Garage door not opening or not closing? Causes and safe checks

Why is my garage door not closing or not opening?

If the door starts down and then goes back up, or will not close at all, the safety sensors are the usual cause: the beam is blocked, a lens is dirty or one sensor is out of line^[1]. If the door will not open, check power, the remote battery and lock mode first, then look for a broken spring, which can make the door too heavy for the opener^[3][4][7].

Match your pattern to the table, then do only the checks marked safe.

What happens	Likely causes	Safe for you to check?
Door starts down, then goes back up	Safety sensors blocked, dirty or misaligned[1]; close limit set too far[4]	Sensors: yes. Limits: technician
Opener light flashes, door will not close	Sensors (10 flashes) or LOCK button on (2 flashes), on Chamberlain and LiftMaster units[1]	Yes
Remote does nothing, wall button works	Dead remote battery, lock or vacation mode[4]	Yes
Nothing works, no lights	No power at the outlet or a tripped breaker[3]	Yes
Motor runs, door does not move	Opener disengaged by the release cord[3]; broken spring[7]	Check the cord only if the door is closed
Door opens only a foot, or moves and stops	Broken spring[7]; limit or force settings[3]	Spring: technician
Door stops or reverses partway every time	Door binding, or something in the track; force setting[3]	Clear the track: yes. Force: technician
Door is crooked, jammed or off its rollers	Off track or a broken cable[7]	No. Technician

Safe check 1: the safety sensors

Since 1993, federal rules have required an external entrapment device such as an electric eye on garage door openers, and CPSC says the eye should sit 4 to 6 inches above the floor^[6]. Chamberlain puts its sensors on each side of the door no higher than 6 inches^[1]. Genie says its beams must be at least 5 and no more than 6 inches from the floor^[5]. If the beam is blocked or the sensors cannot "see" each other, the door will not close. That is the system working as designed.

What you can do:

1. Clear the path. Move bins, rakes, leaves and anything hanging on the door.
2. Wipe both lenses with a soft cloth. Genie and Clopay both recommend cleaning the lenses^[4][7].
3. Check the lights. On Chamberlain and LiftMaster sensors, one has an amber light and the other a green light; Chamberlain says direct sunlight on the receiving sensor can mimic an obstruction^[1]. On Genie units, both the red and green lights should be on^[5].
4. Re-aim a sensor. Chamberlain says to adjust a sensor so its lens faces the other one and tighten the wing nut once the light glows steadily^[1].
5. Test it. Run the door. If it closes without reversing, the sensors were the problem. The monthly sensor and reversal tests are in the maintenance guide.

If a light stays off after cleaning and aiming, the cause may be wiring or a failed sensor^[5]. HomeGuide puts sensor replacement at $125 to $300^[8], and HomeAdvisor puts sensor realignment at $150 to $250^[9].

Do not bypass the sensors. Some openers close if you hold the wall button down, but Chamberlain notes openers and logic boards made after February 3, 2022 no longer have that feature^[1]. Never tape, unplug or remount sensors high on the wall to get around them.

Safe check 2: remote, keypad and lock mode

• Batteries. Genie says a dead remote battery is a common cause^[4]. Replace it with the type printed in the remote or the manual.
• Lock or vacation mode. Chamberlain says two flashes mean the LOCK button on the door control is on, which locks out remotes^[1]. Genie calls its version Sure-Lock or vacation mode^[3].
• LED bulbs. Genie says some energy-efficient bulbs can interfere with the remote signal^[3].

Safe check 3: power

Genie suggests plugging a lamp into the opener's outlet. If the lamp does not work, check the breaker or fuse^[3]. Genie also notes an opener that stops working after a storm, with power on, may have a damaged circuit board^[4]. That is a job for a technician.

Safe check 4: the manual release, only with the door fully closed

The red emergency release cord disconnects the door from the opener. Chamberlain says to use it only when the door is fully closed, if possible, and never to pull it to raise or lower the door^[2]. If you pull it and then lift the door, stop if the door feels unusually heavy, will not stay open or slams shut. Chamberlain says a heavy door indicates a spring problem requiring professional service^[2]. If the door is open or partly open, leave the cord alone.

If someone pulled the cord earlier, the opener motor may run without moving the door. Genie says to check whether the carriage is re-engaged^[3]. Follow your opener manual to reconnect it.

What to leave to a technician

• Springs and cables. If you see a gap in the spring or a loose cable, stop. See broken garage door spring.
• Tracks. A door that is crooked or has rollers out of the track should not be run^[7]. See garage door off track.
• Limit and force settings. Genie lists these as causes of a door that reverses or stops partway^[3]. Force settings control how hard the door pushes before it reverses. Getting them wrong can defeat the safety system, so have a technician set them and run the reversal test.
• Wiring and circuit boards. Shorted or stapled sensor wires and failed boards^[3].

When to call a pro

• The door reverses or will not close after you clean and aim the sensors.
• You see a broken spring, a loose cable, a bent track or a crooked door.
• The motor runs but the door does not move, and the release cord has not been pulled.
• The door fails the reversal test after any repair. CPSC says to disengage the opener until it is adjusted, repaired or replaced^[6].