mid way . I don't think I had to glue it. I just move it and it stayed. Now gear is not they're to move door in valve it thinks it moved the door it's plugged in and the call for door move is made I'm sure . But no move happens . I have pics I think

 

I don't get the need to cut the valve I justtook out gear moved shaft to midway point and left it . What's the point of cutting everything open what we wanna see ?

 

I've no idea mine moves smooth as butter when I sit there and turn the gear by hand you know the one connected to motor . I thot twas electrical . My idea 1/3 the valve diverter. Leave gear out reinstall . See if it comes . I know it will work . Not sure about setting codes this way . Leaving it set as such shouldn't affect anything really

 

Oh well like I say Ive not installed my concern is flow is constant and no blown engine etc . The code I would know is just the business can't find its position I don't care . It should not stop the car from running this code never does

 

If you're somewhere with smog you can't have any lights on that I know so one would have to fix the coolant valve issue . To get light off that's how they gotcha . I live with none that .

 

Can you post pictures? As well as a link to the video?

 

Thanks... It's always been said on here that these pumps have a sensor that wears out and fails and that's what creates that floppy disk hard drive sound of a bad pump. But that video makes me think that dirt and debris is more likely the problem. I wonder if @ChapmanF or someone else on here has any thoughts on why we've always been told that its a sensor rather than dirt and debris causing this valve to fail?

 

Many reported failures have been of the type where the valve constantly hunts back and forth, making a washing-machine or floppy-disk-drive kind of sound. That's a sensor issue, the same as when an HVAC servo is hunting back and forth (or, for those who remember gen 1, the power steering ). And of course, when it fails that way, the valve isn't stuck; it's able to hunt back and forth.

On the other hand, I don't think anyone ever said there was only one possible way a part can fail.

 

I'd like to find out whether the drive motor inside the water control valve rotates in both directions or always in the same direction. I do know this motor is a very small DC motor with brushes. It has multiple stages of gear reduction. Therefore the motor itself turns much faster than the rotational speed of the water valve itself.

There is another DC motor with brushes which is also part of the coolant heat recovery system. This pump is located a couple of inches away from the valve. It is powered by a DC motor with brushes.

It's important to be aware that this pump for the coolant heat recovery system is not the "inverter coolant pump."

Both pumps are located near the driver's side fender. And both make a soft whining sound while running. An important difference between these two pumps is that the inverter coolant pump runs all the time when the car is in IGN or RDY mode. In contrast the coolant heat storage pump runs only for a short period after the car is started (by putting it into RDY). It also runs shortly after the car is turned OFF. Running time for either mode (starting the car or turning off the car) is less than 30 seconds.

My 2005 Prius still has its original coolant heat recovery valve and pump. I suspect my water control valve might have an issue, although no fault codes have been posted for the coolant system. I suspect a fault because the pump motor only runs occasionally. In cool weather this pump always operated when turning off the car after driving it. But in my car it certainly does not operate as frequently as it did in the past. I've determined there's nothing at all wrong with the pump itself. My theory is the control ECU won't run the pump until after it receives the correct signal from the switch inside the water valve. So if the switch is flaky or the water valve is stuck, then the pump doesn't run. I'm thinking of changing out the water valve to see if that makes any difference. Also then I can disassemble the old pump in order to identify what failed. I always like to find out why things fail.

 

I use that heat recovery pump from another car as a inverter pump in one car 5 yrs now that car still has chs tank and system running correctly . Just put voltage to coolant 3 way valve cover off and watch maybe .