Door opener problem

[dodge man]

Since I last posted I unplugged it for half a minute and plugged it back in. No change.

 

[woody]

I think You indicated that you have another opener just like it. I would swap the circuit boards and see if that fixes the problem.

 

[MaineGN]

silly question.. Is it a metal door? Could be shielding the unit from your signal when you are sitting in the car and it is up... Just a wild thought.

 

[dodge man]

It is a metal door but I’ve stood underneath the opener with a remote and it won’t go back down.

 

[LDCravey]

Most garage openers have a "lift" limit adjustment and a "close" limit adjustment. This sets the amount of lift or close pressure the opener exerts. This is a safety feature to prevent someone getting crushed or lifted into the air (if clothing was caught on the door while lifting). If the limit is exceeded, the door will not open (or close) (depending on which limit adjustment is tripped). The opener's installation manual (not the owner's manual) will normally detail how to adjust the lift or close pressure. This is normally set whenever the door is installed since the door lift springs and the weight of the door determine the lift or close adjustment.

I had a garage door that would not always go down. It eventually stripped the worm gear inside. I replaced the nylon gears then adjusted both lift and close pressure, now it works 100% of the time. You can most always find an installation manual on the web that tells you how to do these adjustments.

Be sure to check your spring tension since this is critical to these safety features working correctly. If your lift springs are external (not inside the metal pipe across the door) then be extremely careful. Those external springs can send you to the hospital if they break while adjusting them. Their spring tension is based on the garage weight. Get professional help when in doubt when setting the spring tension.

 

[b3bt459]

Check the wire connection on the back of the opener. I've had similar problems. Turned out that the wires on the back of the opener vibrated loose.

 

[not2old]

I recently bought a new rental property and had the door close while I was backing in. I've got a new door section installed but still won't park inside until the new operator is installed. Might not be so lucky next time with just a bit of door paint on the car. I usually try to fix stuff but this time it will get fixed without all the aggravation. Electrical gremlins can be frustrating.

 

[dodge man]

Lots of good ideas, I’m pretty sure it’s not the tension adjustment, door counterbalance spring etc since it ALWAYS goes down with the button on the wall. It’s an intermittent problem with it going down with the remote only. I looked at a new/used board, an add on remote system etc and just ordered a new unit. It’s about $50 to $100 more than any attempt to fix this one and it’s over 20 years old.

 

[KennyG]

Lots of potential ways to address this but if it's a standard residential opener I would just replace it. They aren't that expensive compared to the cost and time required to repair.

 

[grsthegreat]

Good call. When i redid my garage and finished the drywall, i just chose to replace both openers. The new chamberlain are way nicer and quiet than the older units. And the motion activated lights are great addition.

Also, i can operate doors via my phone.

 

[Chris616]

If you’re absolutely sure that the problem is that the garage door opener makes no attempt to close the door, then there are many things that you can exclude from being the cause of the problem. The button in your vehicle and the (usually) single button on the remote don’t send an “up” signal or a “down” signal, since they don’t know what the current position of the door is. They just send an “activate” signal. If the door is up that will cause it to go down, and vice versa. So you can exclude any issue with the remotes themselves, the antenna, or any part of the radio signal receiving system. The problem isn’t with the safety sensors for the reasons that other guys have already posted. There isn’t much left that can be the cause except a fault with the logic board, for which replacements are available. Depending on the condition of the gears, and other internal parts you might decide that replacing the whole unit is a better choice, but that will probably be more work.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I had 5 overhead door openers, all over 15 years old. The older I get, the more of a chore it is to drag out the step ladder and work on them. All mine are Craftsman openers and parts are getting hard to find.

When one of them acted up a few months ago, I decided to just replace them all while I still can. I figure it will be cheaper in the long run than paying someone to repair them when I'm no longer able.

I chose Chamberlain jack shaft openers, which were easy to install. There is no chain to lube or adjust and, if necessary, I can work on them using a step stool. I was able to replace them all in 2 days.

I like the features of the newer units, like the battery backup and WiFi control. Unlike the older Crafstman models, all the Chamberlain openers are compatible with the built in vehicle transmitters.

