How to Troubleshoot Common Garage Door Opener Problems

How to Troubleshoot Common Garage Door Opener Problems

If you’ve ever lived somewhere that required you to park your car outside, you know what a convenience it is to have a garage. Parking outside leaves your car exposed to the elements, which can lead to plenty of problems. 

However, when you start to have garage door opener issues, the convenience is quickly negated. If the door only closes partway or doesn’t respond to the remote, it can be frustrating to deal with it when you don’t know what the problem is or what you should do about it. In this guide to garage door opener troubleshooting, we’ll discuss a number of issues and how you can diagnose the source.

Common Problems With Garage Door Openers

Even once you’ve pinned down the problem itself, it can still be challenging to determine the reason for it, and even more challenging to figure out how to fix it. Thankfully, the odds are high that it comes down to one of a few common reasons your garage door opener isn’t working.

Here’s a basic overview of each major issue, with an explanation of each possible cause and solution. Be aware that you may be having more than one problem at once, in which case the same cause will probably apply to both of them.

1. Garage Door Opener Switch Doesn’t Work

When you push the wall switch that operates the garage door opener and nothing happens, it may stem from one of the following issues:

Door Is Locked

A simple explanation for the problem may be that the door is locked. Most garage door switches have two buttons — one for opening and closing, and another for locking. If someone has pushed the lock button, whether intentionally or not, they’ve stopped the door from being able to open. Test this by pushing the lock button and trying again to open the door. If it works, you’ve solved the issue.

Motor Is Unplugged

An equally simple explanation may be that the motor is unplugged. Take a look at the motor, which is attached to the light near the ceiling at the end of the garage door chain. If the plug coming out of it isn’t inserted into the socket, you’ve found the problem. Just plug it back in, and you should be in good shape.

Photo-Eyes Are Faulty

A safety feature that exists in nearly all garage doors is the photo-eye sensor. Two sensors are placed at the bottom of the garage door opening, one on each side. These sensors project a beam of light to each other to verify that the opening is clear. If anything interrupts that beam, the photo-eyes prevent the door from closing. This is meant to prevent the door from hurting anyone or damaging anything in the process of closing.

Be aware that this should only affect closing, so if you can’t open the door either, the issue is probably something else. If the photo-eyes are to blame, though, you can easily fix them. First, make sure nothing is interrupting the beam. Then, check that the sensors are properly aligned to face one another. Finally, wipe off the lenses of each photo-eye to ensure that their line of sight isn’t clouded over with anything.

Circuit Breaker Is Tripping

If the door is unlocked and the motor is plugged in, it may be that the circuit breaker is tripping, or that a fuse has burned out. There’s a good chance you won’t be able to turn on the lights or other electric appliances in the garage either if this is the case. To fix this, try resetting the circuit breaker.

Motor Is Burnt Out

When you’ve tried all of the other options and still haven’t fixed the problem, it means you most likely have a burnt-out motor. At this point, it’s time to call a professional. They’ll have a look at your garage door opener, and after verifying the cause, will repair or replace your motor for you.

2. Garage Door Keypad Doesn’t Work

Not every home has a keypad to open the garage door, but if yours does, it can become faulty, too. If you put in the number sequence that you’ve programmed the opener with, only for the door to stay put, it could come down to a few different issues, such as:

Door Is Locked

As with the switch, it may just be that the door is locked. Try pushing the button on the switch to unlock it, and then put in the number on your keypad again. If it still doesn’t work, and particularly if you’re still able to open the garage door with the switch, the problem is probably specific to the keypad.

Batteries Are Dead

It can be easy to forget, but keypads aren’t usually plugged into the wall — they run on batteries. To keep them running, you’ll have to replace those batteries on occasion. The solution may be that simple. Replace all the batteries and see if it fixes the problem.

Keypad Is Out of Range

Unlike the wall switch, keypads aren’t directly connected to the garage door opener. They send a signal telling it to open, but that signal only has a certain range. If your keypad isn’t working, it may just be installed too far away from the garage door mechanism. Try operating it at a closer distance.

Photo-Eyes Are Faulty

As with the switch, it may be that the photo-eyes are keeping the door from closing. Check that nothing is blocking the connection between the two sensors, ensure they’re both aligned properly and wipe off each of the lenses. Again, this problem should only impact closing, so if you can’t open the door either, the issue lies somewhere else.

Keypad Needs Reprogramming

You can also try reprogramming the code you use to open the garage door with the keypad. You can check your manual for the exact details of how to do this on your particular opener, but it usually involves pressing a “learn” button on the motor and then inputting your desired code on the keypad. This process should essentially reset the motor to recognize the code being sent to it.

Antenna Is Faulty

When all else fails, the issue may not even be with the keypad itself. The keypad might be sending a signal just fine, only for the opener not to pick it up. There should be an antenna on the motor to receive the keypad’s signal, pointing straight downward. Double-check this antenna to verify that it’s secure and that it’s not pointing off in some other direction.

If you still can’t get it to work, but you suspect the antenna is the cause of the problem, you can call a professional to diagnose and fix your garage door opener.

