In short:
- A moving gate can crush, drag and trap. Never cross its path, and keep children and pets away while you check anything.
- Start with what you can see: is there power at the gate, does the motor's display or status light show a battery or mains fault, does the remote's own light come on?
- Use the manual release only as your gate motor's manual describes, with the release key supplied, and re-engage it the same way.
- Never open the controller cover, touch the wiring, or disable safety beams or collision sensing.
- Gate locks, gate motors and their mechanisms are part of our service: R250 call-out, quote on site first.
Motor fault, lock fault, or both?
A driveway gate has two separate jobs: moving, which is the motor's work, and staying shut, which is the job of the gate's locks, latches and the motor's own gearbox. A pedestrian gate next to it usually has a lock of its own. Working out which part has stopped helps you describe the problem and keeps you from poking at the wrong thing.
| Symptom | Where the fault usually is |
|---|---|
| Nothing at all: no sound, no lights | Power to the gate, or a flat backup battery |
| Motor hums or clicks, gate doesn't move | Manual release left disengaged, an obstruction, or a mechanical fault |
| Gate starts, then stops and reverses | Something in the track, a safety beam blocked, or the motor sensing resistance |
| Works from the keypad or intercom, not the remote | The remote's battery, or the remote has lost its pairing |
| Gate closes but can be pushed open by hand | Gearbox not engaged, or a lock or latch not catching |
| Pedestrian gate key won't turn | The gate lock: dust, corrosion, wear or a gate out of line |
Common gate motor makes in South Africa
Most domestic and light-commercial sliding and swing gates you'll see here run on a handful of locally made or locally supported brands. Knowing yours matters, because the manual, the release key and the fault indications differ between makes and models.
- Centurion Systems (CENTSYS), maker of the D-series sliding gate motors such as the D5-Evo and D10. The name is the manufacturer's brand. Mobile Locksmith Centurion is an independent locksmith business with no connection to Centurion Systems (Pty) Ltd.
- Gemini, whose sliding gate motors are sold with a 12-volt backup battery and described by South African retailers as manufactured in South Africa.
- ET Nice: ET Systems is a South African gate automation company in which the international automation group Nice invested in 2015.
- DACE, whose sliding gate operators are manufactured in South Africa.
The brand and model are usually on a label on the motor cover or in the paperwork your installer left. Photograph it before you call anyone.
Safety first: the crush zone
Treat an automated gate as heavy machinery. CENTSYS's D5-Evo manual says no one may cross the path of a moving gate, that you shouldn't operate the gate unless you can see it and its path is clear of people, pets and obstructions, and that children must never operate or play with the gate controls. It also says to cut the electrical power and disconnect the batteries before any work on the system.
The same manual tells installers to fit safety devices against crushing, dragging and shearing, to put warning signs on both sides of the gate, and to check the obstruction detection and safety devices regularly; it lists a monthly check in the handover section. If the gate no longer stops or reverses when it should, stop using the automation and get it seen to.
Safe checks, in order
- Look before anything moves. Make sure nobody, no pet and no car is in the gate's path.
- Check for power at the property. Is the house on? Has a breaker tripped on the distribution board? Don't open any cover at the gate itself.
- Read the motor's indicators. Many controllers show faults with a status light or display. On the D5-Evo, for example, the manual lists two flashes every two seconds for no mains present and three flashes every two seconds for a low battery. Your model's manual has its own list.
- Try a second remote, the keypad or the intercom. If those work, the first remote is the likely culprit. Check its light comes on when pressed.
- Look along the track, from a safe spot, for stones, branches or toys. Clear them only with the gate stationary and the power off.
- Check the beams for anything blocking them, such as a parked bicycle, a plant or a cobweb across the lens.
- If you need to get out or in, use the manual release as described below.
Using the manual release properly
Every gate motor has a way to disengage the drive so the gate can be moved by hand, usually behind a lockable cover and opened with a release key supplied with the motor. CENTSYS says the installer must explain and demonstrate the manual release to the user at handover. On the D5-Evo, the manual describes unlocking the access door with the key and turning a thumbwheel until the gearbox releases, and warns not to remove the thumbwheel because water can get into the gearbox.
