Troubleshooting by symptom · Rolling Shutter Guide
Is it the motor, the remote, the switch or the track? How do I tell what’s wrong with my shutter?
Rule parts out one at a time. A remote whose light stays dark is the remote. If a second remote or switch also fails, look at the motor end. If other shutters on the circuit are dead, it is power. If an override crank moves the curtain freely, the track is fine and the motor is the likely fault.
Key facts
- On an override shutter, if the crank raises and lowers the curtain normally but the motor only buzzes, the curtain is free and the motor is the likely fault; Roll-A-Shield has seen this as a recurring failure on large shutters. Roll-A-Shield data
- Roll-A-Shield's service desk checks power first: breaker on, motor plugged in, and whether other shutters on the same circuit work. Roll-A-Shield data
- A remote whose light does not come on when a button is pressed may have a dead battery, so change the battery first.
- A shutter that sticks or binds at one spot usually has dirt in its guide rails: hose them out, let them dry and spray dry silicone, never oil or WD-40. Roll-A-Shield data
- Roll-A-Shield tests a suspect solar unit by running it on a known-good motor before calling any part defective. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Motorized rolling shutters of any brand with Gaposa or Somfy tubular motors: radio remotes and keypads, wired wall and key switches, manual-override (CMO) motors, Gaposa solar and OZRoll battery motors.
A motorized shutter has four places a fault can hide: the control in your hand or on the wall, the power to the motor, the motor itself, and the curtain and guide rails it runs in. Each test below takes one of them out of the question. Work top to bottom and stop when you find the answer.
The test sequence
- Watch the remote's light. Press a button; no light usually means a dead battery.
- Try a second control. Another remote, the wall-mounted remote, a keypad or the wall switch. If it works, the first control is the fault.
- Try other shutters. On the same remote channel, and on the same circuit. If they are dead too, it is power.
- Check the power. Breaker on, GFCI reset, motor plugged in if it plugs in.
- Wait out the thermal cut-out. If it went quiet after a lot of use, give it about 15 minutes.
- Re-pair the remote. If only this shutter ignores a working remote.
- Test the curtain. Crank it with the override if it has one, and look along both rails.
What each result points to
| What you find | Points to | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Remote light dark with a fresh battery | The remote | Check the battery type and contacts; replace the remote. |
| One remote fails, another control works | The remote or its pairing | Pair it again from the working one. |
| Every control fails on this shutter only | The motor end | Thermal wait, then re-pair, then a technician. |
| Every shutter on the circuit is dead | Power | Breaker, GFCI, plug; an electrician if it trips again. |
| Wall switch: moves only while held | A momentary switch, working normally | Hold it to the end of travel. |
| Wall switch: UP lowers the shutter | Direction connections reversed | Electrician reverses them with the power off. |
| Crank turns the curtain freely, motor only buzzes | Most likely the motor | Book a technician; on large shutters this has ended in a motor replacement. |
| Crank is stiff, or curtain is out of a rail | The track or a jam | Stop; have it inspected. |
| Sticks or binds at one spot | Dirt in the guide rails | Clean and spray dry silicone. |
How do I tell if it's the remote?
The remote's own light is the first test: no light with a fresh battery means a battery, contact or remote fault. A lit remote can still be on the wrong channel; select one channel, press UP briefly then STOP, and see which shutter moves. The decisive test is a second control: if the wall-mounted remote or a keypad runs the shutter, the motor is fine. Gaposa remotes rate about 65 ft of range indoors, so test from close by. The full remote checklist is on Remote stopped working.
How do I tell if it's the wall switch?
On a wired shutter, compare with another shutter. If the other shutters on the same circuit work from their switches and this one is dead from its switch, the fault is in this switch, its wiring or this motor, and separating those means opening the switch box: work for a licensed electrician or a technician. Before calling, rule out two normal behaviors:
- A momentary (press-and-hold) switch or key switch stops the shutter as soon as you let go. Roll-A-Shield fits both momentary and maintained (latching) switches.
- If UP lowers the shutter, the two direction connections at the switch are reversed. Swapping them back, with the power off, is a job for a licensed electrician.
How do I tell if it's the motor?
The motor is the likely fault in two cases: the shutter is still dead after the power, remote battery, thermal and re-pairing checks; or it hums without moving while the curtain itself is free. The override crank tests the second case: if the crank moves the curtain normally while the motor only buzzes, the curtain is free and the motor is the likely fault; on large shutters Roll-A-Shield has seen this end in a motor replacement. See Motor hums but doesn't move.
Solar shutters need one more step, because a run-down battery looks like a dead motor. First give the panel direct sun, clean it, and use the wall charger if the battery ran completely flat. Before anything is replaced, Roll-A-Shield checks the panel and battery under load and then runs the suspect solar station on a known-good motor; if the good motor runs, the original motor is the fault. A voltage reading alone does not prove the motor is good. Dealers can follow the multimeter test.
How do I tell if it's the track?
Look at the curtain while someone runs it, or crank it by hand. A shutter that sticks going up or down at one spot needs its rails hosed out, dried and sprayed with dry silicone; never WD-40 or oil. A curtain that is out of a rail, bunched, or slack at the bottom after a bang is a mechanical problem, not an electrical one: stop running it. See Shutter came out of its guide rail and Shutter came down on something.
When should I stop and call?
Stop: Do not operate a shutter that is off its track, back-rolled, jammed or spinning at the top. Each cycle does more damage.
Safety: Opening a switch box, a junction box or the motor's power connection is mains work for a licensed electrician. A breaker or GFCI that keeps tripping needs the same.
Shutters over 9 ft wide need two technicians on a service visit.
What next
Remotes and Gaposa motors are in the Roll-A-Shield parts store. In metro Phoenix, Roll-A-Shield repairs rolling shutters of any brand; call (480) 921-0200.
Watch it done
Somfy remote: testing the light and changing the battery
The written steps on this page are the reference; the video shows the same job.
Frequently asked questions
If the remote doesn't work, can it be just the remote and not the motor?
Yes. If the remote's light stays dark with a fresh battery, or another remote or the wall remote runs the shutter normally, the remote is the problem: re-pair it or replace it.
Is my motor bad, or is it the track?
If the shutter has a manual override, crank it. A curtain that cranks up and down freely means the track is fine and the motor is the likely fault; book a technician to confirm it. A stiff crank, or a curtain out of its rails, points at the track or a jam; stop and have it inspected.
Can Roll-A-Shield help me work it out over the phone?
Yes. Call (480) 921-0200. The service team runs the same checks by phone (power, remote battery, thermal cut-out, re-pairing) and books a technician if the shutter is still dead or only hums.
Parts and next step
Need a part or a hand?
Replacement motors, remotes, straps, slats and hardware ship from our Tempe, Arizona factory. Phoenix-area owners can book a service visit; everywhere else, our technicians help by phone. Call (480) 921-0200; the factory answers technical questions for any rolling shutter, not only ours.