This is not an easy question. You have to narrow down the symptoms (what is working and what is not working). Is the physical gate hard to move without the motor attached? Is the AC power on? Are the batteries fully charged? Are the batteries weak? Are the safety sensors working right? Is the keypad working right? Is the exit sensor working right?
You will need the proper tools to open the cover of the operator / controller / motor. Different brands and styles have a separate motor from the controller. Or the motor is in the same box as the controller. The whole unit (motor and controller) is generally referred to as an operator. Look at your opener. Find the Manufacturer. Find the model. We will get into specific operators after the general troubleshooting.
For now we will take pictures or movies of the openers we have. As time goes on we will find a specific model and go through troubleshooting steps. As money permits we will purchase a specific Manufacturer’s model and show troubleshooting steps.
WARNING: We thoroughly believe an experienced, mechanically inclined, electronics inclined person should go into the in depth troubleshooting. Most manufacture’s technical support also agree with that and will not deal with a homeowner unless they have the proper tools and some basic knowledge.
Tools
In general you will need a multi-meter, a #2 Phillips screwdriver, a wrench the size of the bolts that hold the cover on, and a small electronics flat blade screwdriver. Some (most models?) have a auxiliary power plug that you can plug something into. use a hair dryer, a drill, a lamp or anything that is 110v. Plug it into an outlet in the house first to make sure it works. The one thing to note here is that if the system is 240 volts the 110 volt plug will not be connected. When you get to the point that you don’t have what you need to go though this troubleshooting its time to call a professional. If you are in the Chattanooga TN, Dalton GA, Cleveland TN or, Athens TN, area call us. 423-244-3553
What is the gate doing and not doing
Gate does nothing
This is something that most people think is happening but most of the time it will do one of the below because it got to the position (open, closed or part way) where it is now. We are going through some broad troubleshooting steps that will include all operators but you will have to know how to figure out the answers to the questions. Basically we will check power, batteries, safety sensors and accessories to see if one of those is keeping the gate from operating.
Gate opens but will not close
There is either a problem with the photo eye, a sensor for the “close side” is telling the controller that something is wrong with it or something blocking it and it’s telling the gate not to close.
Gate opens part way and stops
Gate opens part way and then stops and the operator flashes diagnostic lights or gives some sort of code saying the gate has hit something. This is generally weak batteries. The way to tell weak batteries is that they start at their peak voltage (25-26.5v or 13.5v) and then drop 2 or more volts before the gates stop. Sometimes the batteries have enough power to open all the way and then die on the way closed.
Gate closes but will not open
This either a weak battery something telling it to close or a safety sensor for the opening direction. Sometimes this can be an entrapment where the gate tried to open but thought it hit something and then closed and thought it hit something and stopped.
Gate opens randomly
In general this is because an exit probe is malfunctioning. But it could be something that is connected to an open input malfunctioning. The best way to figure this out is to disconnect these peripherals one at a time then watch to see if the gates open randomly again. We prefer to start with the exit probe because it seems this is the problem the majority or the time.
Gate closes then opens back up
Too many times this turns out to be the gate limits have changed and the gate(s) are moving into the photo eye beam. The openers does what it’s supposed to do and opens the gate. Some manufactures have programmed the control board to simply stop the timer and wait until someone tells it to close or fix the problem. Some manufactures let the gate time closed and you get to watch the gates open an close repeatedly.