Garage door won't close (or open)? Start here

The most common causes, in order: blocked or misaligned safety sensors (fix it yourself in 2 minutes), the manual lock engaged, a dead remote battery, force/travel limits drifting, and (if the door is also heavy to lift by hand) a broken spring, which is a service call.

Updated November 4, 2026

Fix these yourself first

1. Check the photo-eye sensors near the floor on each side. Clear cobwebs, salt film and dirt, make sure both LEDs glow steady, and nudge them until they face each other. If the door closes while you hold the wall button but not from the remote, this is almost always it.
2. Look for the slide lock on the door's inside. If it's engaged, the opener strains and gives up.
3. Swap the remote battery and test from the wall button to isolate remote vs. opener.
4. Check power: the opener's outlet and breaker. After a storm or an outage, a tripped outlet is common.

When it's a service call

• Door lifts a few inches then stops, or the opener strains: likely a broken spring; stop using the opener
• Door is crooked or a cable hangs slack: cable failure
• Motor runs but nothing moves: a stripped gear, which is an opener repair
• Door reverses at the same spot every time: bent track or an obstruction in the rails and rollers

The one test that tells you the most

Pull the red release cord with the door closed, then lift the door by hand. A healthy door lifts smoothly with one hand and stays put halfway. If it's very heavy, springs are the problem, not the opener, and that's not a DIY fix.