If your garage door opener won’t work, check power, remotes, safety sensors, door balance, and travel limits before calling a technician.
Nothing sours a morning like a stuck garage door. This guide walks you through smart, safe checks that solve the most common “garage door opener won’t work” problems at home. You’ll test power, remotes, sensors, and the door itself, then move to simple adjustments. If a step calls for tools or heavy parts, you’ll see a clear safety note first.
Garage Door Opener Not Working: Quick Diagnostics
Start with fast checks you can do in a minute or two. Many no-go openers come back to life with one of these fixes.
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fast Test |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing happens | No power or tripped GFCI | Plug a lamp into the outlet; press GFCI reset |
| Wall button works, remotes don’t | Lock mode on wall control or dead remote battery | Check lock LED; replace coin cell |
| Opener clicks, light flashes, won’t close | Safety sensors blocked or misaligned | Clear the path; realign photo-eyes until LEDs stay solid |
| Motor hums, door doesn’t move | Door is stuck or trolley is disconnected | Pull the red release; move door by hand; re-engage |
| Stops short or reopens | Travel or force settings off | Run a cycle; adjust per your model |
Power And Controls: The Fast Wins
Outlet, GFCI, And Breaker
Confirm the opener has power. Plug in a lamp at the ceiling outlet. If it’s dead, look for a garage GFCI outlet with a reset button and press reset. If the outlet still has no juice, check the circuit breaker and switch it fully off and back on. Many “dead opener” calls end right here. For a quick refresher on how GFCI protection works, see the Electrical Safety Foundation International’s GFCI guide.
Wall Control Lock/Vacation Mode
Most wall consoles include a lock feature that disables all remotes and keypads. If the wall button runs the door but every remote is silent, look for a lit “lock” icon or blinking LED on the console, then press and hold the lock key for a few seconds to toggle it off. Try a remote again.
Remote, Keypad, And myQ
Swap the remote’s coin cell (often a CR2032), wipe sticky buttons, and try again while standing near the door. If a keypad wakes the light but won’t move the door, reprogram it using the opener’s Learn button. App control down? Reboot the router and the opener; then resync the app if needed. When a remote comes back only inches from the opener, radio noise or a weak battery is likely. Replace the battery, switch to garage-rated bulbs, and test from the driveway.
Safety Sensors Stop The Door Closing
Photo-eye sensors near the floor watch for people, pets, and gear. If they’re blocked or out of line, the opener refuses to close and often flashes the light. Clean both lenses with a soft cloth, then align the brackets so the LEDs on both sensors glow steady. A steady pair of lights means the beam is solid; a flicker means adjust again. Test by waving a broom through the beam while the door closes—the door should reverse.
Rules And Good Practice
Every modern residential opener must include a working reversing system and an external entrapment device such as photo-eyes. Keep those sensors mounted low near the floor, keep them clean, and test the reverse feature monthly. For context on the safety rules that drove these designs, see the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s rule notice.
Door Balance, Tracks, And The Trolley
Pull the red release to put the opener in manual mode. Lift the door by hand: it should move smoothly and stay near halfway without dropping. If the door drags, binds, or feels far too heavy, the opener may be fine; the door needs attention before any more tests.
Re-engage After Manual Release
To reconnect, pull the release cord toward the opener so the trolley latch clicks, then run the opener once. The trolley catches the arm automatically and normal operation returns. If the trolley won’t catch, run the opener again with the door closed; the latch grabs more easily when the arm sits in its home position.
Tracks And Rollers
Look for bent track, loose bolts, or flat-spotted rollers. Tighten track brackets gently, straighten minor bends, and wipe the tracks clean. Use a silicone-based spray on rollers and hinges. Loud scraping or a door that shifts out of the tracks calls for a visit from a garage door pro. If the track has wide dents or the door sits crooked, stop and book service.
