When a garage door opener only clicks, check power, lock mode, sensors, travel limits, and springs; simple checks solve most cases.
Click… and nothing. When the motor unit clicks but the panel light or opener doesn’t drive the door, you’re dealing with a simple control or safety block in most cases. Start with fast, low-risk checks. Save spring or cable work for a pro.
Door Clicks But Won’t Move — Causes And Quick Checks
The click tells you the logic board is receiving a command. Something down the line is saying “not safe” or “not ready.” The list below ranks the usual culprits from easiest to fix to items that call for service.
| Symptom | Likely Cause | First Check |
|---|---|---|
| Wall button works; remotes don’t | Lock mode on wall panel | Toggle the lock/light button; test a remote |
| Lights flash, door won’t close | Safety sensors blocked/misaligned | Clear path; align sensors until both LEDs stay solid |
| Single click; no light, no hum | No power or tripped breaker/GFCI | Verify outlet power; reset GFCI/breaker; test with lamp |
| Door starts then reverses | Close limit too short; excessive friction | Adjust travel/force per manual; lube rollers/hinges |
| Remote/keypad dead near driveway | RF interference or dead battery | Swap battery; test from 5–10 ft; move/turn off noisy devices |
| Door feels stuck even on manual | Broken spring or cable issue | Stop, call a technician; don’t force the door |
Safety First Before Any Hands-On Step
Disconnect the opener only after the door is fully down. If the door is mid-travel, keep it supported; an unbalanced door can drop fast. Leave torsion spring, cable, and drum work to trained techs. Modern openers rely on entrapment protection and photo-eyes covered by UL 325 safety standard requirements; never bypass these devices in normal use.
Fast Power Checks That Clear Many “Click Only” Cases
Confirm The Outlet And Circuit
Unplug the opener and plug in a small lamp. No light means no power. Check the ceiling outlet’s upstream GFCI on a wall receptacle and the service panel breaker. Reset once. If trips return right away, stop and have the circuit or opener checked.
Look For A Loose Plug Or Extension Cord
Vibration can work a plug loose. Seat it firmly. Skip extension cords; they drop voltage and create nuisance clicks without motor drive.
Battery Backup Quirk
Some models switch to battery backup when line power is out of spec. If the unit chirps or shows a battery icon yet won’t run the door, restore solid line power first.
Sensor And Photo-Eye Fixes That Restore Closing
When lights flash and the door refuses to close, the photo-eyes are doing their job. A beam block or a shaky bracket is the top cause of a clicking opener with no movement.
Clear The Path And Clean The Lenses
Move brooms, bins, and tires away from the bottom of the tracks. Wipe each lens with a soft cloth. Cobwebs and dust create false trips.
Align The Photo-Eyes
Stand near the sensors and see the LEDs: one sends, one receives. The receiving side should glow steady. If it blinks or stays off, loosen the wing nut, level the head, and tighten when the LED turns solid. Chamberlain/LiftMaster provides step-by-step sensor alignment steps with LED behavior.
Sturdy Up The Mounts
Lightweight clip-on brackets can vibrate out of level. If a nudge changes the LED, add a self-tapping screw through the bracket slot to lock position.
Remote, Keypad, And Wall Panel Checks
Rule Out Lock Mode
If the wall control runs the door but remotes only cause a click, the lock feature is likely on. Press and hold the lock button for a few seconds. Test a remote again. Many wall panels show a tiny lock icon when this feature is active.
Relearn A Remote After Battery Change
Swap the coin cell, then relearn the remote. Press the opener’s learn button until the LED blinks, press the remote, wait for the confirm flash or click. If the learn light never blinks, the logic board may lack power or be in an error state.
Cut RF Noise During Testing
Unplug nearby transmitters during diagnosis: wireless doorbells, baby monitors, LED shop lights with cheap drivers, even certain routers. Reconnect one by one and test range after each change to spot the noisy device.
Travel Limits And Force — Small Adjustments, Big Results
Doors that start closing, tap the floor, then reopen aren’t “haunted.” The down limit is stopping the travel a touch early, so the opener reads contact as an obstruction. Correct by adding a small amount of down travel, then fine-tune force only if needed.
Identify Your Adjustment Style
Older heads use two screws labeled “Up/Down Limit” and separate “Open/Close Force.” Newer units use arrow buttons and a set/learn button. Chamberlain/LiftMaster support pages describe both methods, including how many turns or button presses equal a small travel change.