- Find your model's manual. Most makers publish them online. Follow the steps exactly.
- Keep the release key somewhere you can reach it during a power cut, but not on the gate.
- Move the gate by hand slowly and keep fingers clear of the rack, wheels and post.
- Re-engage the drive the way the manual says, then lock the access door again.
- If the release won't turn, the key doesn't fit, or the gate won't move freely when released, stop and call for help. Forcing it can damage the gearbox.
A gate left released is a gate anyone can slide open. If you can't re-engage it, secure it another way and tell us when you call.
What makes gate faults worse
- Disabling or bridging safety beams so the gate will close. That removes the protection against it closing on a person, a pet or a car.
- Opening the controller cover or touching wiring. Gate motors are connected to mains power. Leave the electrics alone.
- Pushing a gate that hasn't been released. It strains the gearbox and the rack.
- Greasing or spraying everything. Lubricants on the track and rack collect grit. Follow the maker's maintenance instructions for your model.
- Swapping in a non-matching battery or charger. The D5-Evo manual warns against charging with power supplies other than those supplied with the product or made by the manufacturer.
- Letting children use the remote. The D5-Evo manual is explicit about this.
When to call us, and what to send
Gate locks, gate motors and their mechanisms are among our everyday services, alongside roller shutter doors and their springs and motors. Call us when the checks above don't solve it, when the gate won't stop or reverse properly, when the manual release won't work, or when a gate lock or pedestrian gate lock is stiff, jammed or damaged. Our lock repair service covers gate locks; for business premises, see commercial locksmith services.
We're open 24/7 and come to you. The R250 call-out fee. The technician assesses the job on site and gives you the price before any work starts. Nothing is done until you agree. Payment is by EFT, cash or card.
- A photo of the motor's label showing brand and model, and of the status light or display.
- A short video of what the gate does when you press the remote, filmed from a safe spot.
- Whether it's a sliding or swing gate, and whether there's a separate pedestrian gate.
- Whether the gate is open, closed, or released and unsecured right now.
- Access details: estate guardhouse, business-park security, or a pedestrian gate code.
For door hardware rather than gates, see loose or broken door handle: what's behind it. A key stuck in a gate lock is covered in key stuck in the lock and won't come out. Everything else is on our mobile locksmith in Centurion homepage.
Questions
Are you connected to Centurion Systems, the gate motor maker?
No. Centurion Systems is a gate motor manufacturer and brand. Mobile Locksmith Centurion is an independent mobile locksmith business. Gate motors and gate locks are part of our service, but we have no affiliation with any gate motor manufacturer.
The power's off. How do I get the car out?
Many gate motors run from a backup battery that keeps the gate working for a limited number of operations when the mains is off; the D5-Evo manual lists the standby operations for its battery. If the battery is flat too, use the manual release exactly as your model's manual describes, move the gate slowly by hand, and re-engage and lock the release once the car is through.
Can I leave the gate on manual until it's fixed?
Only if you can secure it. A released gate can be slid open by anyone. Lock the access door, use a chain or padlock if the gate is designed for one, and get the fault sorted out promptly.
Need a locksmith to look at it?
If this hasn't solved the problem, our lock repairs service covers it. We're a mobile locksmith in Centurion, so we come to your door.
Sources and further reading
- Centurion Systems: D5-Evo installation manual (official PDF) — Safety warnings (no one may cross the path of a moving gate; children must not operate the controls; cut power and disconnect batteries before work; safety devices against crushing, dragging and shearing; warning signs; monthly checks of obstruction detection); manual release by key and thumbwheel; status LED codes for no mains and low battery; use only supplied or approved chargers.
- Centurion Systems: documentation library — Manufacturer's library of manuals and guides for its gate motors.
- Nice South Africa: about Nice and ET Systems — Nice invested in the South African company ET Systems in 2015.
- Leroy Merlin South Africa: Gemini Sliding Gate Motor 7Ah — Gemini sliding gate motor described as manufactured in South Africa, with a 12-volt, 7Ah backup battery.
- BMGI: DACE Ultima slide gate opener — DACE gate operators described as manufactured in South Africa; safety beams and collision sensing.