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Ghost Controls Gate Motor Replacement: The Burleson Owner’s Guide
Most Ghost Controls gate motor replacements in Burleson run between $425 and $780 installed, depending on which arm or motor assembly your system uses and whether we’re replacing a swing arm, a slide motor, or the control brain that drives it. We stock Ghost Controls-compatible motors and arms on our trucks, so the majority of these jobs get done in one visit, same week you call. You’ll usually know it’s the motor when the gate groans, stalls halfway, trips its own breaker, or the arm moves but the gate doesn’t follow. The motor is the muscle of the system, and when it starts losing strength, the gate tells you in ways that are hard to ignore.
If your Ghost Controls opener is still under its factory warranty, we’ll tell you that up front and point you back to the manufacturer before we sell you anything. We’re an independent gate company, not affiliated with Ghost Controls. What we offer is honest diagnosis and a replacement done right the first time, with the price agreed before any work begins.
Which Ghost Controls Models This Applies To
Ghost Controls makes three basic motor families, and they are not interchangeable. The AXS line powers single and dual swing gates with a 12-volt arm assembly. The R Series handles residential slide gates, with the SLR version built for heavier, longer gates. There’s also the Hybrid line, which uses a 24-volt system and is often paired with solar in rural Johnson County setups. The fastest way to confirm what you have is to look at the sticker on the arm itself: it’ll show either AXS, R, or SLR in the model block, usually with a serial number that starts with a letter code.
For most residential Burleson properties, the AXS arm is the motor that fails first, typically the internal spindle gear or the actuator seal that lets moisture in. Ghost Controls sells replacement arms and motors as factory assemblies, but we also carry quality aftermarket equivalents for the common AXS stroke lengths. The aftermarket option makes sense when the gate is older and you’re not trying to preserve a factory warranty. The OEM option makes sense when the system is newer or under an active warranty. We’ll lay out both and let you decide with real numbers in front of you. The gotcha to watch for: an AXS arm for a 16-foot gate is not rated for a 20-foot gate. If someone swaps in the shorter stroke arm to save money, the motor works harder than it should and fails early. That is one of the most common things we find on previous installs in Burleson.
Signs Your Ghost Controls Gate Motor Replacement Is Failing
- Gate groans and moves noticeably slower than it used to. The motor’s internal gears are wearing, and it is working harder to move the same weight. That extra heat is accelerating the failure.
- Motor runs but the gate doesn’t move, or slips halfway. The actuator drive or spindle gear has stripped. This is a mechanical failure inside the arm, not a control board problem.
- The system beeps or flashes an error code repeatedly. Ghost Controls boards throw a code when the motor draws more current than expected, usually because it is binding against internal wear or a gate that has sagged out of alignment.
- The arm is wet inside or you see rust streaks at the seals. Burleson humidity plus our freeze-thaw cycles cracks actuator seals, and once water gets in, the motor and its bearings are on borrowed time.
- The gate trips its own battery or breaker protection overnight. A failing motor draws too much current trying to start, and the board shuts it down to protect the rest of the system.
None of these symptoms fix themselves. The sooner they are caught, the more likely we can replace just the motor or arm assembly instead of a motor plus a burned-out control board. That’s the difference between a $500 repair and a $1,200 replacement.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
A Ghost Controls swing arm motor replacement in Burleson typically runs $425 to $580 installed for a single residential gate, including the arm assembly, mounting hardware, limit re-set, and travel tuning. Dual gate systems, where both arms are tired, run $780 to $950 because we replace both sides at once, which saves you a second trip charge six months down the road. Slide motor replacements, the R and SLR lines, run $520 to $780 depending on gate weight and chain versus belt drive.
- Ghost Controls AXS swing arm assembly: $310 to $440 (part only, OEM or quality aftermarket)
- Dual swing arm set: $590 to $760 (part only, both arms)
- Slide motor assembly (R series): $360 to $520 (part only)
- Labor for diagnosis and installation: $115 to $190, depending on access and whether the gate needs alignment correction during the swap
Every quote is written and agreed before we turn a bolt. We do not upsell you on parts you don’t need, and the work carries our 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing: if it is not right, we come back and make it right, no paperwork, no arguing. Victor Salinas runs every job through that standard himself.
DIY or Call Us?
There are a few things any homeowner can safely check before calling: Is the gate itself hanging true and moving freely by hand when the opener is in manual mode? Are the battery terminals tight and showing proper voltage on the Ghost Controls status light? Is the remote’s battery fresh and is the receiver picking up the signal? Those cost nothing to confirm and rule out the simple causes.
The motor replacement itself is where DIY goes sideways. Ghost Controls arms are under spring tension when mounted, the stroke must be set correctly so the gate doesn’t slam closed on a child or a pet, and the board must be re-learned for the new arm. None of these are forgiving tasks, and a wrong stroke setting can turn a safe gate into a hazard. If you’ve checked the simple things and the motor is still the culprit, call us at (469) 564-8046. We’ll give you an honest diagnosis over the phone and a firm price before we come out.
FAQs
A Ghost Controls motor in Burleson’s climate typically lasts 6 to 10 years, with the shorter end more common on gates facing full afternoon sun or with no weather protection for the arm. Our heat-and-freeze pattern is harder on actuator seals than anything Ghost Controls designed for, and that’s the part that usually fails first. Regular service, including keeping the seals clean and the gate itself balanced, buys you time.
In most cases, no. Ghost Controls arms and motors are sealed factory assemblies, and when the internal spindle gear strips or the actuator seals crack, the practical fix is a replacement arm or motor. We do not open sealed Ghost Controls actuators to gut-patch them, because the result never lasts and it leaves you with a gate that can fail at the worst possible time. Call (469) 564-8046 and we’ll tell you straight what needs replacing and what doesn’t.
Most single-arm Ghost Controls motor replacements take our techs about 90 minutes on site, including mounting, travel tuning, and testing the safety stops. Dual arm replacements run closer to two and a half hours. We’ll give you a set arrival window, and we show up when we say.
We carry common AXS swing arms, R series slide motors, and control boards for Ghost Controls on our trucks for Burleson jobs. If your system needs a less-common part, we have it within two business days through our local supply chain, and we never mark a job complete until the gate runs like it should.
Written by Victor Salinas, Owner, Ironworks Gate Co. at Ironworks Gate Co., serving Burleson and nearby areas.
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