A method of operating a valve

The invention relates to a method of operating a valve (18; 38), a valve member (56) of the valve (18; 38) by means of a triggering of an electrically operable actuator (20) from a first position can be moved to a second position. According to the invention, the actuator (20) at least once driven in a first time interval, and thereafter in a second time interval (64) is not actuated, wherein a an abutment of the valve element (56) at the first position signal characterizing (62) to electrical terminals (55a, 55b) of the actuator (20) is determined. Here, a driving energy of the actuator (20) is changed stepwise, whereby a threshold value (31) is determined the activation energy, wherein the valve member (56) from the first position just in or just can not stand out.