Sears Garage Door opener won't shut

[Jim Devereux]

I was wondering if anyone could give me some suggestions on this problem:

My garage door opener will open but not close. It will only close if you hold your finger on the button the entire time. Otherwise it goes 2 inches down, then stops, backs up, and flashes the light bulbs on and off. Same behavior whether you are using the wall button or the remote.

The infrared electronic "eyes" installed at the base of the door can see each other ok, no obstructions, and both green led's are on.

I have oiled all hinges with WD-40 as manual suggests.

I have tried increasing the downward force with the knob located on the unit but same result even it I max it out. I've also tried adjusting the downward limiter.

The door is aluminum, two car garage type.

This opener was new in August of 1995 and worked fine for 9 years, then suddenly this cropped up.

Here is the specs on it:

Sears/Craftsman (says "Sears Best" ha ha) Volts: 120 Amp: 5.0 Hz: 60 Model: 139.536415RT

Thanks for any help.

Jim

[Peder]

"Jim Devereux" wrote in news:WoT3d.1190261$ [e-mail]:

FWIW, I just went through this with my Genie. My wife's friend hit our garage door and pushed the track forward into the garage. This stretched the wire to the optical sensor and broke it. After repairing the break, my door did the same thing. Turned out the insulation on the wire to the optical sensors had been cut by the track at the top before it broke at the bottom and was shorting on the bracket holding the track. HTH

[twstanley]

That sounds like a problem with the obstruction sensors, the "eyes". But if they both have the lights on...I'm not sure what the problem is. You might try disconnecting the door from the track and see if the opener will move back and forth that way, that would eliminate the downward force adjustment from the equation.

It could be the part of the control board that checks the "eyes" status has failed?

[dadiOH]

Are you sure? When I have your problem I usually find that a small spider has taken up residence in one of them.

-- dadiOH _____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[Jim Devereux]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

There are a fair amount of spider webs in the corners, I didn't actually take the sensors apart and check the inside for spider webs. Maybe I will try that.

The LED's remain on even if you put your foot in front of the sensors. Does anyone know if that is significant? I couldn't remember if they were supposed to change colors immediately upon seeing an obstruction.

[dadiOH]

No need, just run a Q-tip or something around the recess and lens of both sending and receiving sensors.

-- dadiOH _____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[Doordoc]

The photo-cells probably don't have anything to do w/ it. When they are not working the transmitters aren't supposed to close the door at all.

As one of the other posters stated dis-connect the door & verify that the door works ok by hand. With the door fully closed manually, run the opener closed with the door disconnected. If the problem is still present it's in the opener. If the problem goes away the door is causing the problem.

It's definitely not the down limit, but if the problem is in the opener I would suspect the problem is in the main logic board.

Doordoc

[Lit Ticker]

Sounds like the same problem I was having with my Sears opener except that the green light on the sensor would intermittently go out, but not always. I got a replacement sensor kit from Sears parts. I don't remember the cost but believe it was less that $40. I believe the light should go out when it's blocked. A garage door repairman said this is common on Sears models and the sensors develop internal shorts. The light can still be on but the sensor thinks it's blocked. Lit Ticker

*Please REMOVE the obvious for my correct email address*

[Jim Devereux]

Thanks Lit Ticker and everyone else for the responses. I had a internet problem so couldn't respond. I dis-engaged the door from the track and still the same problem; it will go down a few inches then right back up. Both IR safety sensor lights are still on. The known issue that Lit Ticker said about the sensor light being on but it still thinks it's blocked sounds like my problem exactly.

I guess I'll just buy a sensor replacement kit and see if that works, unless anyone has any other ideas, though maybe this thread has dropped off peoples news servers by now :(

[1_Patriotic_Guy]

[PEnet]

If the opener is the type that has a spring-loaded clutch and a sprocket-and-coil rotation sensor, try removing one screw from the coil bracket and rotating it so the coil is as close to the sprocket as possible then tighten the remaining screw. Ed