If you follow this procedure, you will definitely find the source of yourOr, more likely, problems. Rarely does a malfunctioning garage door have a single problem. Just a more obvious one. Before you get too involved with hard-core Natural Handyman-style troubleshooting, look for simple but easily overlooked problems, such as a garden tool leaning against or interfering with the door, or something hanging on the wall hitting the door. Okay, let's delve more deeply into Over years of use, garage door bolts loosen. Vibration and shrinkage in the door itself can cause this. So get out a wrench and tighten everything down. this with the door in the down position with the garage door opened disconnected, so that all door panels meet properly. Odds are you will even find a few nutsIf you have a very loose hinge, and it can be repositioned, try to center the hinge over the joint between door panels. sure that the line of the hinge follows the line of the seam between the panels.
Look at the door tracks... are they still securely bolted at the wall andThere should be at least an inch of clearance total between the doorI say total because the door moves slightly left and right as itIt may be very close to or even lightly touch the track at some points. This is normal and not a problem unless the door actually binds on the track. If it does, then a spring tension adjustment may be needed to even the door's If any part is extremely rusty, especially cables or springs, you may want to forestall the disaster of a snapped cable or spring and replace it now! replace springs in matched pairs, never separately. You will almost definitely imbalance the door and cause binding if you replace only one spring. One of the most common garage door hardware problems is worn out pulleys! There are four pulleys on a garage door frame, two mounted in a stationary position on the frame above either side of the garage door frame, and two
moveable pulleys attached to the springs on either side of the door. wear, you should take the spring tension off the pulleys. You do this by opening the door fully until the spring begins to droop down. Put a clamp on the track to hold the door up. If you have a garage door opener, use it to open the door and then unplug it to prevent accidental There should be very little movement in the pulleysIf they do not turn smoothly or wobble, replaceThe stationary pulleys get the most wear, because the cable exerts sideways force on them (graphic left). If one has become excessively worn, Amazingly enough, the moveable pulleys attached to the springs often last twice as long as the stationary pulleys!! Rollers are a little harder to check than pulleys. Make a visual inspection of the rollers. The rollers consist of a wheel mounted to spin easily on a metal shaft. The metal shaft should move freelyOften the lowermost roller shafts tend to seize up because of
accumulations of rust and other glop. Spray on a little WD-40® and work themReplace the rollers if this procedure is ineffective Excessive bearing wear, as with the pulleys, cause the rollers to bind against themselves and against the garage door track. Do any seem to be twisted or off-center? Move the door up and down and try to observe if any rollers seem to bind. with the garage door opener disconnected, since the strength of the opener can mask a bad roller. Does the door move smoothly? At what point does it start to More often than not, if it is a roller problem, it will occur when the bad roller is in the curved part of the track, sometimes even binding on the seam between the parts of the track. Replace the defective roller(s). next question on this page for more detail on roller and hinge replacement. > > Garage Door Troubleshooting This page should help you troubleshoot your garage door problems. While many problems that keep the door from opening are caused by broken springs, a lot of other parts could be keeping your door from functioning properly.
One of the more difficult problems for Do-It-Yourselfers to diagnose is a worn cable pulley on an extension spring door. There are, of course, many other problems that can keep your garage door from functioning properly. Click on a problem below to see the possible causes and solutions. Bottom of the door is up on one side Door closes only if you hold in the push button Door closes part way and then reverses Door won't close all the way - it is uneven Door won't close all the way Door won't stay open Loud bang before the door quit working Opener is straining as the door opens Popping sound as the door operates Radio controls will open but not close the door Rear support for the upper track is broken Replace torsion spring cable (See: cable prices) Replace extension spring cable (See: cable prices) Replace the worn pulleys (See: pulley prices) Align, clean or replace as needed (See: photo eye prices) Straighten, adjust or replace track (See: track prices)
Replace the broken spring (See: extension spring prices) Replace the broken spring (See: torsion spring prices) Adjust track spacing or trim molding. Replace any bent hinges Replace the broken torsion spring (See: torsion spring prices) Replace the broken extension spring (See: extension spring prices) Replace the worn rollers (See: roller prices) Replace the cable (See: cable prices) Straighten or reinforce the bearing plate as needed. File the shaft and replace the bearing as needed (See: bearing prices) Replace the worn pulleys (See: pulley prices)TROUBLESHOOT: If the door opens and closes fine when you use the wall switch, there’s a problem with the remote control. Make sure you are holding the remote within range of the garage door opener and that the motor unit’s antenna is hanging down. Replace the batteries in the device if necessary and check that it has been correctly programmed. You might need to purchase a new remote; make sure that it is compatible with your opener, or select a universal model.
TROUBLESHOOT: When the garage door opener does not work with either the remote or the wall switch, look at the lights. If they’re not on, the unit is not receiving power. Verify that the motor unit is connected. See whether the outlet is working and check the circuit breaker, fuse or ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to determine whether you have an electrical problem on your hands. After you’ve checked out the electricity, investigate the emergency release chain. Pull the chain to disengage the carriage and allow the garage door to function independently of the opener. Then attempt to open the door manually. TROUBLESHOOT: Have a look at the close limit switch. It may need adjustment. If this doesn’t solve the problem, try manually raising and lowering your garage door to make sure that it is binding. TROUBLESHOOT: Once again, this probably means that the close limit switch requires adjustment. Experiment with moving it away from the motor unit. TROUBLESHOOT: Check whether there is any obstruction blocking the door’s smooth closure.
If not, try adjusting the close force. TROUBLESHOOT: As of 1993, garage door openers come equipped with a pair of sensor beams. These increase safety but may sometimes cause performance problems. Ensure that both beam lights are on (one red and one green) and that nothing is interfering with their function. This could be one of several things: improper alignment of the sensors, a physical object between them, or grime or moisture on their surface. Solution: If your garage door won’t open or close and you’ve got an electric opener, check your keypad first and find out if your opener is functioning. You might need to have the opener reprogrammed. Solution: If the garage door sticks, the metal rollers and hinges probably needs lubricating. The tracks may also be dirty, clogged or out of alignment. Solution: The power source has probably been disrupted. Make sure the motor unit is plugged in. Check the circuit breaker, fuse, or GFCI Solution: The close limit switch needs adjusting.