3. Garage Door Opener Remote Doesn’t Work

In the same vein as the previous two problems, there can be times when you press the button on your remote, and the garage door doesn’t move. Here are a few potential causes, and how to fix them:

Door Is Locked

Once again, it may be that your door is simply locked. Press the lock button on your wall switch and try using the remote again.

Batteries Are Dead

Like with the keypad, you may simply need to replace the batteries in your remote. Try installing new ones, and see if the door opens.

Remote Is Out of Range

Also, like the keypad, your remote sends a wireless signal to the motor. From too great a distance, that signal won’t work. You may just be too far away — make sure you’re standing close enough to the motor when you use the remote.

Photo-Eyes Are Faulty

Once more, the photo-eyes may be responsible, though only if the malfunction is limited solely to closing. Check the connection path, ensure alignment and wipe the lenses.

4. Garage Door Doesn’t Close Properly

In some cases, the door will move when you push the button, only to malfunction partway through. Maybe it opens without a problem, but won’t fully close. Whether it doesn’t close at all, closes partway and then stops or closes all the way before immediately reversing and going back up, here are some possible causes and solutions to the problem:

Limits Are Off

It’s easy to take for granted that your garage door naturally stops in the right place when it opens and closes, but this isn’t inherently the case. The opening mechanism is programmed with a limit that tells it when to stop closing, so the motor doesn’t try to keep pushing it into the ground. If this limit is off from what it’s supposed to be, the door won’t stop in the right place.

Most openers let you adjust the limit by simply turning a screw in the motor. Check your manual for how this process works on your particular installation. If your door keeps trying to run into the ground, you’ll need to bring the limit back, whereas if the door doesn’t close all the way, you’ll want to push it forward a bit. Make sure you’re adjusting the “close” limit and not the “open” limit.

Photo-Eyes Are Faulty

If you haven’t already done so, give the photo-eye sensors a look. Some photo-eyes prevent the door from moving at all if their connection is broken, but others will let the door close partway before reversing its movement, or will simply stop it halfway down the track. In any case, you can fix this problem by clearing the path between the sensors, making sure they’re aligned and wiping off the lenses.

Rollers Are Damaged

Particularly if the door closes part way and then stops, the issue may be with the rollers or the metal tracks they roll along. The metal parts of the opener are susceptible to issues like rust, and in winter, they can contract slightly, causing resistance to the door’s movement. With enough resistance, the door will stop moving.

Check your rollers to see if this is the problem. A common solution is to apply lubricant oil to the rollers to help them move more smoothly. If that doesn’t work, it may be because the metal has become warped. Call a professional to have them examine the possible damage and help you repair the mechanism.

5. Garage Door Doesn’t Open Properly

If your doors aren’t having trouble closing, you may be encountering the opposite problem. Maybe the door will close well enough, but just won’t open — or perhaps it will open partway, but then stop. In either of these cases, the issue likely comes down to one of two things.

Limits Are Off

Just as your garage door has a limit for closing, it has another that tells it how far to open. If that limit isn’t set far enough back, the door will only open partway. Alternatively, it might be set too far, in which case you’ll hear the motor keep running even after the door’s stopped moving.

You can treat this issue by adjusting the “open” limit screw on the motor — again, consult your manual for the details on how to do this for your particular installation. Verify that you’re adjusting the “open” limit and not the “close” limit, and then move it accordingly, so the door stops in just the right place.

Rollers Are Damaged

Just like if your door has trouble closing, the issue may be that it has problems with the rollers. Try lubricating it to start with, and see if that fixes the problem. If it doesn’t, the metal tracks may be warped. To get that fixed, you’ll be best off calling in a professional to look at it.

6. Garage Door Motor Runs Without Door Moving

You may find that the motor responds to all of your controls without a problem — the door just doesn’t move. If you can hear the motor running, but the door stays put, there are two possible causes.

Limits Are Off

Once more, the issue may be that your limits are off. Note that if this is the cause, the door will still move, but the motor will simply keep running after it stops. This occurrence could happen in either direction, so you have to listen for when it does. In either case, you’ll need to dial back the appropriate limit, so the motor doesn’t keep trying to move the door after it’s gone as far as it can.

Door Is Disconnected From Belt

If the door doesn’t move at all, but you still hear the motor running, the door is probably disconnected from the belt. This disconnect most likely happened when someone pulled the emergency release cord. The specifics of reattaching the belt depend on the specific installation you have, so check your manual, but it should be a fairly straightforward manual process.

If this doesn’t fix the issue, the problem is likely beyond anything you should attempt to handle on your own. At that point, it’s time to call a professional for help.

Get Your Garage Door Opener Serviced Today

If you’re lucky, the issue you’re experiencing will be minor and something you can easily fix on your own. But, if you try each troubleshooting tip and none of them works, you know you need to bring in a professional who has the right experience to get the job done.

When that happens, look no further than Continental Door. We offer residential service throughout the greater Spokane, Washington, area and work with various brands such as Clopay, Linear and LiftMaster. We’ll be happy to take a look at your garage door and help you get it back in working order. Just get in touch with us today to get started!