Gate remote not working: finding out why

Try every way of opening the gate you have: a second remote, the intercom, a keypad, an app. Then match what you find:

If nothing works at all, our guide to a gate motor that isn't working is the place to start.

The motor and receiver are fine, so it's that remote:

1. The battery. A failing battery usually shows as range first: the remote works from the driveway, then only from the gate, then not at all. Change it, matching the type printed inside.
2. The fit of the battery. Check it's the right way round and that the contacts aren't bent or corroded, especially in a remote that has been dropped or got wet.
3. The coding. A remote that was deleted from the receiver, perhaps when another remote was lost and the memory was cleared, will light up and do nothing. It has to be coded in again.
4. The remote itself. Worn buttons, a cracked case and water damage end most remotes eventually. Replacing one is quick, and it's coded to your receiver on the spot.

When the gate still opens from the intercom or a keypad, the motor is healthy and the fault sits between the remotes and the motor:

• A lockout. Holiday lockout disables the remotes on purpose. On Centurion's D5-Evo, a locked-out motor answers a remote with a single beep, repeated for about 30 seconds. Our beeping guide has the codes for each motor.
• The aerial. A receiver's aerial that has been knocked off, bent or chewed through cuts the range to almost nothing.
• The receiver. Receivers fail too, from age, water or a power surge. If it has failed, it's replaced and every remote is coded into the new one.

This is one of the commonest calls we get. If a fresh battery hasn't helped, it's usually one of these:

• The remote isn't in the receiver's memory. Either it never was, or it was deleted. ET's RX1 manual notes that a single remote can only be removed on its own when it's at hand; when one is lost, clearing the memory and recoding the rest is often the only way, and a remote that's missed in the recoding stops working.
• The receiver's memory is full. Receivers hold a fixed number of remotes, and once full, they simply won't take another. Centurion's Voyager receiver, for example, holds 36 remote buttons and won't overwrite existing ones when it's full; ET's receivers show a full memory with rapid flashes of the RX light.
• The wrong frequency. A remote and its receiver must work on the same frequency. ET's RX1, for example, comes in a 433.92 MHz version with an orange and white aerial and a 403.55 MHz version with a yellow one, and a remote for one won't work the other.
• A different make or range. A remote that looks the same may not be compatible. Bring us the old one, or a photo of its back, and we'll match it.

Short range is almost always the remote's battery, but if a new battery hasn't helped, check the receiver's aerial and look for anything new between you and it: a metal carport, a solar installation, a new wall. Interference from other transmitters nearby can also cut range, and it's harder to pin down. ET's Drive receivers can show signal strength, which helps tell a tired remote from interference; see the Drive 300 manual.

A remote that works in the morning and fails at night may be doing exactly what it was set to do. Many motors can block remotes at set times. On Centurion's D5-Evo, a remote used in a time-barred period gives a single beep for about five seconds and the gate doesn't move. If nobody remembers setting it, we can check and change it.

When you're adding remotes for a growing household, it helps to know the limit:

A receiver that's nearly full can be cleared of old, lost and unused remotes, so every place is one you're actually using. For a complex or estate, a bigger receiver is the answer.

Change the battery, try another remote, check for a lockout, and look at the aerial. Leave the receiver's programming to us if it means opening the motor, and call us when no remote works, when the receiver needs clearing, or when you need remotes coded in. Our gate remotes page covers new remotes and how coding works, and Centurion remote programming goes through Centurion's systems.

On the job card, say how many remotes you have, which ones fail, and whether the intercom or keypad still works; a photo of the remote's back helps us bring the right replacement. Same-day repairs are offered when the day allows, and every repair comes with our six-month guarantee on our repairs. No call-out fee when we do the work. If no work is done, a R650 call-out fee applies.