garage door opener difficulties

[buggybuilder]

Help! Intellegent suggestions needed.
Garage door opener will only lift the door about 2". If I monkey around with the doorbell button, it will sometimes open. I have a doorbell button to operate the door from the house.
Does not work with car-trk opener either. The lites on the bottom of door are lined up, but really only affect the down travel...not the up travel. Bad batteries in openers? Bad doorbell button?
Suggestions?! Please.

[Moleman-]

Could be a bunch of things but if the door seems to slide freely with the opener disconnected and is trying to open but clicking off, I'd re adjust it. There should be two screws on the power head that control up and down force. Sometimes in the winter it takes more effort to open the door or the bottom of the door can freeze to the ground. Adjusting the "UP" force screw should fix it if that is the issue.

The cold can also stiffen up the lube and make them hard to open. Seems the only time I remember to lube the one on the barn is in the winter when it decides to be finicky.

[runfiverun]

I would start at the motor itself.
if this is an older unit and it suddenly quit working I would pull the cover off the side and check the gear that runs the chain/belt to make sure it is still turning.
if it's a new unit I would check the travel dial you might be telling the unit to open but it only knows to open the door that much.
when it does open it's a default of closing on something [the ground] and reversing itself to full open.
if nothing else the motor unit itself should have a number to call the manufacturer's customer service number and they can usually troubleshoot you through things pretty easily.

[Minerat]

I sometimes have this problem if it is below zero out. I have a screw drive opener and the tracks needs a little grease once in a while or the trolley hangs up about 3 inches into the lift. Try assisting the door when you push the button if it goes down maybe you need to oil it a little. I use Mobile 1 since it stays liquid at low temps. If that is not it try disconnecting the trolley from the life and manually lower the door. Might also try adjusting the closing pressure setting (don't know the real term) but it is that thingymabob white screw with a slot in it on the side of the opener for adjusting the tension. Again when cold sometimes the trolley hangs and causes the opener to think the door is down.

Happy New Year!

[jsizemore]

When you release the lift arm from the trolley, will the trolley travel to it's full open position? If it doesn't then it's in the door opener. If it does, then it's the door.

Check the door spring adjustment by lifting the door (this shouldn't take a lot of force) to the half open position. It should stay there on it's own when you release it. If it flys up then the spring tension is too much. If it closes or starts to close then it needs more spring tension.

If the door squeals, scrapes or binds when opened, it needs lubing. If there's a bunch of rust I use a spray white lithium. If rust is not a big issue then I use a dry lube like Dupont Teflon Multi-use Dry, Wax Lubricant. Lube all the roller ball bearings and brackets along with the hinges between each panel. A bunch of lube in the tracks inhibits travel especially after it gets loaded with dust.

The spring adjustment check and lube maintenance needs to be done every 6 months.

Your springs may be busted. There's a few special tools to replace a torsion spring. If you don't know the procedure, don't do it cuz IT CAN KILL YOU. Same with coil springs in a cable system. Call the guy and watch him do it. Once you've seen it done it's simple. Forget or omit any of the procedure and you can be hurt. It's like looking down a barrel with a round in the chamber.

Good Luck

[454PB]

I agree with jsizemore, I had the same problem some years ago, one of the side springs had broken.

[Menner]

How old is the unit?
was it working then all of a sudden developed this problem?
I just went through this with a unit that is about 5 years old ended up being a sensor in the head unit (rpm Sensor) it was a Genie opener I called to get help trouble shooting and it was still under warranty and they sent me a new head unit for 8 or 9 bucks shipping had it changed out and running in about 45 min.
Tony

[NSB]

You can't use an actual door bell button on a garage door opener. Don't ask me what the difference is, but when I tried it it wouldn't work. The OverHead door company put a different/new door opener button on there and it worked. It was doing the same thing yours is doing now. I'd hit the button and it would move about two or three inches and stop. New button and no problems.
Note: is your button a lighted door bell button for a doorbell? A lighted button will not work if it's replacing a garage door button.

[Wild Bill 7]

Try unplugging and let it set for a bit. I had mine where it would open but would only go down a foot or so the go back up. Seemed to be in a loop. Maybe this will help maybe not but it can't hurt.

[MaryB]

Not mentioned is if it is a capacitor start motor the start capacitor may be going bad so the motor isn't generating enough torque to lift the door. It gets part way and something trips.

[Bullwolf]

Might not be related, but folks are complaining that LED lights in the garage interfere with the remote working. It seems that LED lights have some RF frequency output that interferes with the garage door opener, while they are lit.

Figured it was worth mentioning as more and more people go to LED bulbs, even if it isn't the problem you're having. It would definitely have taken me a while to figure that one out.



