Somfy roller shutter motor problem, what to do?

The French company Somfy has today acquired an international reputation thanks to the manufacture of high-performance and robust electric roller shutter motors. However, like any electrical device, they are not infallible. During their life, they may encounter more or less serious breakdowns.

Fortunately, the Somfy after-sales service has everything planned since they provide replacement motor kits, accompanied by video tutorials allowing you to solve the fault yourself. But is it still necessary to know what failure it is, and is it really necessary to completely replace the engine. This is what we will see in this article by answering the question: what to do when your Somfy roller shutter has a motor problem?

Why does your Somfy roller shutter motor no longer work?

The motor of a roller shutter is a key part which, unfortunately, wears out over time. But other origins can also prevent the engine from working well. So, more exactly, what malfunctions could potentially cause motor failure on a Somfy roller shutter :

  • A power problem such as a motor that is underpowered or not powered at all, a faulty control or a power outage.
  • Engine deprogramming due to an electrical bug or a voltage problem.
  • A tired or defective capacitor. The warning signs: rolling shutter that jerks or has difficulty going up.
  • A motor out of service or incorrectly installed (if the installation is recent).

All these factors can therefore lead to failure of the Somfy roller shutter motor. And according to the origin, engine failure can manifest itself in different ways :

  • a shutter that does not go up and don't come down or not correctly (a few centimeters, blocked in the middle, descends and rises immediately or vice versa, etc.)
  • an abnormal engine noise: jerky, jammed, muffled noise
  • a motor that engages but stops a few seconds later
  • a motor that no longer works at all and, therefore, no longer makes any noise

To solve the motor problem on your Somfy roller shutter, you will therefore have to try toidentify the cause observing the signs that your shutter sends to you and by following our troubleshooting guide in order.

Motor problem on a Somfy roller shutter: how to fix it?

If you are not competent to carry out a manipulation, go to the next one or contact a professional. Caution, risk of electric shock and irreversible damage of the shutter. If you carry out the tests and repairs yourself, turn off the electricity before each operation for your safety. If your shutter motor has the right to guarantee, call now Somfy assistance for a free diagnosis and intervention.

Motor problem on a Somfy roller shutter, what to do?

You can now follow our troubleshooting guide to try to solve the motor problem encountered by your Somfy roller shutter :

Check motor power supply

First of all, check that the failure of the Somfy roller shutter motor is not simply due to its food. This is all the more so if the shutter motor no longer works at all (no sign of life). Check if the circuit breaker has not blown, if there is not a power outage, and if the motor is not badly wired or underpowered. Make sure that the damper motor receives a voltage of approximately 230V using a multimeter.

If your motor does not emit any signs of life (no noise, shutter motionless) also remember to check that the fault you are experiencing does not come from thewall switch or remote control before leaning directly on the engine. In fact, following a breakdown, the transmitter may not send a signal to the motor, which will not react at all. Then check whether the LED indicator lights up green indicating that the command is working.

Then, if you have a remote control, try replace batteries as well as reset it. If the switch is wall mounted, you will need test the connection of the roller shutter by removing the switch, then making a continuity test using a multimeter (or by testing the motor supply voltage as indicated above). If the fault is confirmed, replace the connectors or the control in its entirety and connect them to the electrical network. These operations are complex and require electrical skills. They must be carried out by a competent person, a professional in the sector or an electrician. Caution, risk of electric shock!

Reset the roller shutter electrically

After making sure that the power supply and the control are not malfunctioning, you can try to electrically reset the motor of the Somfy roller shutter which no longer works at all or no longer correctly.

For that, nothing could be simpler, you just have to cut power shutter via the circuit breaker (general circuit breaker or specific circuit breaker attached to the room where the shutter is located) present on the electrical panel of your home. Turn off the power for about 1 minute. Then turn the power back on. This can sometimes solve minor electrical bugs that prevent the Somfy motor from working properly.

Reprogram the Somfy roller shutter motor

When you meet a problem with the Somfy roller shutter motor, in most cases, a simple engine reprogramming (resetting the motor and reprogramming the shutter limit switch) is enough to solve it. Indeed, following a prolonged power outage, a voltage peak (example: storm), or quite simply an electrical bug, the motor may lose its configuration.

So here it is how to reprogram the motor of a Somfy roller shutter that no longer works correctly or not at all:

Recommendation: Before performing the procedure, the motor of your Somfy roller shutter should preferably be electrically insulated to avoid deprogramming all radio receiver shutters connected to the same power source as your shutter. To isolate the shutter, you can either disconnect the motors of the other shutters on the junction box, or temporarily connect the motor of the faulty shutter to a separate socket. You can also try, at first, to simply perform the limit switch adjustment procedure, without resetting the motor, but there is a high probability that this will not succeed. 

