> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flexwash.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Gates Opening Randomly (Gate Queue Out of Sync)

> What to do when a tunnel gate opens on its own and backs up the queue.

## Symptom

One of the tunnel gates (Gate 1, Gate 2, or Gate 3) opens on its own — repeatedly and at random throughout the day — even when no car should be triggering it. The extra opens back up the gate queue and clog the tunnel.

## Cause

The gate queue has gotten **out of sync**. The most common reason is that an operator is **manually opening the gate for members** at the entrance. Each manual open adds a car to the gate queue that never gets matched and cleared, so the queue keeps growing and the gate keeps firing.

## How to fix it from the tunnel tablet

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the main menu">
    On the tunnel tablet, tap the **Coordinator** link in the top left to return to the main menu.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to Gate Control">
    From the menu, tap **Gate Control**.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/flexwash/0HNTfP4KqiQMA9rS/technical/troubleshooting/gates-opening-randomly/navigate-to-gate-control.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=0HNTfP4KqiQMA9rS&q=85&s=961c37607addc1b368b2b0eec420864a" alt="Navigate to Gate Control" width="1881" height="962" data-path="technical/troubleshooting/gates-opening-randomly/navigate-to-gate-control.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the backed-up gate">
    You'll see Gate 1, Gate 2, and Gate 3 with cars stacked beneath them (license plate + photo). The gate with several cars queued under it is the one that's out of sync.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Drain the queue">
    For each stacked car, tap **Move to Wash Queue**. This moves the cars out of the gate queue and into the wash queue, clearing the backup so the gate stops firing on its own.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/flexwash/0HNTfP4KqiQMA9rS/technical/troubleshooting/gates-opening-randomly/move-to-wash-queue.jpeg?fit=max&auto=format&n=0HNTfP4KqiQMA9rS&q=85&s=b443b2f83566985327a40a84a6ad616a" alt="Manually move vehicles to the Wash Queue" width="1881" height="962" data-path="technical/troubleshooting/gates-opening-randomly/move-to-wash-queue.jpeg" />
    </Frame>

    These are stale, unmatched entries, so once they're in the wash queue you can delete them from there.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Clear the merge loop if needed">
    If the banner **"Waiting for close signal…"** is showing across the top, tap **Clear Merge Loop** to reset it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## If the gate is still misbehaving

As a reset, **restart the web service** to flush the queue. This clears the backup immediately — but if the underlying behavior continues, the queue will fill up again, so treat it as a quick fix rather than the cure.

## Prevention

**Stop manually opening the gate for members.** Manual opens are the usual root cause. Let the system match members through the normal flow instead of opening the gate by hand. If a member needs to be let through, move them through the wash queue rather than manually triggering the gate.

## When to escalate

If the queue keeps backing up after you've drained it and stopped manual opens, contact FlexWash support.
