A garage door stuck open usually has a simple cause: misaligned or blocked safety sensors, the opener's lock setting, an obstruction or travel limits set wrong. Check the sensors first, then the lock button and the path. If the door is heavy, crooked or you heard a bang, a spring or cable may have failed, so stop and call a technician.
1Start with the sensors
Chamberlain's troubleshooting says that checking the safety sensors is the first step when a garage door will not close, because misaligned sensors are a common cause. A closing door that sees its sensor beam blocked will not come down, or will go partway and reverse.
Sunlight can also wash out the receiving sensor. Chamberlain notes that the receiving eye has a green light and the sending eye has an amber light, and both must glow steadily for the door to close.
2What the symptom tells you
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Wall button works, remotes do not | The lock feature on the wall control is on | Press the lock button and try the remote |
| Opener light flashes, door will not close | Sensors misaligned or blocked | Clear the beam, clean the lenses, realign the eyes |
| Door starts down, stops and goes back up | Obstruction, binding or a limit set wrong | Clear the path; see the next section |
| Nothing happens at the wall or the remote | No power, dead remote battery or a lost connection | Check the plug, the breaker and the remote battery |
| Door is heavy, crooked or you heard a bang | A broken spring, a cable or an off-track door | Stop and call a technician |
These are common patterns, not a diagnosis. Check your opener's manual for its own light codes.
3Four checks you can do
Look at the eyes
Check both sensor lights. If one is dark or flickering, clean the lens and wipe away any dust. Loosen the wing nut on the sensor, point the lenses at each other until the light is steady, then tighten. Never bypass or disable a sensor.
Press the lock button
On many wall controls a lock button turns off the remotes. Chamberlain says that pressing it makes the light flash twice, and if the remote then closes the door, the lock was the cause.
Clear the path
Look along the floor and the tracks for a bike, a tool, a stone or a box. Chamberlain says an obstruction or a binding door shows up as excessive closing force.
Count the flashes
On some openers the main light flashes 10 times for the sensors and two times for the lock. Chamberlain's page gives these examples, and your manual lists the codes for your model.
Chamberlain says never to increase the force beyond the minimum needed, and never to use force settings to make up for a binding door. Wrong travel and force settings also stop the safety reversal from working. After any adjustment, test that the door reverses on a 1-1/2 inch object, a 2x4 laid flat.
4When it is not the opener
Clopay lists a broken spring, an off-track door and a faulty opener among the causes of a stuck door, and says a loud bang or a visible gap in a spring can mean the door is too heavy for the opener. It calls this not a do-it-yourself fix. Its advice for an off-track door is to stop operating it immediately. See why a garage door will not close and blinking sensors.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission adds that a door that binds or sticks should be serviced by a professional.
5A door stuck open is a security issue
Clopay notes that a door stuck open can compromise the security of your home. Chamberlain says to use the emergency release only when the door is fully closed, if possible, so do not pull it on an open door you suspect has a spring problem. If the door looks straight and the springs and cables look intact, see how to open a garage door manually. If it is heavy or crooked, leave it and call us.
6Where we come in
Emil Garage Doors repairs openers, sensors and doors in Southern California, for example in Dana Point, El Centro and Brentwood. Our 12-point safety inspection is $89, and rollers, sensors or a tune-up typically cost $150 to $350, confirmed after we see the door. Call (213) 340-4232 or use the estimate form. See opener repair.
Questions people ask
Why will my garage door not close?
The most common cause is misaligned or blocked safety sensors. Check that both sensor lights glow steadily, then check the lock button and the path for an obstruction.
Why does the remote not close the door when the wall button does?
The lock feature on the wall control may be on. Pressing the lock button turns it off, and then the remote should work.
What does it mean if the opener light flashes?
It depends on the model. On some Chamberlain and LiftMaster openers, 10 flashes mean the safety sensors, and two flashes mean the lock is on.
Is it safe to close a stuck garage door by hand?
Only if the door is balanced and the springs and cables look intact. If it is heavy, crooked or you heard a bang, leave it and call a technician.
Related services
Need help near you?
We repair and install in these cities. Each page has local notes, prices and reviews.
Keep reading
Sources
- Chamberlain Group support: My Garage Door Will Not Fully Close
- Chamberlain Group support: Why do the lights on my garage door opener flash and my door will not close
- Chamberlain Group support: How do I test the Safety Reversal System
- Clopay: Why Garage Doors Get Stuck, Causes and Fixes
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Non-Reversing Automatic Garage Door Openers Are a Hazard (Pub. 523)