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Garage Door Won't Close? How to Fix It
When a garage door reverses or refuses to close, the cause is usually the safety sensors near the floor: dirty, misaligned or blocked. Next most common are the close limit setting and an obstruction in the track.
Safety first
- Never adjust, loosen or remove the torsion spring, cables or bottom brackets. They are under extreme tension; call a garage door pro.
- Keep hands out of the rollers and hinges, and unplug the opener before working near the carriage.
Tools
- Soft cloth
- Level or tape measure
- Screwdriver
- Step ladder
Parts
- Safety sensor pair for your opener brand, only if a sensor is damaged
Step by step
Watch the lights
Look at the small sensors on each side of the door near the floor. Most have a steady light on both; a blinking or off light means misalignment or a blocked beam.
Clean and clear
Wipe both sensor lenses and move anything blocking the beam: leaves, boxes, cobwebs or a sagging bracket.
Realign the sensors
Loosen the wing nut, aim the sensors straight at each other at the same height, and tighten until both lights are steady.
Check the wires
Follow the thin wires from each sensor to the opener and look for staples through the wire, chew marks or loose terminals.
Adjust the close limit
If the door touches the floor and reverses, turn the opener's down-limit adjustment slightly per the manual so it stops right at the floor.
Test the safety reverse
Lay a 2x4 flat under the door and close it. It must reverse on contact. If it doesn't, don't use the opener until it's fixed.
When to call a pro
Call a garage door pro for broken springs, frayed cables, a door off its track, or a door that's heavy to lift by hand.
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