Match the symptom: totally dead means power (outlet, breaker, GFCI). Remote dead but wall button works means battery or programming. Hums but doesn't move means stripped gear or engaged slide lock. Reverses at the floor means safety sensors or travel limits. Each has a fix below.
Garage door opener not working? Diagnose it by symptom
Openers fail in predictable ways. Match your symptom below and you'll usually know the cause in two minutes.
Completely dead
No lights, no click, nothing: it's power. Test the outlet with a phone charger, check the breaker panel, and look for a tripped GFCI reset button on nearby outlets. Garage circuits share GFCIs more often than people expect, and summer humidity trips them. If the outlet is live and the opener is still dead, the logic board has likely failed.
Remote works sometimes, or not at all
Weak coin-cell batteries cause more "broken opener" calls than any actual failure. If fresh batteries don't fix it, re-program the remote to the opener (see our remote programming guide). Range that shrank over months points to interference: LED bulbs in or near the opener are a known culprit, and swapping the bulb for a garage-door-rated LED often restores it.
Hums or clicks, door doesn't move
A hum with no movement is the motor pushing against something that won't give, usually a stripped internal gear, an engaged manual slide lock, or a dead capacitor that can't start the motor. Gear and capacitor swaps are inexpensive opener repairs; check the slide lock first though, it's free.
Door reverses at or near the floor
The photo-eye sensors near the floor are the first suspects. Check that both have steady indicator lights, wipe the lenses, and make sure a broom or cobweb isn't crossing the beam. If the eyes check out, the travel limit is telling the opener the floor arrived early; that's a dial or menu adjustment, and it drifts as doors and openers age.
Worked last night, dead after a storm
Power surges take out logic boards. If the opener died the same night as a thunderstorm and the outlet is live, board failure is the bet. On older builder-grade units the board often costs enough that a new opener with battery backup is the smarter spend; we'll price both honestly.
FAQ
Common questions
Why does my opener click but not open the door?
A click with no motor movement usually means a failed starting capacitor or a stripped drive gear. Both are repairable; the capacitor is one of the cheapest opener fixes there is.
Why did my opener stop working after a power outage?
Two possibilities: the surge damaged the logic board, or the opener simply needs its travel re-learned. Try unplugging it for 30 seconds first. If it still misbehaves, the board took the hit.
Do LED bulbs really interfere with garage door openers?
Yes. Some LED bulbs emit radio noise in the same frequency range openers use, shrinking remote range badly. Use a garage-door-opener-rated LED bulb in the opener's socket.
Is it worth repairing a 15-year-old opener?
Usually not if the logic board or motor failed: parts run close to new-unit prices, and you'd be reviving a unit without battery backup or modern safety refinements. Small fixes like capacitors and sensors, sure.
Ready to get it fixed?
Call now or book online. Same-day appointments available across the Raleigh area.