Free on-site gate assessment - hinges, posts, and your LiftMaster or Nice gate operator checked before anything is quoted
The assessment is free and the quote is the invoice.





Why Southlake Homeowners Choose Ghost Controls Gate Repair
We provide independent Ghost Controls repair in Southlake across the area. Our technicians work on Ghost Controls openers and gate hardware every week, from older AXDP dual gate kits and DTP series boards to current TSS1 swing gate openers and R Series slide gate arms. If your Ghost Controls gate is binding, beeping, or dead in the driveway, call (817) 580-8494 and we’ll diagnose it plainly, quote a fixed price before any work starts, and stand behind the repair with our written 90-Day Done Right Promise.
Southlake’s custom iron estate gates were mostly installed during the 1990s and 2000s buildout, and many of those original Ghost Controls operators are now 20 to 30 years old. Add the Blackland Prairie clay under this city – soil that swells in spring rains and shrinks hard in August heat – and you get actuator arms pulling out of alignment, limit sensors losing their reference, and boards failing from corrosion at the hinge post. Those are Southlake-specific failure patterns, and we see them every week.
One thing we want to be clear about: Ironworks Gate Co. is not an authorized Ghost Controls dealer. We’re an independent service company that has chosen to specialize in Ghost Controls equipment because it’s on so many Southlake driveways. That independence means we tell you when a part is worth replacing and when it isn’t, without a manufacturer’s sales quota coloring the advice.
Why Trust Ironworks Gate Co. for Your Ghost Controls Gate Repair?
Victor Salinas grew up near Southlake Town Square back when Carroll Avenue was a quieter stretch than it is now. He learned metalwork and electrical systems at Tarrant County College’s northwest campus, then spent the better part of three decades on job sites figuring out why a gate binds in August heat or why a Ghost Controls motor quits in an ice storm. Around Southlake he’s known for showing up on time, explaining the problem plainly before he touches a tool, and not charging for work a gate doesn’t need.
That’s the standard we hold for every Ghost Controls board we test, actuator we rebuild, and limit switch we recalibrate. We keep Ghost Controls schematics and programming notes current in our service vans. We know which AXDP board revisions had the flaky slave-unit communication circuit. We know the TSS1’s internal limit switch is prone to going sticky when dirt gets inside the actuator housing. We know the ORANGE series loses its programmed limits after a brief power flicker when the onboard battery has weak cells. That depth of familiarity is what keeps most Ghost Controls repairs to a single visit.
And every job – Ghost Controls or otherwise – gets the same written guarantee: if it isn’t right, we come back and make it right. No paperwork, no arguing, no exceptions. That’s been our standard since 1984.
Common Ghost Controls Gate Repair Problems We Fix in Southlake
- AXDP dual gate “motor 2 disconnected” faults. The AXDP is Ghost Controls’ dual swing gate kit, and its biggest weakness in Southlake is the communication wire between the master board and the slave leaf actuator. That wire usually runs through or near the hinge post, where it chafes against rough metal or gets pinched as the gate swings thousands of times a year. When the wire corrodes or breaks, the board throws a “motor 2 disconnected” error or stops mid-cycle. The fix is typically a new shielded wire routed clear of the hinge and recalibration of both actuators using the AXDP’s learn procedure. We’ve done this exact repair enough times that we can usually quote it over the phone by symptom.
- TSS1 actuators that reverse 6 inches short of closed. The TSS1 single swing gate opener uses an internal magnetic limit switch that tells the actuator when the gate is fully open or closed. Over years of Southlake heat and dust, that switch gets sticky or accumulates debris, so the opener thinks the gate reached its closed position when it actually stopped 6 inches early. Then the obstruction sensor kicks in and reverses the gate. Cleaning the limit switch housing and recalibrating travel usually solves it. If the switch itself has failed, it’s an inexpensive genuine Ghost Controls part.
- ORANGE series losing limits after power outages. Ghost Controls ORANGE series openers are popular in Southlake because they’re solar-ready and suit remote or hard-to-wire gate locations. But the onboard battery backup that retains user-set limits is small, and after four or five years of Texas heat, it doesn’t hold enough charge to keep the board’s memory alive through a brief power flicker. The gate still works, but it forgets its open and close positions and overtravels or stops short. Replacing that backup battery and re-running the limit learn procedure restores reliable operation.
