A Troubleshooting Guide to Garage Door Opener Problems

Garage door openers come in all different shapes and sizes, but almost all of them have the same parts that will fail at one time or another. Calling a garage door company can get expensive, and may suggest you replace your opener without really looking for the problem.
So what can you do to avoid costly repairs or having to replace the opener? There are 6 problems that can be easily and identified by someone with little or no experience when it comes to garage door openers. While these may help remedy your problem, you should not attempt to replace anything electrical as this can cause serious injury or even death.
PROBLEM #1: The remote doesn’t work.

TROUBLESHOOT: If the door opens and closes fine when you use the wall switch, there’s a problem with the remote control. Make sure you are holding the remote within range of the garage door opener and that the motor units antenna is hanging down. Replace the batteries in the device if necessary and check that it has been correctly programmed. Still not working? You might need to purchase a new remote; make sure that it is compatible with your opener, or select a universal model.
PROBLEM #2: The remote works, but the door still does not move.
TROUBLESHOOT: When the garage door opener does not work with either the remote or the wall switch, look at the lights. If they’re not on, the unit is not receiving power. Verify that the motor unit is connected. See whether the outlet is working and check the circuit breaker, fuse or ground fault circuit interrupter to determine whether you have an electrical problem on your hands. If none of these work, it is most likely time to replace your opener.
PROBLEM #3: The door either doesn’t close fully or reverses as soon as it hits the floor.
TROUBLESHOOT: Have a look at the close limit switch. The garage door opener limit switch tells the motor that lifts and lowers the garage door when to stop running, and may need adjustment. Incorrectly set limit switches may prevent your garage door from closing completely or opening all the way. If this doesn’t solve the problem, try manually raising and lowering your garage door to make sure that it is binding.
PROBLEM #4: The door opens and closes all the way, but the opener’s motor continues to run.
TROUBLESHOOT: Once again, this probably means that the close limit switch requires adjustment. Try moving it away from or towards the opener.
PROBLEM #5: The door reverses before it even touches the floor.
TROUBLESHOOT: Check whether there is any obstruction blocking the doors smooth closure. If not, try adjusting the close force. This also could be a limit switch malfunction, as they can also cause the opener to reverse or pull back up when you attempt to close it, which can seem like a malfunction or that someone else is using a garage door opener remote that is on the same frequency as yours. This is actually caused by a safety mechanism meant to protect people from being hit and having the door close on them. Resetting the limit switch will stop your garage door from behaving erratically.
PROBLEM #6: The opener stops in the middle of operation or fails to engage at all.
TROUBLESHOOT: As of 1993, garage door openers come equipped with a pair of sensor beams. These increase safety but may sometimes cause performance problems. Ensure that both beam lights are on (one red and one green) and that nothing is interfering with their function. This could be one of several things: improper alignment of the sensors, a physical object between them, or grime or moisture on their surface.

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