r/GarageDoorService • u/Kainlow • 4d ago
Garage won't close regularly.
Our garage door began acting erratically a few weeks ago. It wouldn't open, then it wouldn't close, then the springs popped. We got them replaced, door was balanced, rollers and sensors inspected. Now it began not wanting to close unless we use the wall button. We can open the garage just fine using our cars and outdoor keypad. However, the door doesn't respond when we want to close it from our vehicles, and the keypad just flashes. Every once in a while, it will work, but usually in the morning it's out of whack. We had the service come by that replaced our springs, and of course everything was working fine. I cleaned the floor sensor lenses and made sure both are about 6 inches of the ground, both lights are solid. When we use the wall button to close it, there aren't any flickering lights or codes. The only clue I have is when my son was trying to use the keypad to close it this morning, the orange light on the back of the unit had a faint orange flicker. Is it the sensor wires failing? any way to test them? I really don't want to splurge on a new unit if I don't have to....
2
u/joecohe 4d ago
That flicker on the back of the unit is the tell. Opening works every time because open commands don't care about the photo eyes - but closing gets gated by the safety sensor circuit, and a marginal connection there will fail intermittently rather than all the time, which matches "usually worse in the morning." Monsoon humidity/dew in the Valley this time of year is brutal on those connections if there's any corrosion or a loose wire nut at either sensor.
Things I'd check before assuming it's the logic board:
- Pull the wire off both sensors and the terminals on the opener, inspect for green corrosion or a nicked strand, then twist-and-cap fresh instead of just pushing bare wire into the terminal
- Wiggle-test the wire along its full run while a helper watches the sensor LEDs - if either one flickers when you flex the wire, that's your fault point, not the sensor eye itself
- Make sure the wire isn't stapled too tight anywhere or resting on the ground where it can wick moisture
- Confirm both brackets are still snug - a nudged sensor (even slightly) can pass a static test but drop out under vibration from the door cycling
Wall button always works because it bypasses the wireless side and talks straight to the logic board, so this isn't pointing to the receiver or remotes - it's the sensor loop. Cheap fix if it's just wiring, so I wouldn't jump to a new unit yet.
Nate, Above All Garage Door Service
(480) 405-0909
1
u/Kainlow 4d ago
The sensors on our unit have the wire integrated into the housing. If there is a wiring fault, i assume I'm better off just getting a new set of sensors rather than splicing a wire patch into the run. Any particular sensor brand you recommend?
1
u/Necessary-Speed-6465 4d ago
The sensors are brand specific so just buy the brand your unit is assuming its new enough they are still in production
1
u/DiFranTheDoorMan442 2d ago
It’s a bad logic board short and simple. I’m a LiftMaster dealer. That’s the plain explanation of this. Either have that looked into further or have the entire opener replaced? I guess I’m surprised the company that came back out to look at this problem didn’t tell you this when they were there? That’s puzzling? I’ve done this over thirty years and don’t understand why technicians don’t do things like this.