Travel And Force: Small Dials, Big Results
When a door stops short, reopens partway, or slams the floor, the travel or force settings need a tweak. On older units, two screws set how far the door travels up or down. Newer models use Up/Down buttons and a quick “learn” sequence. Small moves make big changes, so go in tiny steps.
Set Travel (Open/Close Distance)
Run the door to the open position. Adjust the Up travel so the door clears the header without bouncing off the stops. Close the door and adjust the Down travel so the bottom seal just compresses against the floor—no gap and no crush. Make one small change, run a full cycle, and only then decide on the next nudge.
Set Force (Push/Pull)
Force is the power the opener applies. Too little and the door stops or reverses. Too much and it may not reverse on contact. Follow your model’s steps to enter force learn mode or turn the tiny dials a notch at a time. After any change, perform a safety reversal test with a 2×4 laid flat under the door; the door must reverse on contact. If the test fails, reduce Down force, verify sensor alignment, and test again.
When The Motor Runs But Nothing Moves
If the chain or belt turns but the door stays put, the trolley may be disengaged. Re-attach it using the release cord steps above. If the motor hums and then shuts off, stop and test the door by hand again. A broken spring leaves the door heavy; do not run the opener until a trained tech fixes the spring and sets balance. A balanced door lets the opener move the load with ease and protects the motor.
Common Error Patterns And Fixes
Use these fast reads to match what you see.
Remotes Fail Only Outside
Fresh battery, still no response? Try opening from closer range or from a different angle to rule out radio interference. LED bulbs near the opener can also create noise; try garage-rated bulbs. If the keypad works and remotes don’t, press and hold the Learn button to clear codes, then pair each remote again and test range.
Door Reverses At The Bottom
Check the bottom seal and the floor for raised spots. If the seal hits a ridge, reduce Down travel slightly and retest the reverse. Not fixed? Increase Down force one notch and test again. If the door still pops back up, clean the sensors and inspect the tracks for a rub point near the floor.
Opener Light Flashes And Clicks
This usually points to the safety sensors. Clean, align, check the wires at the opener, and watch for steady LEDs on both photo-eyes. If one LED stays dark no matter what, look for a pinch in the thin sensor wire along the wall or near the opener’s terminals.
Wall Button Works, Phone App Doesn’t
Reconnect the opener to Wi-Fi and reboot the router. Many apps need the opener within a certain distance of the router, so try a closer temporary router spot during setup. Once the app reconnects, move the router back and test again.
Keypad Won’t Run The Door
Replace the keypad battery, clean the keys, and reprogram the PIN. If it wakes the light but won’t close, check the lock feature on the wall console and sensor LEDs before you reset codes.
Quick Maintenance That Prevents The Next Stall
Wipe sensor lenses, snug hinge screws, and lube rollers twice a year. Replace remote batteries yearly. Keep the bottom seal in good shape so the door meets the floor cleanly. Mark a date on the opener cover after each safety reversal test. A minute now saves an early-morning scramble later.
DIY Or Call A Pro?
Do the power checks, sensor work, remote programming, travel/force tweaks, and light track fixes at home. Spring replacement, cable work, bent track rebuilds, and panels that bind call for a seasoned technician with the right bars, cones, and PPE. A smooth, balanced door lets the opener run quietly and last longer.
| Task | Safe For DIY? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor clean/align | Yes | Light duty, visual checks |
| Travel/force adjustments | Yes | Small tweaks, test after |
| Remote/keypad programming | Yes | Uses Learn button steps |
| Track tightening, minor bends | Maybe | Stop if the door binds |
| Spring, cable, shaft work | No | Stored energy hazards |
Printable Fix List
1) Power at outlet? 2) Wall console lock off? 3) New remote battery and reprogram? 4) Clean and align sensors, test reverse. 5) Door balanced by hand? 6) Travel and force set with small steps and a 2×4 test. If the door still fights you—or feels heavy—pause the tests and book a visit.