Garage Door Won't Close? 7 Quick Fixes

This is the #1 cause (60% of cases). Safety sensors are the small boxes mounted on each side of the door, 4-6 inches above the ground. <strong>How they work</strong>: They shoot an invisible beam across the door opening. If beam is broken (by a person, pet, or object), the door reverses. <strong>Check alignment</strong>: Both sensors must face each other perfectly. Look at the indicator lights: - Both solid green/red: Aligned correctly - One or both blinking: Misaligned To realign: Loosen mounting screws slightly. Adjust sensor angle until both lights are solid. Tighten screws. Test: Close door with remote. Wave your hand between sensors. Door should reverse immediately. In Bend, ground settling and temperature expansion/contraction knock sensors out of alignment. Check quarterly.

Dirty lenses block the beam (25% of cases). Sensor lenses are small windows on the front of each sensor box. They collect: • Dust and cobwebs • Moisture condensation (common in Bend winters) • Dead insects • Grease from garage air Clean with soft cloth (microfiber works best). Don't use chemicals - just wipe dry. Check mounting brackets for spider webs. Spiders love sensor boxes - warm electronics attract insects. After cleaning, test door operation. If it closes now, problem solved. Bend-specific: Winter condensation fogs lenses. Keep garage ventilated. If condensation persists, sensors may be failing internally - replacement needed.

Obvious but often overlooked (10% of cases). Look for: • Trash cans too close to door • Bikes, lawn tools leaning against wall • Boxes or items on garage floor • Snow/ice buildup in winter (common in Bend) • Debris in track (leaves, rocks) Sensors detect these and reverse the door. This is proper operation - sensors are doing their job. Clear the path and test again. Bend winters: Ice dams form at garage threshold. Door hits ice and reverses. Chip away ice or use ice melt (avoid rock salt - it damages concrete).

Opener has force sensors (3% of cases but easy fix). Force setting determines how hard the opener pushes before auto-reversing. If set too low, door reverses thinking it hit an obstruction. Find force adjustment on your opener motor. Usually labeled "DOWN FORCE" or "CLOSE FORCE". It's a dial or +/- buttons. Increase force slightly (1/4 turn or 2-3 button presses). Test door. Repeat until door closes fully. Don't over-increase: Test by holding door bottom while closing. It should reverse with about 20 pounds of upward pressure. Bend's winter: Doors get stiffer in cold. You may need more force in January, less in July. Seasonal adjustment is normal.

Loose or damaged wires cause intermittent failures (2% of cases). Trace wires from sensors to the opener motor. Look for: • Wires pulled loose from terminals • Pinched or cut wires • Corroded connections • Wires chewed by rodents (happens in Bend - mice nest in garages) Reconnect loose wires. Tighten screw terminals. If wire is damaged, splice with wire nuts or replace sensor. Most sensors use bell wire (thin 2-conductor). Available at hardware stores for $5-10. Test connections by wiggling wires while watching sensor lights. If lights flicker, connection is loose.

Door binding triggers force sensors and causes reversal (1% of cases). Manually operate door (disconnect opener). Lift and lower slowly. Feel for binding, sticking, or resistance. Common binding causes: • Bent track • Misaligned track • Worn rollers • Debris in track Small adjustments: Loosen track brackets, align to plumb/level, retighten. Major binding needs professional repair. Badly bent tracks require replacement. Bend-specific: Winter ice can freeze door to threshold. Heating the threshold with hair dryer or warm water frees it.

Travel limit settings tell the opener when door is fully closed (1% of cases but frustrating). If DOWN limit is set too high, opener thinks door is closed before it actually touches ground. Door stops 2-6 inches up. Find limit adjustments on opener motor (labeled "DOWN LIMIT" or "TRAVEL"). Adjust down limit to allow door to close fully and compress weather stripping slightly. Modern openers (post-2010) auto-learn limits. Consult manual for reset procedure - usually involves holding programming button for 10 seconds. Test: Door should close completely, seal against threshold, and stop without reversing.