Automatic Gate Repairs in Malvern & Stonnington
When an automatic gate fails it fails at the worst time — you're late, the car's boxed in, and the gate is either sitting open with your property exposed or shut with you locked out. Most of the area's gate companies, and nearly all the fencing firms, are set up to sell you a new gate, not to come and fix the one you have, which is exactly the gap we built this service around. We repair automatic sliding and swing gates across Malvern and the whole of Stonnington, whatever brand of motor is on them, and we'll tell you honestly whether you're looking at a straightforward repair or a motor that has reached the end of its life. Before you do anything else, find your manual release key and disengage the motor so you can move the gate by hand — that gets your car in or out while the repair is booked.
- Licensed & Insured
- Free Quotes
- Same-Day Available
- Local Team
The faults we see most
Gate failures cluster into a handful of causes, and most give some warning before they strand you.
Battery and power faults. The backup battery in a gate motor has a limited life, and when it dies the gate often stops dead or refuses to open in an outage. Power surges also kill control boards. This is the single most common call-out.
Water and corrosion. Driven rain gets into motor housings and control boxes that weren't sealed or sited well, corroding boards and terminals. A control box mounted where it copes a soaking ages far faster than one sited sensibly.
Drive mechanism wear. On sliding gates the plastic or steel drive rack and the motor pinion wear or strip, so the motor runs but the gate barely moves or grinds. On swing gates the ram or arm develops play.
Sensor and alignment issues. Safety photocells knocked by a car, a mower or a delivery stop the gate closing — usually the gate opens fine but won't shut, which is a classic misaligned-photocell symptom rather than a motor fault.
Remote and receiver problems. Sometimes the gate is fine and it's the remote, the receiver or the keypad that's failed — cheaper to fix, and worth ruling out first.
What to try before you call
Locate the manual release — usually a key barrel on the motor — and disengage it so you can slide or swing the gate by hand. If the gate is open and stuck, this at least lets you close and secure it. Check whether the remote's problem is just a flat remote battery by trying the keypad or a second remote. Note whether the gate opens but won't close (think sensors) or won't move at all (think power, battery or motor). Those observations speed up the repair.
Repair or replace?
Not every dead gate needs a new motor. A ten-year-old unit with an unavailable control board and a corroded housing is usually worth replacing; a good motor with a flat battery or a stripped gear is worth repairing. We diagnose first and tell you which it is, with the cost of each, before any work starts — you decide with the numbers in front of you rather than being defaulted straight to a new gate.
Servicing stops the call-out
Most gate failures give warning — a gate that's getting slower, a hinge that's started to squeal, a battery light that's on. A periodic service (lubrication, battery check, sensor alignment, drive inspection) catches those cheaply. It's the difference between a modest service and a stranded-at-the-driveway emergency, and on a grand gate across the only vehicle entrance to a property, that difference is worth a lot.
Common questions
Do you repair gates you didn't install?
Yes. Mobile repairs across any brand of gate and motor are core to what we do, regardless of who installed it originally. We diagnose the fault and quote the repair before proceeding, whatever badge is on the motor.
My gate opens but won't close — what is that?
Nine times out of ten that's a safety photocell fault — the sensor that stops the gate closing on a car or person has been knocked out of alignment or has failed, so the gate refuses to close as a safety default. It's usually a quick fix, and it's a safety item, so don't disable it — get it realigned.
How fast can you get to me?
It depends on the day's bookings and where you are in Stonnington, but we prioritise gates that are stuck open and leaving a property exposed. Using the manual release to secure the gate in the meantime takes the urgency out of it while we schedule the repair.
Is a service worth it if the gate is working fine?
Usually, yes — most failures give warning, and a service that checks the battery, sensors, drive and hinges catches the faults that are building before they strand you. On a grand gate across the only vehicle entrance, the service cost is trivial against the disruption of a failure.
Ready to get started?
Call now or send the form and we’ll get straight back to you.