- Bullwolf

[pcolapaddler]

The only issues we've had have been lube getting old or sticky with weather changes. This usually makes it a bit slower and noisier but it works.

If it was working fine and suddenly will not lift, it may be a broken lift spring. You can usually see the motor and lift mechanism torquing with effort as it tries to lift the full weight if the door. If one spring has broken you may as well replace both. I don't know that I'd replace it myself, they can hurt you if you're not familiar with them.

Pinkards in Milton installed and services our door. Good folks, reasonable price.

Sent from my HTCD200LVW using Tapatalk

[.22-10-45]

My Genie screw drive is at least 50 years old. Lubed screw, wheels & door hinges last summer & was working fine..then temp. dropped to teens..only went up 2-3" & stopped. I disconnected arm from trolley & using a rag soaked in paint thinner, with screw turning... removed excess lube from screw. Re-lubed wheels & hinge joints with a very light oil..works fine & quiet running.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

If you open the unit and you see this
http://www.dwdav.com/lifter/DSCN2676.jpg

then you need to replace this gear...it's designed as a easily replaceable "weak link"
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41NH8opZj6L._SL256_.jpg

http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/my-seqdevXprl_y8ZGrXgUg.jpg

[jsizemore]

If you open the unit and you see this
http://www.dwdav.com/lifter/DSCN2676.jpg

then you need to replace this gear...it's designed as a easily replaceable "weak link"
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41NH8opZj6L._SL256_.jpg

http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/my-seqdevXprl_y8ZGrXgUg.jpg

That's a Lift-Master.

[Down South]

LOL, be careful with the spring adjustment if you have to adjust it. I still have scars from my learning experience the first time I adjusted one.

[popper]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw_tGPVyKYI

[P Flados]

Might not be related, but folks are complaining that LED lights in the garage interfere with the remote working. It seems that LED lights have some RF frequency output that interferes with the garage door opener, while they are lit.

Figured it was worth mentioning as more and more people go to LED bulbs, even if it isn't the problem you're having. It would definitely have taken me a while to figure that one out.


- Bullwolf


A big thanks. I have been fighting with remote not regulary working to close the door for several months.

Bought a new remote, messed with the antenna wire, moved some stuff around, cursed it a lot, etc.

It worked great to open the door, but would not work from inside my wifes car to close it. I now see that it worked with the lights not on, and was not working properly with the lights on.

[Bullwolf]

A big thanks. I have been fighting with remote not regulary working to close the door for several months.

Bought a new remote, messed with the antenna wire, moved some stuff around, cursed it a lot, etc.

It worked great to open the door, but would not work from inside my wifes car to close it. I now see that it worked with the lights not on, and was not working properly with the lights on.


Glad to hear that it helped someone out.

I figured it would have been a real headache to figure out, if it had happened to me.


- Bullwolf

[6bg6ga]

All you need to activate the door is a momentary Switch.

[Artful]

All you need to activate the door is a momentary Switch.

Actually the new designed circuits have to have more than a momentary contact switch.

https://i.stack.imgur.com/AKHmZ.png

[Artful]

Glad to hear that it helped someone out.

I figured it would have been a real headache to figure out, if it had happened to me.


- Bullwolf

Had a customer with intermittent problem which we had to bring out the RF sensor meter to diagnosis,
We checked the regular items (radio, TV, LED and Florescent, Freezer, Fridge) all checked out OK
- no extra interference on remote freq - finally I had him turn on his cheap chinamart fan - bingo
that fan pumped enough signal to drowned out the remote.

[Artful]

buggybuilder (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?21380-buggybuilder) are you still there - did you unhitch the opener and test the door's adjustment - did it lift easy and balance when placed half way open?

[6bg6ga]

Actually the new designed circuits have to have more than a momentary contact switch. https://i.stack.imgur.com/AKHmZ.pngI guess I should have been more specific here. The primitive garage door operation/ button wired button that is ONLY needs a contact closure that is momentary.

[6bg6ga]

http://tinymicros.com/mediawiki/images/d/d3/Legacy_696CD-B_Owners_Manual.pdf PAGE 20 shows terminal strip. Something as simple as a Momentary contact switch will work to operate the door. If we really want to get into it I can post the whole electronic schematic of the garage door opener and its switches.

[DLCTEX]

There are wide differences in garage door openers from manufacturer, model, drive type, door type, etc. More info would be helpful. I installed a Chamberlin for a friend last week and the sorry instructions drove me crazy.

[buggybuilder]

Problems will be over Monday morning. New opener will be installed. One of the "boards" was bad and it was cheaper to buy a new opener than replace some of the boards considering the opener was 22 years old. I want to thank all for your helpful suggestions!