The problem
The gate had been getting progressively slower over about eighteen months. By the time we were called it was opening roughly two-thirds of the way and stopping, and the owner had been told twice that the operator was finished and needed replacing with a different brand.
How we diagnosed it
- Fluid level was low and the fluid itself was well past its service life. Operating pressure tested well below the manufacturer figure.
- The ram seals had been weeping long enough to leave a residue trail down the housing — visible once the cover came off, and the reason the level had dropped.
- Nothing was wrong with the motor, the board or the gate itself. The gate moved freely by hand through its full travel.
What we did
- Replaced the seal kit, flushed and refilled with correct-specification fluid, and reset operating pressure to manufacturer figures.
- Ran the gate through a full cycle sequence and re-checked pressure warm, since hydraulic behaviour changes as fluid comes up to temperature.
Watch this repair
No other gate repair company in Dallas–Fort Worth publishes video of their work.
The outcome
Full travel speed and force restored. A fraction of the cost of the replacement operator that had been quoted twice.
What you should take from this
A FAAC that has become slow is almost always reporting hydraulic pressure, not a dying motor. The reason it gets quoted for replacement so often is that most technicians do not service hydraulics — which is a statement about the company, not about the gate.
