Gate Motor
Guide
A closed charcoal sliding gate in a Cape Town driveway at dusk, with Table Mountain in the distance

Centurion gate motors

Centurion gate motor not working? Check this first.

See what the beeps on a Centurion D5-Evo mean, try the simple checks, and know when to call a technician. Free, and nothing is sent unless you ask.

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Troubleshoot my gateBattery calculator
Gate stuck open or closed right now?
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Stay safe first

Keep people, children and pets away from a moving gate. Do not walk through while it moves.
Do not open the motor housing. It holds mains voltage.
Never bypass, tape over or disconnect the safety beams.
Do not push a gate by hand unless the motor has been released.

What do you need?

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What is your gate doing?

Pick your motor and the problem. You get the simple checks to try first, and when to call a technician.

1. Which motor do you have?

The brand name is usually printed on the motor cover and on the remote.

2. What is it doing?

Pick a motor and a problem above to see your checklist.

What the Centurion beeps mean
2 beeps, repeating
No mains power. The gate is running on its battery.
What to do: Normal in a power cut. Use the gate as little as you can.
3 beeps, repeating
The battery is low.
What to do: Use the gate as little as you can and get the battery tested.
1 beep, repeating
The safety beams are blocked, or a stop or lock setting is switched on.
What to do: Clear anything in the path of the beams.
3 short beeps
The gate limits are not set.
What to do: Call a technician.
4 beeps, repeating
The gate stalled.
What to do: Check the gate runs free, then call a technician.
5 beeps, repeating
A hardware fault, such as a fuse, the motor connection or the beams.
What to do: Call a technician.
One long tone, about 30 seconds
An alarm is sounding (break-in or ambush alarm).
What to do: Check your property.
What the Nice flashing lamp means
1 flash
An accessory, such as a photocell, does not match what the motor expects.
What to do: Call a technician.
2 flashes
A photocell (safety beam) was activated.
What to do: Clear anything in the path of the beams.
3 flashes
The motor's force limiter was triggered: the gate met extra friction.
What to do: Check the gate and track run free.
4 flashes
The STOP input was triggered.
What to do: Call a technician.
5 flashes
An internal parameter error.
What to do: Switch the power off for 30 seconds, then on. If it comes back, call a technician.
6 flashes
Too many openings in an hour.
What to do: Wait a few minutes.
7 flashes
An electrical circuit error.
What to do: Switch the power off for a few seconds, then on. If it comes back, call a technician.
8 flashes
Another command is holding the gate.
What to do: Call a technician.
Every check for every problem, in one list

The gate does nothing at all

Check the power. Is the trip switch or plug for the motor switched on? Are other things on the same circuit working?
Try the wall button or keypad as well as the remote. If one of them works, the motor is fine and the fault is the remote.
Listen for beeps from the motor and count them. The table below tells you what each pattern means.
Look for anything stopping the gate or blocking the safety beams: a branch, a bag, a stone in the track, a car parked too close.

When to call a technician: Call a technician if the motor is completely silent with the power on, or if you hear five beeps. A blown fuse or a hardware fault needs an installer to fix it.

The remote does nothing

Replace the battery in the remote. Flat batteries are the most common reason a remote stops working.
Press the wall button or keypad. If the gate moves, the motor is fine.
Stand closer to the gate and try again. If the remote only works up close, its battery is weak.
If the light on the remote comes on but the gate ignores it, the remote may have lost its pairing with the motor.

When to call a technician: Call a technician if a new battery does not help, or if the remote lights up but the gate ignores it. The remote may need to be paired again.

It moves a little, then stops or reverses

Look along the track and the gate path for anything in the way: stones, leaves, dirt packed in the rail, or a gate rubbing on the ground.
Listen for beeps. Three beeps every so often mean a low battery, and a weak battery can make a gate stop part way.
If you know how to release the motor, roll the gate by hand. It should move easily from end to end. Stiffness, a seized wheel or a rough rail means the motor is fighting friction.
Check nothing is rubbing on the gate: a plant, a post, or a car bumper parked close.

When to call a technician: Call a technician if the gate keeps stopping and the track is clear. A weak battery, a worn wheel or a part inside the motor needs a technician to test.

It beeps or a light flashes

Count the beeps. Many motors beep in short bursts, then pause.
Find your pattern in the table below.
If the pattern is about power or the beams, try the simple checks in the table.

When to call a technician: Call a technician for five beeps, four beeps (a stalled gate) or three short beeps (limits not set). These are not things to fix yourself.

It struggles or stops in power cuts

During a power cut the motor runs on its battery. Two beeps every so often mean exactly that: the gate is on battery and still working.
Three beeps mean the battery is getting low. Use the gate as little as you can, or move it by hand, until the power is back.
If the gate stops working soon after a power cut starts, the battery is usually worn out or too small for how much you use the gate.
Use the battery calculator below to see how many openings your battery should manage.

When to call a technician: Call a technician to test the battery. If it is weak, a new or bigger battery usually fixes it.

It opens but will not close

Look for anything between the safety beams: the small units on each side of the gate. A branch, a plant or a parked car can block them.
One beep every so often means a beam is blocked, or a stop or lock setting is switched on.
Check the beam units are clean and have not been knocked out of line.
Never bypass or disconnect the safety beams. They stop the gate closing on people, children and pets.

When to call a technician: Call a technician if nothing is blocking the beams and the gate still will not close, or if you hear five beeps (a beam failure).

The gate is stuck and I need to move it by hand

Keep people and pets clear of the gate.
Use the key to open the manual release door on the motor.
Turn the thumbwheel clockwise until the gearbox releases. The gate now moves by hand.
Do not remove the thumbwheel. Water can get into the gearbox.
To re-engage the motor, turn the thumbwheel anticlockwise until it feels loose in your hand, then slide the gate until the drive engages.
If the motor will stay released for a while, lock the access door again.

When to call a technician: No release key, or the gate will not release? Call WP Security. Do not force the gate.

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WP Security installs and repairs Centurion and ET Nice gate motors. Send your details and they will contact you about your gate.

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