Guides
Gate and garage troubleshooting guides, starting from the symptom
Start with what you can see or hear: a gate that beeps, a door that hums but won't move, a fence that keeps sounding. The fault finder narrows it down, and each guide walks through the checks that are safe to do yourself before you book.
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Find the fault
Choose the product, then the symptom. You'll get the likely causes, most common first, and the guide or manual page to read next.
Every guide, by product
Each guide starts with the checks you can do safely, explains what the signs mean, and says clearly where it becomes a job for a technician.
Gate motors
- Gate motor not working
Gate motor not working or not opening? The likely causes in order, the safe checks you can do yourself, what the status light means, and when to call us.
- Sliding gate off track
Sliding gate off track? What to do first, why gates jump the rail, how wheels, guide rollers and stoppers keep them on, and what a proper repair involves.
- Choosing a gate motor
Which is the best gate motor in South Africa? The one that fits your gate: weight, daily use, power and service compared on Centurion, ET and Gemini's figures.
- How long a battery lasts
How long does a gate motor battery last? In years, in openings during a power cut and to recharge, with the makers' figures and what makes the difference.
- Programming a gate remote
How to program a gate remote on Centurion, ET, Gemini and other motors: the three ways remotes are learnt, using another remote, and erasing a lost one.
- Replacing a battery
How to replace a gate motor battery safely: the right battery, the makers' order of work, which way it goes in, how it's tested, and the old battery's disposal.
- Gate remote not working
Gate remote not working? Tell a flat battery from a lost code, a full receiver, the wrong frequency or a lockout, with the safe checks and when to call us.
- Gate not closing
Gate not closing, or not closing all the way? The beams, collision sensing, stay-open settings, limits, wind and loops, the safe checks, and when to call us.
- Gate opens by itself
Gate motor keeps opening or closing by itself? The causes, from auto-close and timers to stuck triggers, damp wiring and stray remotes, and what to check.
- Gate motor beeping
Why is my gate motor beeping? What two, three, four and five beeps mean on Centurion, ET and Gemini motors, what you can safely check, and when to call us.
- Battery not charging
Gate motor battery not charging? Find out whether it's the battery or the charger: the supply, plug-in transformers, ET's charger readings, solar panels.
- After rain or lightning
Gate motor not working after rain or a lightning storm? What water and lightning do to a gate motor, the safe checks to try, and when it needs a technician.
- Gate motor after load shedding
Gate motor not working after load shedding? Why batteries run out between outages, what to check when the power returns, surge damage, and when to call us.
- Opening a gate by hand
How to open a gate manually without power: the manual release on Centurion, ET and Gemini motors, swing gates and booms, then re-engaging it and staying secure.
- Repair or replace
Repair or replace your gate motor? What failed, what the repair costs against a new motor, whether the motor suits the gate, and how long gate motors last.
- Resetting a gate motor
How to reset a gate motor: a power restart, clearing a lockout, a factory reset on Centurion, ET and Gemini, erasing remotes, and when a reset won't help.
Garage doors
- Garage motor beeping
Garage door motor beeping? What the beeps mean on Centurion, ET, Digidoor and Gemini motors: power cuts, the battery, lockout, beams and faults, and what to do.
- Garage remote not working
Garage door remote not working? Find the cause from the wall button, then check lockout, the battery, a power cut, memory and range, and learn it in again.
- Garage door not opening
Garage door motor working but not opening? Why it runs and the door stays put, clicks without moving, or stops halfway, with safe checks and when to call us.
- Garage door won't close
Garage door won't close, or closes and opens again? The safety beams, obstructions, a flashing light, limits and balance, with safe checks and when to call us.
- Garage door spring broken
Garage door spring broken? How to tell, what to do right now, why you shouldn't open the door, why springs break, and what replacing one involves and costs.
- Cable off drum
Garage door cable came off the drum, snapped or went slack? What cables and drums do, why one comes off, what to do right now, and what a repair involves.
- Servicing a garage door motor
How to service a garage door motor and the door it drives: what the makers say to grease, what never to grease, the monthly checks, and what to leave to us.
- Opening a garage door by hand
How to open a garage door manually: the release on Centurion and ET motors, when not to (a broken spring), re-engaging it, and locking a door that failed open.
Electric fences
- Electric fence not working
Electric fence not working? A dead energiser, a fence switched off, a weak fence, rain and power cuts: what the display tells you, safe checks and when to call.
- Fence alarm keeps going off
What can trigger an electric fence alarm, and why does it keep going off? Plants, slack wires, gates, the earth loop, power cuts, and how to read and reset it.
Intercoms
- Intercom not working
Gate intercom not working? Wireless, wired and GSM intercoms: no sound, poor range, no ring, won't open the gate, and after a power cut. Safe checks first.
- Handset no sound
Intercom handset no sound, or buzzing, crackling and howling? What each sound points to, the checks from the makers' manuals, and replacing a handset.
