Garador door closer

[Peter BellParticipant @peterbell11509]

We have a Garador auto M2 garage door closer which has worked faultlesly since it was installed. However it now often will not open, switching the mains off/on resets it and it works but often it puts 4 on the display when it wiil not work.

Needless to say the manufacturer says replace the complete unit at around £300

Has anyone sucessfully repaired one or got any fault finding info of the unit or circuit board?

Thanks

Peter

[Peter BellParticipant @peterbell11509]

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Presumably all rails, tracks, bearings are smooth and clean and lubed and all contacts and limit switches checked? Is there an interpretation for that fault code?

pgk

[Bill Davies 2Participant @billdavies2]

This guy has an M2 (same type or compatible brand?) and code 4 indicates overload, sugessting some lube required/corrosion or whatever, ditto pgk's comments.

Garage door controller

Compatible brands

Bill

[Peter BellParticipant @peterbell11509]

Yes its all running fine/smooth on the mech side.

Working in the garage earlier with eth door open it put 4 on the display and stopped working after a few minutes without being touched or moving.

I'll have to explore the unit more.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

Just a guess, but if it wasn't doing anything when the 4 came up (and if 4 actually does indicate overload on your model), then presumably it was (silently) still trying to open the door. Which would point to the OPEN limit switch and/or the associated wiring being suspect.

The father-in-law's door opener had a fault which the fitters reckoned needed a new control unit to repair, but which I tracked down to a reed switch in the limit switch circuit – cost of replacement less than £1.

Hope this helps.

Rob

[Peter BellParticipant @peterbell11509]

Thanks for the helpful comments.

When it was stopped the unit had clicked off. I've put my clamp on meter on it and switching off fine. Transformer Volltage is 27v but dc to the motor dips as expected on load but a cap on the board is getting very hot. Its only 470uf which seems a very small value for a smoothing cap.

If nothing else reckon I've found a wasps nest!

Peter

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Not an electronics man, but maybe, the capacitor is the cause of your problems, by leakage current causing the overload, and the heating?

Might be worth replacing it, for what it costs, possibly under a tenner.

Howard

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

That capacitor shouldn't be even warm, electrolytic capacitors age and dry out and then become in effect a series resistor, hence the heat. Have a look on RS, Farnell, Rapid, ESR for a replacement and look out for the continue band along its length that is the negative, got to get it soldered in right first time. I have some where a complete door system, motor, arms and I think two hand sets etc, was all working when my friend moved to a double garage bungalow.? Might you be interested ? John

[Oven ManParticipant @ovenman]

I have a similar problem on my garage door opener of a different make. I suspect that the problem on mine, and may be Peters, is that a current sensing resistor has gone a bit high. The control panel appears to be standard and the various settings are held in an EEPROM. Being like Peter I am reluctant to just pay for a replacement unit. I have got round my problem by bypassing the control unit with a push switch to manually open it. Closing can be done using the hand sets as normal. It's been like this for about six years now. It could probably be sorted by adjusting the values in the EEPROM by I haven't got a clue how to go about that.

Peter

[Peter BellParticipant @peterbell11509]

Thanks for even more helpful comments.

Changed the capacitor, it measured 220uf down from 470uf. Now doesnt get warm but I dont think thats the problem. I can make it display a 5 for overload if I hang onto the door while its moving. but my fault is 4 while its standing doing nothing.

Maybe quite a sophistcated unit with suspected pwm to slow the door as it's nearing the end stops. Think these are set as part of the installation if I remember correct. As its probably some microprocessor problem dont expect its easily fixable so another unit to try maybe a better option. Maybe manual operation is an easier option! This is a 550Nm unit, the ones on ebay are 1000Nm so probably quite old.

Thanks for the offer, shall I send a PM John?

Peter

[kevin laxonParticipant @kevinlaxon28008]

some doors have rf transmitters bottom & top for end sensing,these normally have fairly well hidden AA batteries in units on the inside of the door,it may well be that the batteries need replacing hence no end of travel sensing,has to be worth a look!!.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

If you can locate a manual, there should be instructions on setting up the travel – on some it's just a matter of getting it into "learning mode" by a combination of button presses and then opening and closing it a number of times.

+1 on Kevin's suggestions of batteries in RF sensor units, too.

Rob

[Peter BellParticipant @peterbell11509]

Thanks for the suggestions but no sensors or batteries (hidden or otherwise) on the actual door also no batteries in the unit, its all mains powered. The fault appears and it stops working witout moving or being touched, only a mains switch off/on gets it going again.

But it's worked this morning!

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Still sounds like an overheat self-protection? Any components old enough to be in sockets rather than directly soldered? Worth contact cleaning?

I used to have a laptop that needed regularly taking apart – in that case due to the fans sucking Dalmatian hair into the thing …

pgk

Edited By pgk pgk on 15/09/2021 08:04:42

[John Sykes 1Participant @johnsykes1]

I've just repaired one of these if it's still relevant!

John

[Peter BellParticipant @peterbell11509]

Thanks John.

I eventually solved my problem by putting it on a timer where it was turned off early morning every day before it was needed so effectivley reset every day and it worked well for some months until the plastic chain tangled itself up and that was the end of that so bought another off ebay.

Handy things—when they are working!.

Peter

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