Sure, it cost a few $$, but to me anyway, it was money well spent.

 

[eastex]

View attachment 1868102I have a Chamberlain garage door opener, about 15 years old. The problem is getting it to go down with a remote. I have one remote and one car both programmed for it.

It always goes up and down with the button in the garage. It always goes up with the remotes. It will sometimes go down with either the remote or the car but it’s less than 50% of the time. If I try and lower it with a remote and it doesn’t work it will go down with the button in the garage so I do think it’s the safety eyes.

Getting closer with the remote doesn’t help. I reprogrammed the remote and car, that helped for a day. I also read a CFL or LED can interfere with the signal. I have a regular rough service light bulb in it and taking it out doesn’t help.

Any thoughts?

Check to be sure the sun isn’t blinding the receiving eye at certain times of day. Had an issue similar to this years ago and took quite a while for my dumb ass to figure it out!

 

[dodge man]

It’s a cloudy day today and wouldn’t go down for my wife.

 

[charlessenf]

View attachment 1868102I have a Chamberlain garage door opener, about 15 years old. The problem is getting it to go down with a remote. I have one remote and one car both programmed for it.

It always goes up and down with the button in the garage. It always goes up with the remotes. It will sometimes go down with either the remote or the car but it’s less than 50% of the time. If I try and lower it with a remote and it doesn’t work it will go down with the button in the garage so I do think it’s the safety eyes.

Getting closer with the remote doesn’t help. I reprogrammed the remote and car, that helped for a day. I also read a CFL or LED can interfere with the signal. I have a regular rough service light bulb in it and taking it out doesn’t help.

Any thoughts?

Duh! Call Chamberlain. Buy a new remote at Lowes, try it. If it works, keep it. If not take it back to Lowes for a refund - because it is an issue with the main (receiver) unit. In which case Chamberlain may offer a repair - or tell you to buy a new opener.
Or, try a garage door forum?

 

[garry1p]

Lots of good ideas, I’m pretty sure it’s not the tension adjustment, door counterbalance spring etc since it ALWAYS goes down with the button on the wall. It’s an intermittent problem with it going down with the remote only. I looked at a new/used board, an add on remote system etc and just ordered a new unit. It’s about $50 to $100 more than any attempt to fix this one and it’s over 20 years old.

Good decision, the logic board is the most likely problem, you have eliminated everything else.
Please follow up and let us know wat the final fix is.

 

[dodge man]

The final fix is on order, a new unit. It’s over 20 years old and probably closer to 25 years old, I’m not expecting anything from Chamberlain. It’s not the remote, I’ve tried two plus the one that’s built in the car.

 

[grsthegreat]

I had 5 overhead door openers, all over 15 years old. The older I get, the more of a chore it is to drag out the step ladder and work on them. All mine are Craftsman openers and parts are getting hard to find.

When one of them acted up a few months ago, I decided to just replace them all while I still can. I figure it will be cheaper in the long run than paying someone to repair them when I'm no longer able.

I chose Chamberlain jack shaft openers, which were easy to install. There is no chain to lube or adjust and, if necessary, I can work on them using a step stool. I was able to replace them all in 2 days.

I like the features of the newer units, like the battery backup and WiFi control. Unlike the older Crafstman models, all the Chamberlain openers are compatible with the built in vehicle transmitters.

Sure, it cost a few $$, but to me anyway, it was money well spent.

In my carriage barn, i just i stalled 2 jackshaft openers from liftmaster. Man, so much easier to install than traditional garage door openers.

 

[not2old]

FYI: When you use a jackshaft operator there is no bar pushing on the top of the door when closed. This can cause a very large gap between the door and the door frame at the top which is difficult to adjust. Not a problem for unheated buildings unless small critters decide to move in.

 

[grsthegreat]

i dont see any gap on the top of my door. i actually checked, as a squirrel was causing havoc with wifes carriage fringe. i found the source of squirrels in the building, theres a small clearance between sliding door track and exterior. im pouring a concrete ribbon approach next summer to stop that. and trapping squirrels until then.