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FAAC Gate Motor Replacement: The Inglewood Owner’s Guide
We stock and install FAAC-compatible gate motor replacements throughout Inglewood, with most residential swing-gate motor replacements running between $850 and $1,450 installed depending on the model and whether the arm bracket is reusable. Same-day and next-day appointments are available, and we carry the most common FAAC swing-arm and ram-style motors on the truck. The typical owner calls us after the gate starts moving in slow motion, stops mid-travel and reverses, or simply goes silent with a faint hum coming from the box. If that sounds familiar, we can usually confirm the diagnosis in under 15 minutes once we’re on site.
Which FAAC Models This Applies To
The FAAC lineup splits broadly into two families: the S-series articulating arm motors (S418, S450H) used on swing gates, and the 390/391/400 series hydraulic rams for heavier residential and light commercial gates. We also service the 412, 415, and 770 series operators. The compatibility gotcha with FAAC is this: the S418 and S450H look nearly identical from the outside, but the S450H uses a different internal gear ratio and will not drop into an S418 bracket without adapters and limit-switch reprogramming. You’ll find the model number on a silver data plate riveted to the underside of the motor housing, usually near the release key slot. When we quote a replacement, we always photograph that plate and match the motor by serial range, not just visual appearance, because FAAC made running changes to the control board mounts between production runs. For most Inglewood homeowners, an OEM FAAC motor is the right call if the gate is under 8 years old and the rest of the system is original. For older systems where the board and arm are both near end of life, we’ll price a quality aftermarket equivalent and show you the spec sheet side by side before you decide.
Signs Your FAAC Gate Motor Replacement Is Failing

- Gate hums but doesn’t move. The motor is getting power but the gear train has stripped or the hydraulic fluid in a 390-series ram has lost pressure. We see this most often on gates that were never adjusted after a visitor pushed the gate manually without first using the release lever.
- Movement is slow, then stops mid-travel. This is usually a failing capacitor on the S-series motors, or a limit switch that has drifted out of position on older 412 boards. The motor may still be salvageable, but if it trips the board’s thermal protection repeatedly, replacement becomes the cheaper option over six months.
- Gate reverses for no reason. In Inglewood we see this tied to sunlight and heat more than most areas. The photo-eye sensors near Centinela Avenue properties get direct afternoon sun and the infrared beam gets washed out, but if the force setting is also creeping upward, the motor itself is drawing more current to move the gate, which is the early signature of winding failure.
- Loud grinding or clicking from the motor housing. That’s the gearbox. On an S418, the worm gear wears into a pattern where the gate starts to shudder on the last 10 degrees of travel. By the time you hear grinding, the gear is done, and the motor shaft is often scored beyond the point where a rebuild makes financial sense.
- Motor runs but gate barely moves after rain. Water intrusion into the housing is the usual cause, most often through a dried-out gasket or a cracked cable gland. We open these up and photograph the corrosion before recommending replacement, because sometimes a dry-out and new seals buy you another two years, but Inglewood’s marine air accelerates the corrosion once it starts.
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
Installed FAAC gate motor replacement in Inglewood runs between $850 and $1,450 for most single swing-gate systems, and between $1,800 and $2,600 when both motors on a dual-swing gate need to be retired. The range is driven by three things: the motor model (S418 is less expensive than S450H, and hydraulic rams run higher because of the fluid bleed procedure), whether the existing arm bracket and mounting plate are intact, and whether we’re also replacing a burnt control board. That’s the part most competing quotes quietly leave out until the final invoice. Our price is written and handed to you before we touch the gate, and it includes the motor, the labor, the limit-switch setup and calibration, a full force-setting adjustment to match the gate’s actual weight, and a documented photo record of the entire install. Warranty on parts and workmanship is covered under our 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the replacement isn’t right, we make it right, no argument, no fee.
DIY or Call Us?

What an owner can safely check: is the release lever engaged properly, is the circuit breaker for the gate tripped, and is there visible water or debris inside the motor housing around the cable entry. What you should not attempt: opening the motor itself. Even with the power cut, the capacitor on an S-series motor stores enough charge to knock you off a ladder, and FAAC’s hydraulic rams have pressurized fluid that can spray if the fittings aren’t bled correctly. We’ve also seen more than one DIY replacement where the arm was mounted one bolt-hole off and the gate sheared the shaft in two weeks. If the motor has failed, call (424) 380-7998. We’ll match the model, give you a written price, and have it running, usually the same day.
FAQs
In Inglewood’s combination of marine air and summer heat, we see S-series arm motors lasting 8 to 12 years with regular maintenance and about half that without it. Hydraulic rams run longer, 12 to 15 years typically, because there’s less mechanical wear on the gear surfaces. The coastal air shortens the life of the electronics before the motor itself goes. Call (424) 380-7998 and we’ll tell you what shape yours is actually in, based on the amp draw and the condition of the housing.
Sometimes, and if that’s the honest answer we’ll say it to your face. A bad capacitor, a failed release latch, or a dried-out gasket can be repaired for a fraction of the cost of a new motor. The decision point is the gearbox and the motor windings: once either fails, the repair cost typically exceeds 60% of a new motor’s price, and that’s when we recommend replacement instead. The final call is always yours, with the numbers in writing.
Most single-motor swing gate replacements take 2 to 3 hours end to end, including removing the old motor, mounting the new one, calibrating the limit switches, and running a full cycle test under load. Dual-motor gates add about an hour and a half. We schedule the work and complete it the same day in almost all cases.
We keep the S418, S450H, and the most common 390-series ram on the truck, which means most Inglewood replacements go in the day we diagnose the problem. If your gate needs a less common FAAC variant, we can usually source it within one to two business days, and we’ll tell you that before we quote so there’s no wait-and-see billing. We also stock LiftMaster, Mighty Mule, and Ghost Controls motors, so if your setup is mixed-brand with FAAC arms on another company’s control board, we can work with that too.
Written by Adrian Vance, Owner, Vance Gate Repair Inglewood at Vance Gate Repair Inglewood, serving Inglewood and nearby areas.





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