Garage door opener

[Kurt Ullman]

My garage door opener has decided to act weird. For some reason, it won't close. Keeps reversing itself right away. Works fine going up and will close if I keep pushing the button all the way down. I looked at the usual suspects (something tripping the electric eye, something getting caught so it thinks it is obstructed) and found no likely concerns. The person who originally put the garage door and opener in (two owners ago) did not put in the opener reinforcement kit, which I just completed doing when the problem came up. Anything that maybe I could adjust? Could it be the new angle of the arm that connects the door to the opener is causing some sort of problem? Suggestions.

[gfretwell]

Disconnect the power opener link and try the door manually to be sure it is not binding. What you describe could be the force adjustment or a bind in the door. Just be careful around that door when the opener is disconnected and be prepared to get out of the way if the springs are not adjusted right and it gets away from you. A properly adjusted door should be fairly well balanced easily being raised and lowered manually.

[Kurt Ullman]

Did that. In fact that was my first cut on the problem. It went up and down with no problems.

Works fine manually. Smooth, not catching at any place on the roll manually. That help any with the diagnosis? Thanks for reply.

[bstevens]

With most garage door openers, if it hits an obstruction (or THINKS it hit an obstruction) and goes back up, the inside light flashes on and off for a few minutes. Does this happen? That could be a clue to what's going on....

B.S.

[Rich256]

Might help to give the brand and model.

[trader4]

"The person who originally put the garage door and opener in (two owners ago) did not put in the opener reinforcement kit, which I just completed doing when the problem came up. Anything that maybe I could adjust? Could it be the new angle of the arm that connects the door to the opener is causing some sort of problem? Suggestions. "

It's gonna be hard to diagnose this without seeing it. For one, it's unclear exactly what the "opener reinforcement kit" is that you just installed. But obviously that changed something.

[Kurt Ullman]

Nope.

[Kurt Ullman]

It was a kit that had a much heavier piece of metal (the "standard issue" was tin foil-G)that was bolted on between the top crosspiece and the top two screws of the first hinge on the top panel.

[Stubby]

Heavy enough to require tightening the springs a bit?

[Kurt Ullman]

I wouldn't think so. It wasn't more than 1 lb if that. Just a real (as opposed to aluminium) steel flange about foot tall and maybe 5 inches across. Would that cause the automatic door opener to "stutter"? Rolled up and down by hand with no discernable difference.

[Rich256]

It might. Maybe a different angle needed to push it. Will the opener go though the closing cycle when not hooked to the door? Unhook and close the door. Then operate the opener.

What brand is the opener? Do you have the owners manual? Does it have independent adjustments for closing and opening?

[Kurt Ullman]

Worked fine by itself.

I am not currently at home and won't be for a day or two. Can't remember right off, except it was nothin' I had ever heard of. The owner's manual is long gone. It does have independent adjustments. The closing (down) was just short of the top number (9 and the label underneath said kg.).

[irish]

Do you have the light sensors at the bottom of the door to stop it if a child or other object blocks the light. That will do exactly what you decribe. it will go up but not down. Maybe the sensor has been blocked.

[Kurt Ullman]

Second thing I checked. The closest thing to the sensor is more than 2 feet away. Is it possible that maybe one side or the other got knocked out of kilter so the light isn't getting to the sensor?

[Rich256]

I doubt that would affect it one way only. However, watch the lights on the sensors to see if they flicker when closing and not opening. Can be just alignment. Maybe the frame shakes a bit when closing.

I had a Chamberlain that did something similar but it most likely was in both directions. I decided it was the rpm sensor control board. A little board that fastened at the rear of the motor shaft with an LED and a slotted cup. I took a chance and bought one and that fixed the problem. It was obviously better built than the original.

If it happens to be a Chamberlain they have a pretty good web site with downloadable manuals: