2-car garage door won't open but five inches under certain circumstances. Closes just fine.
However (1) If I open from the inside wall switch, it always opens. (2) But if I open from the remote control, it often stops after 5 inches.
You'd think it's the remote but when I use the outside remote that is mounted to the wall, it does the same thing, so it's not the remote per se.
Replaced the remote batteries anyway. Same thing.
The springs are big fat dual springs, which are about five years old or so. If they're "sagging", I don't see any physical evidence of that weakening.
There was an original red paint line which the manufacturer painted onto the unwound spring which is now a spiral when wound, understandably so.
I had painted a thin white line across the wound springs when they were installed and that line doesn't appear to have moved. It's still straight.
I air blasted the rollers and track and greased but it made little to no difference and I cleaned the mechanism inside the garage door opener.
What appears to be what's happening is the garage door opener, which has to be twenty years old if not older, is suddenly "needing" more time to start.
Can that be? Is there an adjustment in the garage door opener itself for pulse time?
Since the door opens fully if it has "more time" on the switch, is there any way to make a remote 'stay on' longer than just a pulse?
Is that the case, more time? What if you just push the inside button as quckly as you can?
CAn you ask the manufacturer? Do you have the original manual? Do you have the model number that you couuld google for a manual? Or even just the make, because most models will be similar?
Did you replace the springs 5 years ago or some garage door company? Can you ask them, even without paying them.. Calling during during the last hour works really well with people who work inthe office because they have nothing to do at the end of the day but have to stay until 5? and htye're happy to talk. At least a couple times this was true. There is probably someone who works in the office who knows as much or more than the guys in the field.
If calling doesn't work, go there during the last hour of their day and greet the men as they return from their routes. Know the make and model. Bring pictures I suppose.
Have you had someone inside to watch while somemone outside tries to open the door?
Agree, but first I would disconnect the door and verify that it moves easily and freely by hand. And it's not a timing issue, once triggered it should proceed.
On Jan 23, 2023, Dan Espen wrote (in article<news:tqmjp3$3nomb$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me):
I think I'll try that next because when it's cold, the Genie Model H4000A garage door opener will only open the door about five inches with the remote. There is nothing in the way and there is no optical sensor in that direction (there is only the final limit sensor which is not tripping).
It will open the door all the way with the wall switch, so I though the juice wasn't there inside the clicker & replaced the A23 battery but no dice.
I used the air compressor to blow out all the tracks and rollers and to then grease with my old style 30 weight oil can, but that didn't help.
The door rolls easily and the two springs haven't slipped because they have two stripes showing their original straight (unwound) and wound status.
The Genie Model H4000A GDO has force control settings as you recommended, so I will try that next if what I tried in this Genie video doesn't work. Step 3. Genie Garage Door Opener Setting the Force Control
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"The door must complete one full cycle from fully open to fully closed in order to set the Force Control. Simply open and close your garage door by pressing the wall console open and close button to complete those steps. The [automatic] force control is now set."
I think what may have happened was after a few power outages, the disconnecting and reconnecting of the garage door to the garage door opener may have confused that automatic force control mechanism.
The step that is missing from those Genie YouTube instructions is that I had to unplug the GDO from the ceiling outlet and then open & close the door.
If that does not work, in a few days I will manually increase the door opening force control setting.
The 1/2 HP Genie garage door opener H4000A manual is not to be found here.
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The closest listing is for the "H4000 Legacy Screw Drive Series"
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for the crazy long name)
The "force control" is described on page 27 of 35 in that manual (but I think they switched the closing with the opening instructions).
Adjust opening force. Engage Carriage by pulling Emergency Release Lever toward Powerhead until Lever snaps into engaged position. On front panel of power head-find adjusting screw marked "CLOSE." Fig. 7-2. Turn screw gently counterclockwise until it stops. Run operator using wall control. Observe door runs to "CLOSE" limit switch. If not, increase closing force by turning "CLOSE" adjusting screw clockwise slightly (about 1/16 turn). Repeat until door runs to "CLOSE" limit switch. Check door is fully closed. If not, move "CLOSE" limit switch toward door as necessary to achieve fully closed.
Adjust closing force. On front panel of power head-find adjusting screw marked "OPEN." Fig. 7-2. Turn screw gently counterclockwise until it stops. Run operator using wall control. Observe door runs to "OPEN" limit switch. If not, increase opening force by turning "OPEN" adjusting screw clockwise slightly (about 1/16 turn). Repeat until door runs to "OPEN" limit switch. Check door is fully open. If not, move "OPEN" limit switch toward power head as necessary to achieve fully open.
BTW, it's called a "legacy screw drive" GDO. Does that mean that screw drives are no longer used for modern GDOs?
And they say use Genie GLU3 lubricant on the drive screw. What grease is that in homeowners terms?
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