This automatic door troubleshooting guide works through the faults we attend most often, and what each symptom usually points to.
When a powered entrance plays up, a clear automatic door troubleshooting routine helps you spot the cause fast – and know what you can check yourself versus what needs a technician. This 2026 automatic door troubleshooting guide walks through the most common faults, their likely causes and safe first checks, plus when to call Coetz for a repair.
Safety first: never disable a safety sensor to make a door work, and keep clear of a door that is behaving unpredictably. Powered doors move heavy glass – if in doubt, switch it to manual or off and call a technician.
The door will not open: automatic door troubleshooting
Start your automatic door troubleshooting here:
- No power – check the isolator, plug and circuit breaker.
- Activation sensor blocked, dirty or misaligned – clean the lens and clear the detection zone.
- Door switched to manual or night-lock mode – check the mode switch.
- Operator or controller fault – this needs a technician.
The door will not close (or closes too slowly): automatic door troubleshooting guide
Common causes to check:
- Something in the safety-sensor beam holding it open – clear the opening.
- A dirty or faulty presence sensor – wipe the lens; if it persists, call a technician.
- Hold-open time set too long, or a controller setting drifted.
- Worn drive belt or motor if it closes slowly or unevenly.
Strange noises or juddering: automatic door troubleshooting
Grinding, scraping or banging usually points to the mechanism:
- Dust or grit in the track – clean it out.
- Worn or dry rollers, or a slipping drive belt.
- A loose fixing, bracket or end stop.
- See how the sliding door mechanism fits together to understand the cause.
Sensor problems: automatic door troubleshooting guide
If the door misses people or triggers on its own, the sensors need attention – clean the lenses, clear reflective surfaces and moving signage from the detection zone, and if it continues, have the sensors recalibrated. Sensors set up to recognised automatic door technology safety principles should detect reliably every time.
What you can fix vs what needs a technician: automatic door troubleshooting guide
Safe first checks – power, clean sensors, clear the opening, check the mode switch – are fine for your team. Anything involving the operator, belt, rollers, controller settings or safety recalibration needs a qualified technician, both for safety and to keep the door compliant. Book repairs promptly and keep a maintenance checklist running to prevent faults.
Why choose Coetz
Coetz repairs and services most makes of automatic door as one accountable team – diagnosing the fault, fitting genuine spare parts and resetting the door to safe operation. Explore our full automatic doors range and maintenance plans.
Coetz has years of experience with automatic entrances across South Africa, from single shopfronts to multi-door developments. We match the operator, sensors and glass to your traffic and building, install to standard, and back every entrance with service and genuine spare parts – so the door keeps working long after the invoice is paid.
Fast repairs across South Africa: automatic door troubleshooting guide
As a Gauteng-based team we repair and service across the region and support nationwide. When your automatic door troubleshooting points to a fault you cannot safely fix, Coetz responds fast – prioritising failed or unsafe doors to get you trading again.
Get a repair or quote: automatic door troubleshooting guide
Door not behaving? Tell us the symptoms and we will diagnose the fault, quote the repair and get your entrance safe and reliable again – with fast local response.
Tips to avoid faults: automatic door troubleshooting guide
Keep sensor lenses and the track clean, report unusual noises early, and set a regular service interval rather than waiting for a breakdown. Add battery backup for load-shedding and never bypass a safety sensor. Because Coetz is Gauteng-based, we respond fast for both repairs and service.
What is the first step in automatic door troubleshooting?
Start automatic door troubleshooting by checking the power, cleaning the sensor lenses, clearing the opening and confirming the door is not in manual or night-lock mode.
Why is my automatic door not closing?
Usually something in the safety-sensor beam, a dirty presence sensor, a hold-open setting or a worn belt – clear the opening and clean the sensor; if it persists, call a technician.
Can I fix an automatic door myself?
You can do safe first checks – power, clean sensors, clear the path – but operator, belt, roller and safety recalibration work needs a qualified technician.
Does Coetz offer emergency repairs?
Yes – as a Gauteng-based team Coetz offers fast on-call repairs, prioritising failed or unsafe doors to get you trading again quickly.
Getting automatic door troubleshooting right the first time
The enquiries that turn into clean, on-time projects nearly always arrive with the same handful of details settled. When you are pricing automatic door troubleshooting, these are the ones our estimators ask for.
- The structural opening. Measure the brickwork opening rather than an existing frame, and note whether the reveal is square.
- Traffic and duty cycle. A quiet office entrance and a centre entrance passing thousands of people a day are not the same specification.
- Power and controls. Confirm what supply reaches the head of the opening, and whether access control, an intercom or a fire panel must interface.
- Glass. Coetz™ glazes as standard with 6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass.
- Service access. Automatic door systems are installed and serviced by our team, so plan for periodic servicing from day one.
With that information we can turn automatic door troubleshooting around quickly and without a site visit in most cases. Where a detail is still undecided, we would rather quote automatic door troubleshooting both ways than reissue later.
When to stop troubleshooting and call a technician: automatic door troubleshooting guide
This automatic door troubleshooting guide covers the checks a building manager can safely make. Stop at the point where the header has to come off, wiring is exposed, or a safety sensor is involved — those belong to a technician. Nothing in this automatic door troubleshooting guide should be read as a reason to bypass a safety sensor or force a jammed leaf; both turn a small repair into a larger one. If the entrance is unsafe or will not secure, report it as urgent.
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