Garage door opener problem

[JoeSpareBedroom]

I've got a Genie 98 screw drive opener on my garage door. Came with the house, no idea how old it is. There's no safety beam at the bottom, which may give some indication of age. Springs were professionally replaced a year ago, two bad rollers replaced, and I cleaned & lubed the tracks.

When I try to close it, it travels maybe two inches and stops. Various web sites say to check/adjust the limit switches. Does this refer to spring-loaded lever switches mounted on the track? If so, where is the trip thing (on the door) supposed to land, relative to those switches, when the door's in either the opened or closed position?

[ENGLISH]

I don't know how old your openers are, but mine are just a couple of years old. There is a force adjustment screw-in and out post of the inside of the box that encloses the motor, just above the light bulb on mine. There is also a close switch on the track that turns off the motor when it is tripped by a small metal arm. So that are actually two different mechanisms you have to understand. My guess it's the force adjustment screw. I'm not real clear on this so I suggest you give Genie a call and they can walk you through it. The info may also be on their web site.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Good luck finding their web site. I think I need to get to the store and check a box to find the name of their parent company.

[Rich Greenberg]

At two places along the track, one near the motor and one near the other end, there should be a spring switch. This is hit by a traveler on the carriage that travels on the track. These are the limit switches.

The one near the motor stops the up travel, the other stops the down travel. They cut the motor off a bit early so it will coast to a stop at the right place.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Rich, please stay tuned until tomorrow, when I have a chance to hurl obscenities at the thing, which will get it working briefly so I can observe where the traveler lands relative to the upper switch. Maybe that'll shed some light on the issue.

[Rich]

Genie's website is

you can get manuals in PDF format at As for the OP, it sounds like the door springs are too tight, the door is either binding a bit and/or the down force is set too light.

You say the springs were professionally replaced but was it replaced correctly? Disengage your door and see how easy it is to come down from the header. Bring it down about 2' and let it go, ideally it should stay put. If it flies up it could be that your opener is fighting the initial tension and reversing. If the spring tension is too strong adjust the tension or replace your springs with the proper rating if adjusting fails.

The reverse mechanism should be adjusted so that when it comes down onto a roll of paper towels placed at the center of the door, it doesn't completely crush the roll before it reverses.

Rich