- R Series slide gate grinding or skipping teeth. Ghost Controls R Series slide gate openers drive a gear along a fixed rack mounted to the gate. In Southlake, Blackland Prairie clay heaves the gate track and post footings seasonally, which throws the rack and gear out of alignment. The symptom is a loud grinding noise as the gate moves, or the gate jerking as the gear skips over rack teeth. Left unfixed, the gear wears down and the rack gets chewed up. Re-leveling the gate and rack, then replacing the gear if it’s worn, restores smooth operation.
- Remote works fine, keypad doesn’t – or vice versa. Ghost Controls boards treat wired keypad inputs and wireless remote signal differently. After a power outage or a board reset, the learned remote codes can be wiped while the wired keypad still works, or the keypad wiring can corrode at its terminal block while the remotes still operate. This one confuses a lot of Southlake homeowners because “the gate works sometimes.” We test both signal paths, re-learn remotes or replace the keypad terminal wiring as needed, and verify the full system before we leave.
Ghost Controls Parts & Our Repair-vs-Replace Approach
We use genuine Ghost Controls parts whenever they’re available: control boards, actuator arms, remotes, limit switches, and safety sensors. Ghost Controls has kept its programming and wiring largely consistent across model years, which makes OEM parts the most predictable path for a repair that stays repaired. But Ghost Controls has also discontinued parts for some of the older AXDP and DTP series boards that Southlake homes still have mounted on their pillars. When a genuine board isn’t available and won’t be, we’ll install a quality aftermarket control board that matches the opener’s voltage and input wiring rather than forcing you into a full opener replacement for want of a $90 circuit board.
We also tell you honestly when repair stops making sense. A 10-plus-year-old Ghost Controls opener with a failed motor, a rusted actuator arm, and a worn gear train can cost more to rebuild piece by piece than a complete new kit. When that’s the case, we say so in plain terms, quote both options, and let you decide. A gate that works right doesn’t need to announce itself. Call (817) 580-8494 and we’ll give you our straight read.
Our Ghost Controls Service Process – Step by Step
- 1
Listen and diagnose. You describe the symptom; we ask the questions that matter for Ghost Controls specifically. Is it a dual gate or single? Does the board show a fault code? Did it start after a storm or a power bump? Most Ghost Controls problems announce themselves clearly if you know what to listen for.
- 2
Inspect and test on site. We check the board’s diagnostic LEDs, test actuator travel and limit switch function, measure battery voltage on backup units, and inspect wiring at the hinge post and control box. We look for the Southlake-specific culprits: chafed slave-unit wires, sticky TSS1 limit switches, weak ORANGE backup cells, and clay-heaved slide gate racks.
- 3
Quote the repair before we touch a tool. You get a fixed price for the parts and labor before any bolt turns. Not an estimate range, not an hourly open-ended tab. The price we quote is the price on the invoice.
- 4
Complete the repair. We install genuine Ghost Controls or matched aftermarket parts, recalibrate limits and force settings per Ghost Controls’ own procedure, and tidy the wiring so the next technician isn’t untangling a rat’s nest.
- 5
Test the full cycle – repeatedly. We run the gate through 10 to 20 full open-close cycles, fault-test the safety sensors, and verify remote, keypad, and battery backup function before we call the job done.
- 6
You get the written promise. Every repair carries our 90-Day Done Right Promise. If the gate misbehaves within 90 days, we’re back. No charge. That’s the whole agreement.
Ghost Controls Products We Service & Install in Southlake
Our Ghost Controls service covers the full current lineup and the discontinued models still common on Southlake driveways. That includes the AXDP dual swing gate kit, the TSS1 single swing gate opener, the ORANGE series solar-ready swing gate opener, and the R Series slide gate opener. We also work on older DTP series boards still in service from the early 2000s.
We stock common Ghost Controls remotes, safety sensors, limit switches, and backup batteries in our Southlake service vehicles, along with the wiring, connectors, and relay hardware most repairs require. Less common parts – like a replacement AXDP slave actuator or an R Series rack segment – are ordered from our local supply lines and typically on site within two business days.
