Centurion D3 and D5 manual, in plain English

The D3 and D5 are Centurion's earlier domestic sliding gate motors, the generation before the D5-Evo. The label on the motor names the model. If yours says D5-Evo, our D5-Evo manual is the one you want; if it says D5 SMART, see the SMART manual.

Centurion's guide describes what the classic pair share: a chassis and gearbox moulded from a tough engineering polymer that doesn't corrode, a self-locking gearset that resists the gate being forced open, and limit sensing built inside the motor, where it can't be tampered with, using an encoder and an origin sensor to know exactly where the gate is. An optional theft-resistant cage adds protection. The main difference between them is size: Centurion rates the D3 for gates up to 300 kg and the D5 for up to 500 kg.

On both, a 12 V battery is the main power source, and a charger inside the motor keeps it topped up from the mains, so the gate carries on for a while in a power cut. Where there's no mains at the gate, Centurion offers an external adaptor or a solar panel to charge the battery instead. For solar, it asks for a deep-cycle battery of at least 35 Ah, so there's enough in reserve for days of poor weather.

For busy gates, the D5 was also available with a power pack, which runs the motor straight from the mains in place of the battery and charger. An externally mounted battery can be added for back-up.

• The remote: press it for about a second to start the gate. Press it while the gate is moving and the gate stops; press again and it reverses.
• The intercom's gate button works exactly like the remote.
• The pedestrian keyswitch, if fitted: turn the key as if starting a car and let it spring back. After a five-second delay, which gives time to take the key out, the gate opens about a metre, waits five seconds, and closes. If courtesy lights are connected, they flash five times first. Keep the key turned to hold the gate open.

• Anti-crushing: a closing gate that hits something stops and reverses; an opening gate stops. If it's obstructed four times running (the default), it stops responding for two minutes, as a warning that something needs moving.
• Automatic alignment: after the gate has been moved by hand and the motor re-engaged, the next command drives it fully open or closed so it knows where it is. Until that cycle finishes, it can be stopped but not reversed.
• Autoclose: off by default; once set, it closes the gate after a delay of up to four minutes. Holding the remote or intercom button for about three seconds as the gate opens overrides it, and the house status light then stays on.
• Modes: reversing mode (a press always reverses the gate), condominium mode (the gate always closes, for estates and offices) and PIRAC (closes as soon as a car has passed the beam), each described in the guide.
• Holiday lockout: a keyswitch, keypad or latching receiver can shut the system down while the property is empty.
• Courtesy lights: they come on as the gate opens, for up to forty minutes in ten-second steps; holding the light button for three seconds keeps them on. Pre-flashing, off by default, flashes the light before the gate moves.
• Protection beams: a beam or a loop across the entrance stops a closing gate and reopens it.

The controller has a red status light, and many installations repeat it on a small light by the intercom indoors. Centurion's table:

Two flashes every two seconds mean the mains has gone and the motor is on its battery, the warning to act before the battery runs flat. Three flashes mean the battery has run low and the protection circuit has shut the gate system down so the battery isn't damaged. Restore the power, give the battery time to recharge, and if the warning won't clear, the battery or charger needs testing: see battery not charging.

The D3 and D5 have a manual release for when the motor can't run. Open the manual override cover and turn the thumbwheel clockwise until the gate is free to move, then slide the gate by hand. When the motor is engaged again, its first command runs the automatic alignment cycle described above. Our guide to opening a gate manually covers keeping the property secure in between.

Centurion designs these motors to be maintenance-free, but asks for some basic checks every six months, with the mains switched off first:

• The track clear of stones, dirt and anything in the way, and the rollers turning freely.
• The gate by hand, in manual mode, running freely without catching on walls or pillars.
• Wheels and guide rollers turning and not worn; on busy gates they need replacing regularly.
• The rack fixed firmly to the gate, and never pressing down on the motor's pinion.
• Plants kept clear of the motor and rack.
• The key still working the override cover, with a little oil if it's stiff.
• The housing clear of insects and dust.
• The battery: a maintenance-free one should give at least three years; keep its terminals free of corrosion, cleaned and lightly greased with copper-based grease.
• The gearbox oil level, checked as the installation manual describes, which is a job we do on a service.

The motor's power supply sits apart from the controller, the CP80, and has a red light that shows it has mains. If the motor won't run at all, its fuses are a job for a technician.

The D5-Evo is the D5's successor: the same 500 kg class of domestic slider, with a controller set up from an on-board LCD menu and its own manual. If your classic D5 is failing and parts are hard to find, a D5-Evo SMART is the natural replacement. Our kit is the Centurion D5-Evo SMART sliding gate kit at R7 999, installed with battery, rack and remotes, and with our 1-year guarantee on every motor kit we supply and install. In shops, the motor alone is D5-Evo SMART+ about R6 000. Prices checked October 2026. Your exact price is set in a free quote before any work starts. No call-out fee when we do the work. If no work is done, a R650 call-out fee applies.

Centurion's own D3, D5 and A10 user guide is on its website. We repair classic D3 and D5 motors: batteries, chargers, controllers, gearboxes, racks and pinions. All our spare parts are genuine, and every repair comes with our six-month guarantee on our repairs.