– Perform a double power outage

  1. Cut the electrical current of the faulty Somfy cover for 2 seconds
  2. Restore power for 8 seconds
  3. Turn off the power supply for 2 seconds
  4. Restore the power supply to the shutter
  5. The flap should move back and forth automatically

– Reset the Somfy roller shutter motor memory to zero

  1. Within 2 minutes of the previous procedure, press and hold the "prog" button on the back of the control for 8 seconds
  2. The flap should go up and down twice. Then release the button

– Reprogram the limit switch of the Somfy shutter

  1. Simultaneously press the up arrow and the down arrow on the control until the shutter automatically performs a short back and forth movement.
  2. Press the up arrow. If the shutter lowers, press the middle button of the “my” control to reverse the direction of rotation.
  3. Hold down the down arrow on the control until the shutter is completely closed, then press the "my" and "up" buttons simultaneously to program the lower limit switch. The flap should rise automatically.
  4. Stop the shutter halfway by briefly pressing the "my" button.
  5. Hold down the up arrow until it reaches its high point, then press the "my" and "down" buttons simultaneously to program the upper limit switch. The flap should lower automatically.
  6. Stop the shutter again by pressing the “my” button.
  7. Press the "my" button until the shutter makes a short movement.
  8. Press the "prog" button on the back of the remote control to validate and save the procedure.

Your Somfy roller shutter is now reprogrammed and the problem should have disappeared.

If necessary, find the procedure for reprogramming the Somfy motor in the video below or on the company's website under the heading " Help videos "

Please note: Some Somfy motors do not have a motor reprogramming procedure (the case of wired motors generally). In this case, or if the procedure did not work, we invite you to consult the user guide corresponding to your roller shutter model. If you no longer have the paper manual, you can find it on the Somfy website, sections: Assistance/Roller shutter/Product manuals/Choosing the type of equipment for your cover. Select the type of motor for your shutter from the list (wired, radio IO, RTS or solar sensor), then, the model of your engine. If you do not have the exact reference of the motor, you must open the trunk of the shutter, dismantle the winding tube to access the motor, take it out and find the reference written on the motor.

If you do not know how to remove the motor from your Somfy roller shutter : how to replace the roller shutter motor? 

Replace the Somfy motor capacitor which no longer works

If the reprogramming procedure did not resolve the motor problem on your Somfy roller shutter, then a hardware failure is certainly in question. It may be the entire engine that has failed, but sometimes only the capacitor. This component makes it possible, among other things, to give the power necessary for the engine to operate. It is a relatively sensitive part that eventually wears out over time.

The most common symptoms that indicate capacitor failure are: a Somfy roller shutter that jerksWho hard to get up (goes up only a few centimeters or who needs help), who seems to force, or a clicking noise when you try to operate it. But sometimes it happens that the Somfy shutter motor no longer works at all when the capacitor has completely burned out.

The good news is that replacing the capacitor will only cost you around ten dollars. So, before considering completely changing the engine, we advise you to test this component. The capacitor is a cylindrical piece that sits inside the motor tube. You will have to take it out to be able to test it. To help you remove the capacitor from the motor, we invite you to watch the piecevolet.com video: Replacing the capacitor in a Somfy motor. Here then how to proceed to test the capacitor and check if the motor failure on your Somfy roller shutter comes from this component:

  1. Disconnect the capacitor.
  2. Discharge the capacitor by short-circuiting it (for example with a screwdriver that has an insulated handle).
  3. Set the multimeter to capacitance.
  4. Put the test probes of the multimeter on the terminals (they are not polarized so there is no direction for the test probes).
  5. If the meter displays a value approximately equal to the unit indicated on it (μF), he works. If it displays nothing, zero or a lower value, it means that the capacitor is tired or defective. It is then necessary to replace.

Be careful to replace the faulty Somfy shutter motor capacitor with one with an identical original value (µF).

Here is a video from picevolet.com to help you with the procedure: 

Change the entire Somfy roller shutter motor

Unfortunately, if the capacitor is not the cause of the breakdown of your Somfy electric motor, then there is almost no doubt that the motor itself is out of order. In this case, you will need to replace it. First of all, remember to check if your engine still has the right to guarantee (between 5 and 7 years old). If this is the case, then we invite you to contact Somfy assistance for free repair or replacement of the failed engine.

Si the defective motor of your roller shutter is no longer entitled to the guarantee, then you will have to replace it at your own expense. Replacement motors cost between 150 euros and 300 euros (without labor). Fortunately, Somfy has set up a quality after-sales service, with tools allowing you to replace the motor yourself:

  • Choose and check the compatibility of the new motor with your roller shutter (IO motor, RTS, wired, adapted to your type of box, the weight of the shutter, its power, etc.).
  • Find and buy the Somfy motor replacement kit on their website, along with the user manual, its characteristics to be sure that the one you have chosen is suitable for your shutter, and a detailed explanatory video for installing your new motor. You can also find in the section " Support » installation videos for all types of motors (Radio RTS or IO and wired).

For example, how to replace the motor of a radio or wired roller shutter with the RTS or wired Somfy kit:

Check your warranties or hire a professional repairer

Finally, if you are not capable of handling, if you are not sure that the problem comes from the motor of the Somfy roller shutter, or for any other reason, you can contact a professional. He will then be able to identify the fault and replace the defective component, engine or other.

Once again, if the Somfy shutter motor that no longer works is still under warranty, contact the Somfy Assistance service for free intervention. If your shutter is no longer eligible for warranty, you can still contact Somfy assistance by telephone or via the online breakdown assistance form to obtain a diagnosis and repair quickly. They guarantee intervention within 72 hours in the event of an engine problem. If you prefer, you can also hire an independent repairer who specializes in carpentry repair to compare quotes.

Note: Also remember to check if you are entitled to the ten-year guarantee (France) or if a clause in your home insurance contract covers the repair of your roller shutters.

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