We Also Service These Brands
Ghost Controls isn’t the only opener on Southlake’s driveways, and we’re not a one-brand shop for Gate Repair. Our technicians are trained and equipped on nine gate automation brands – including LiftMaster, Mighty Mule, and DoorKing – so if your neighbor has a different opener, or you replace your Ghost Controls system with something else down the line, we’re still the company to call. Same guarantee, same crew.
FAQs – Ghost Controls Gate Repair Service in Southlake
No. We are an independent Ghost Controls service provider. We’re not a Ghost Controls authorized dealer or factory service center. What that means in practice: we recommend repairs and replacements based on what’s right for your gate and your budget, not on pushing a manufacturer’s latest product. Many of our Southlake customers prefer that independence precisely because the advice carries no sales agenda.
A power outage can wipe the learned remote codes from your Ghost Controls control board while the wired keypad still functions, because the keypad sends a hardwired signal that doesn’t require stored receiver memory. The fix is re-learning the remotes through the board’s programming mode. If that doesn’t restore function, the receiver module itself may have failed. Call (817) 580-8494 and we’ll walk through the re-learn steps or schedule a service visit – remote diagnosis often saves you a trip fee.
Yes, in most cases. Ghost Controls designed the AXDP to accept a battery backup module, and the board has the necessary terminals even on early production runs. The considerations are battery capacity for your gate’s weight and travel length, and whether the existing board’s firmware supports battery charging. We’ll check your board revision, install a properly sized battery, and wire it so the gate keeps working through Southlake’s frequent spring storms. If you need Ghost Controls service in North Richland Hills, estimates for battery backup retrofits are free – call (817) 580-8494.
The TSS1’s internal limit switch is telling the board the gate has reached “closed” when it actually hasn’t. Dirt, dust, and years of heat cycles make that switch sticky. The board then triggers the obstruction reversal to protect the gate. Cleaning the limit switch housing and recalibrating travel usually fixes it; if the switch has failed electrically, it’s a low-cost genuine Ghost Controls part. We see this regularly on Southlake TSS1 units that are 8 to 12 years old.
The ORANGE series is genuinely solar-ready out of the box – the control board accepts direct solar panel input and manages its own charging. What most Southlake homeowners don’t realize is that the solar panel itself, the battery, and the mounting hardware are sold separately. The opener is compatible with solar, not complete as a solar kit. We also offer Ghost Controls Gate Repair in Trophy Club, TX, and we help homeowners size the right panel and battery for their gate’s daily cycle count and install the full setup. If your ORANGE series is already solar-powered and acting erratic, the battery is usually the first thing to check after four or five Texas summers.
It’s usually the alignment between the drive gear and the rack, not the motor itself. When Blackland Prairie clay shifts your Southlake gate posts, the rack moves out of plane with the drive gear, and the gear grinds against the rack teeth or the gate overshoots its limit. The motor is just doing what it’s told. We re-level the gate and rack, replace the gear if it’s worn, and recalibrate the R Series limits. Left too long, a misaligned rack will destroy the gear and the rack. Call (817) 580-8494 for an inspection – estimates are free.
Ghost Controls repairs in Southlake typically run from $145 for a minor fix – like re-learning remotes or replacing a limit switch – to $400 to $800 for board replacements, actuator rebuilds, or battery backup retrofits. Full opener replacements on a large custom iron gate can exceed $1,500. The price depends on which Ghost Controls model you have, what failed, and whether the gate itself needs re-leveling from soil movement. Every quote is fixed and agreed before work starts. Call (817) 580-8494 and we’ll give you an exact number for your situation.
Book Your Ghost Controls Service in Southlake, TX
If your Ghost Controls opener is slow, noisy, intermittent, or dead, call (817) 580-8494. A live person answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – no voicemail trees, no answering service. We’ll schedule a Southlake service visit at a time that works for you, diagnose the problem, and quote a fixed price before any work begins.
Written by Victor Salinas, Owner at Ironworks Gate Co., serving Southlake since 1984.
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