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- Garage door openers
2 short red flashes
Nice gate motor 2 short red flashes: photocell active
Risk level
Medium
Proceed carefully and stop if the check is unclear.
Urgency
Medium
Quick answer
On a Nice MC424L control unit for Wingo, Too, and Sfab motors, 2 short red flashes (1-second pause, then 2 short red flashes) indicate intervention of a photocell. Clear obstacles, leaves, or stones and wipe the lenses with a slightly damp soft cloth without bypassing any sensor.
Safety first
Stop and check this first
- Never bridge, bypass, or disable safety photocells to clear 2 short red flashes, and never transit through the gate until it is fully open and stationary.
- Always manually unlock the motor before cleaning photocell glass or removing leaves and stones so the gate cannot be moved accidentally.
Safe checks you can perform
- Confirm the 2-flash pattern and clear the gate path
- Unlock the motor manually and wipe the photocell glass
- Note which movement direction is blocked or reversed
Leave these tasks to a qualified professional
- Do not attempt this professional task: Check PHOTO, PHOTO1, and AUX terminal LEDs on the MC424L
- Do not attempt this professional task: Inspect photocell wiring and alignment with power disconnected
What a technician must be able to justify
Technician visit
These are the steps they must carry out and show you. Tick them as they work: if steps are skipped, do not accept a part swap.
These are not instructions for opening or handling the equipment yourself. They are the checks that should support a technical conclusion.
Check PHOTO, PHOTO1, and AUX terminal LEDs on the MC424L
What they doThe installer inspects the MC424L terminal LEDs to see whether PHOTO, PHOTO1, or AUX is OFF (signalling input intervention) and checks whether Level 1 function L4 (Phototest) is active.
They must show youthe lit or unlit status of the PHOTO, PHOTO1, and AUX LEDs alongside the OK LED signal.
In writingwhich photocell input triggered the 2 short red flashes and the status of Phototest on L4.
Inspect photocell wiring and alignment with power disconnected
What they doWith mains electricity and any PS124 backup battery disconnected, the technician checks the NC or Phototest wiring on the photocell terminals, restores alignment, and logs the test.
They must show youall active photocell input LEDs lit steady on the board and proper reversal when a beam is interrupted.
In writingwiring and optical alignment work completed, commissioning test result, and updated maintenance record.
Before accepting a part or repair
Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.
Follow these steps
Note: Follow the documented order. An error code identifies the affected system, but it does not prove by itself which part has failed.
Confirm the 2-flash pattern and clear the gate path
- Who:
- you, standing outside the swing radius of the gate leaves while the gate is at a standstill.
- How:
- count whether the warning light or status indicator emits two short flashes, a 1-second pause, and two more flashes, and check that no people, vehicles, leaves, or stones block the beam.
- Result that matters:
- rule out a physical obstruction across the PHOTO, PHOTO1, or PHOTO2 detection zones.
- If an obstacle was blocking the beam and normal travel resumes once removed:
- note what caused the stop.
- If the path is clear but the 2-flash signal continues:
- clean the photocell glass with the motor unlocked.
- Evidence to keep:
- confirmed 2-flash sequence with a 1-second pause and clear gate travel zone.
Evidence: Nice MC424L for Wingo Too and Sfab: Installation and use instructions (IDV0619A00EN)
Unlock the motor manually and wipe the photocell glass
- Who:
- you, following Nice's user maintenance instructions before working near the gate.
- How:
- manually unlock the motor to prevent anyone from accidentally moving the gate, gently wipe the photocell glass components with a soft, slightly damp cloth, and relock the motor afterward.
- Result that matters:
- complete the periodic lens cleaning and debris removal permitted to the owner by Nice.
- If wiping the lenses clears the 2 short red flashes after relocking:
- monitor the next gate cycles.
- If the 2-flash signal persists after cleaning:
- do not alter control unit settings and call your installer.
- Evidence to keep:
- completed lens cleaning and gate response when a new command is sent.