Adjust Down Travel First
With the door closed, add a minor increment of down travel, then run a full open/close cycle. Aim for a firm seal without crushing the weatherstrip. If reversal persists, add one more minor increment. Don’t jump multiple turns at once.
Set Close Force Last
Increase close force only enough to maintain a seal. Over-cranking masks friction or a binding track. The safe sequence is: travel correct → force minimal.
Door Balance And Hardware Friction
Test Balance Safely
Pull the red release with the door fully down. Lift by hand to waist height. A balanced door stays at mid-travel with little effort. If it slams down or shoots up, stop and schedule a spring service visit.
Lube And Tighten
Use a silicone or white-lithium spray on rollers, hinges, and bearings. Tighten track fasteners just snug. Bent track or a roller missing bearings can trick the opener into thinking it hit something, leading to a click and no move.
When Power Exists But The Motor Won’t Run
Capacitor Or Drive Gear
A failed start capacitor or stripped nylon gear can produce a click from the relay with no motor motion. You may hear a faint hum. These are repairable parts, but testing involves live circuits or opener disassembly. If you’re not set up for that, call a shop.
GFCI Nuisance Trips
Some openers trip a shared GFCI during startup surge. If your outlet dies only when the head tries to run, note the exact time the trip occurs and share it with an electrician. Never bypass protection to “get it working.”
What “Click Only” Sounds Tell You
Single Click, No Light
Power loss or an open thermal fuse. Check the outlet, GFCI, and cord first.
Click With Flashing Light
A safety input is blocking movement. Re-align photo-eyes; check the door for binding; confirm lock mode is off.
Rapid Clicking
Low voltage or a failing power supply. If the unit resets or the display flickers, isolate the opener on its own outlet and retest.
Hands-On Steps You Can Do In Ten Minutes
- Verify power with a lamp at the ceiling outlet. Reset the correct GFCI/breaker once.
- Toggle the wall panel lock. Test a remote from 5–10 feet.
- Clean and align photo-eyes until both LEDs are steady.
- Disengage to manual only with the door fully down. Test smooth travel by hand.
- Add a tiny down-travel increment; run a full cycle; adjust once more if needed.
- Spray light lube on rollers and hinges; wipe excess.
Deeper Fixes And When To Call A Pro
Stop and schedule service for these conditions: broken torsion or extension spring, frayed cables, bent shaft, burned electronics, repeated breaker trips, stripped drive gear, or a section that’s cracked. A correct spring match and safe winding are not DIY chores.
Parts, Lifespans, And Telltales
| Part | Typical Lifespan/Clue | DIY Or Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Torsion/extension springs | ~7–12 years by cycle count; visible gap in coil means broken | Pro only |
| Rollers & hinges | Squeal, wobble, flat spots; annual lube extends life | DIY for lube; pro for swap if pinned |
| Photo-eyes | Blinking LED, false trips in sun glare or vibration | DIY alignment/replacement |
| Travel limit switches | Stops short or reopens after “touch” | DIY micro-adjust |
| Start capacitor | Relay click, faint hum, no motor spin | Pro preferred |
| Drive gear/sprocket | Grinding, chain slack, no pull | Pro or advanced DIY |
Step-By-Step: Sensor Alignment That Actually Stays Put
Level The Brackets
Back the wing nuts off. Use a short torpedo level on each head. Nudge until the bubble centers, then snug the nuts. If your brackets flex, add a screw through the slot.
Dial In The LED
Power on. Rotate the receiving head slowly until the LED goes solid. Tighten gently; over-torque can twist alignment off level.
Test A Real Close Cycle
Use a scrap 2×4 laid flat to verify reversal still works. Pull it out and run a normal close. The door should seal, the light should stay steady, and the opener should not re-open.
Travel And Force: A Clean Setup Once, Then Leave It
Use small steps. With screw-style adjusters, one quarter-turn equals a tiny travel change. With button-style, tap once, run a cycle, then tap again. Chamberlain/LiftMaster host model-specific guides and videos on opener adjustments if you need the exact sequence for your head.
Bottom Line Fix Plan
- Power first: outlet, GFCI, breaker, solid plug.
- Lock off: wall panel lock disabled; remotes relearned.
- Sensors true: path clear, LEDs solid, brackets tight.
- Travel right: add a touch of down travel, then set close force low.
- Smooth door: balanced by hand, rollers lubed, hardware snug.
- Call help for springs, cables, repeated trips, or dead motor drive.
FAQ-Free Note
This guide keeps answers in the body rather than a bolt-on FAQ block, so readers get the fix without extra scrolling. If your unit shows a unique flash code or display number, check the exact model manual for that code path.