CCTV
- CCTV no signal
CCTV no signal? Why a camera isn't showing on the DVR or NVR: one camera, several or all of them, only on your phone, or only at night, and what to check.
Five checks worth doing first
Whatever the product, these five come before any guide, because they're quick, safe and often the whole answer:
- Power. Is the house on, and is the isolator next to the motor or energiser switched on? After load shedding, give the system a few minutes to come back. See gate motors after load shedding.
- The motor's battery. A gate or garage motor that dies after a long outage, or only works when the power is on, usually has a tired battery. See a battery that won't charge.
- A second remote. If the spare works, the first remote's battery or code is the problem, not the motor. See a gate remote that isn't working.
- The beams. A spider web, a leaf or a bumped beam stops a gate closing while everything else seems fine.
- The gate or door itself. Something in the track, a stone under a wheel, or a door binding in its guides makes the motor stop as if it had hit something.
Guides by situation
- You can't get in or out. Open the gate by hand: how to open a gate manually, or the garage: how to open a garage door manually. If someone is locked in or the property is open at night, go to emergency repairs.
- The motor is making a noise. A beeping gate motor is usually telling you about its battery, the power or the beams.
- Nothing happens at all. Gate motor not working and garage door not opening take you through it in order.
- It opens but won't close. For a garage, see garage door won't close; for a gate, the beams are the first suspect.
- The fence alarm won't stop, or the fence is dead. See electric fence alarm keeps going off and electric fence not working.
- The intercom or cameras have gone quiet. See intercom not working and CCTV camera not showing on the DVR.
- You're deciding what to do next. Repair or replace a gate motor and the best gate motor for South African homes help with the bigger decisions.
What to note before you call
A few details turn a vague fault into a quick diagnosis:
- What it does, exactly: stops halfway, reverses, hums, clicks, or does nothing.
- The lights and beeps: how many flashes or beeps, and how often. Many motors and energisers signal their fault this way, and our manual library explains the patterns for the common models.
- When it started: after rain, a storm, a power cut, building work or a garden service.
- The make and model from the label, and a photo of it.
- A short video, with the sound on. A technician can often tell a battery fault from a gearbox fault by ear.
How far a guide will take you
Our guides stop at the checks that can't hurt you or the equipment: the power at the isolator, the battery, the remote's battery, something in the gate's way, the beams lined up, a fuse you can see, and the manual release done the way the manufacturer describes.
They never ask you to open an energiser, work on mains wiring or touch a garage door spring. Those are dangerous, and they're our job. If a gate is stuck open or someone is locked in, go straight to emergency repairs.
When the checks don't fix it
Book a technician and tell us what you've already tried: it saves time on site. 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. For your model's own lights, codes and settings, see the manual library.
Fault finder
What is it doing?
Pick what you're seeing for the likely causes, the safe checks you can do yourself, and when to stop and book. Taken from the manufacturers' own manuals.
1 · What's not working?
2 · What's it doing?
3 · Likely causes
Gate motor · it's beeping
Most likely first
The mains power to the motor is off, so it's running on its battery. Centurion and Gemini motors give two beeps (or two flashes) in a row; an ET Drive flashes twice and gives a one-second beep every 15 seconds.
The battery is low. Centurion and Gemini motors give three beeps in a row; an ET Drive's status light flashes four times, without a beep.
Something is between the safety beams. A Centurion motor gives a single beep every so often and won't close.
The gate has hit something several times in a row, so the motor has stopped to protect itself. A Centurion keeps beeping until that's cleared.
A holiday lockout or a time setting is blocking the remote: the motor beeps once when you press it and the gate doesn't move.
On a Gemini, four beeps as the motor starts means the manual release lever isn't fully engaged.
Safe checks you can do
When to stop and book
If it keeps beeping with the power on and the beams clear, the battery, charger or controller needs a technician. Don't open the motor: Centurion warns that work by anyone unauthorised may void the manufacturer's warranty.
From the official manuals: Centurion D5-Evo and D10 user guide, ET Drive 500 and 600 user manual, Gemini 24V DC slider manual.
Questions
Questions about the guides
What should I check first when my gate stops working?
The power at the house and at the motor's isolator, the motor's battery after an outage, a second remote, the beams, and anything in the gate's way. Those five solve a lot before a technician is needed. See the five checks.
Is it safe to troubleshoot my own gate motor?
The checks in our guides are: power, batteries, remotes, beams, obstructions and the manual release as the manufacturer describes it. Opening the motor's electronics, mains wiring and garage door springs are not, and the guides say where to stop. Read how far a guide goes.
What if my problem isn't in the fault finder?
Describe it on the job card, or send a short video or photos on WhatsApp: a gate's sound or a status light pattern often tells a technician more than words. Book a technician.
Do you have guides for garage doors and electric fences too?
Yes: garage doors that won't open or close and fences that stop working or keep sounding, as well as intercoms and CCTV. See every guide.
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