Why did my garage door stop closing all the way?

HVAC & Fireplace Bucket EXPERT April 15, 2008

The best place to start will be to see if the problem is door or opener related.

If you disconnect the door from the opener trolley using the release rope (see image below) and the lift trolley now goes all the way down the issue is likely with the door itself.

While the door is disconnected, try lifting it by hand. A properly adjusted/balanced door should not be difficult to lift all the way open and should even stay at the half-open point on its own if you release it there (just take care when testing in case it does not). Some lubricant often helps with sticking or dragging, but we recommend a professional make any other adjustment to the door balance and weight due to the extreme spring pressures involved.

If the door reverses back open and the overhead lights flash then you have an issue with the safety sensors or photo eyes. Possibly one of them getting pulled or vibrated out of position slightly as the door closes or a broken wire is pulling apart. In this case, most models will allow you to over-ride the issue temporarily by holding the wall control button down continuously.

Also, if the door senses too much resistance it will reverse rather than closing further and risking damage to something that might be in the way. That could indicate something binding on the door or in the lift mechanism or even in the opener itself. In that case, the door will usually reverse at the same point each time.

If the problem is not in the door and the safety sensors are not at fault then it will take some trial and error to find the problem. You will need to inspect the various lift and opener components until you spot the point where something broken or jamming is causing the door to reverse.

Depending on which model you have, the adjustments you tried might have been to the resistance or the door limits so after the problem is found and addressed be sure those are returned to normal and tested to prevent any injuries or problems.

The Sources links below have additional information that might also be helpful.

bill January 08, 2011

if you unhook the eyes will this elimate them or cause more problems