Evidence: Nice MC424L for Wingo Too and Sfab: Installation and use instructions (IDV0619A00EN)
Note which movement direction is blocked or reversed
- Who:
- you, observing the gate from a safe distance without opening the MC424L enclosure.
- How:
- record whether the interruption happens only during closing (PHOTO), during both opening and closing (PHOTO1), or causes reversal during opening (PHOTO2 on AUX).
- Result that matters:
- help the technician identify which photocell pair intervened on the MC424L layout.
- If you identify whether opening, closing, or both directions are affected:
- share this with the installer.
- If no movement starts in either direction:
- report this so the technician checks PHOTO1 and L4 Phototest.
- Evidence to keep:
- affected movement direction and repeated 2-flash pattern observed.
Evidence: Nice MC424L for Wingo Too and Sfab: Installation and use instructions (IDV0619A00EN)
Still not solved
If the error persists, stop here. See what the technician must do and show you.
Where this code applies
A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.
Primary scope
- System
- Networks
- Brand
- Nice
- Product type
- Garage door openers
Known code variants
- 2 parpadeos breves en rojo
- 2 parpadeos rojos pausa de 1 segundo 2 parpadeos rojos
- 2 short red flashes 1-second pause 2 short red flashes
- Intervención de una fotocélula Nice MC424L
- Intervention of a photocell
- Nice MC424L 2 red flashes
What it means
Nice's manual for the MC424L control unit (IDV0619A00EN), which drives 24 V Wingo (WG2024, WG3524, WG4024, WG5024), Too (TOO3024, TOO4524), and Sfab (XME2024) swing gate actuators, assigns 2 short red flashes on the OK LED (and on the warning light, repeated after a 1-second pause) to photocell intervention. Other Nice units may differ. This signal alone does not prove a photocell is defective.
Warnings and stop conditions
- Highsource verified
Never bridge, bypass, or disable safety photocells to clear 2 short red flashes, and never transit through the gate until it is fully open and stationary.
Evidence: Nice MC424L for Wingo Too and Sfab: Installation and use instructions (IDV0619A00EN)
- Mediumsource verified
Always manually unlock the motor before cleaning photocell glass or removing leaves and stones so the gate cannot be moved accidentally.
Evidence: Nice MC424L for Wingo Too and Sfab: Installation and use instructions (IDV0619A00EN)
Symptoms and causes
Probable causes · in order
- Obstruction across the PHOTO, PHOTO1, or PHOTO2 beamCommon
An obstacle, leaves, or stones interrupting a photocell beam prevent consent to start or trigger a movement reversal during travel.
Evidence: Nice MC424L for Wingo Too and Sfab: Installation and use instructions (IDV0619A00EN)
- Dirty photocell glass lenses or optical misalignmentPossible
Surface dirt on the photocell glass components or misaligned optics keeps the safety input open and triggers the 2-flash signal.
Evidence: Nice MC424L for Wingo Too and Sfab: Installation and use instructions (IDV0619A00EN)
- Fault on PHOTO/PHOTO1 wiring or Phototest verificationPossible
A wiring issue on the PHOTO, PHOTO1, or AUX (PHOTO2) inputs, or a failed Phototest check when L4 is enabled, blocks the manoeuvre.
Evidence: Nice MC424L for Wingo Too and Sfab: Installation and use instructions (IDV0619A00EN)
Virtual technician
Does 2 short red flashes still appear after these checks?
Answer a few questions to narrow down the likely cause and the safest next action. Guidance only - it never replaces a professional.
Sources and technical references
- 1
Nice MC424L para Wingo Too y Sfab: Instrucciones de instalacion y uso (IDV0619A00ES)
Nice S.p.A. · 2026 · official_doc
- 2
Nice MC424L for Wingo Too and Sfab: Installation and use instructions (IDV0619A00EN)
Nice S.p.A. · 2026 · official_doc
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