Need Garage Door Help
 

I'm having a problem with my garage door. It's going down and then coming back up before it closes. Sometimes it makes it an inch. Sometimes it makes it a foot. Sometimes it makes it almost all the way down. Sometimes it actually closes all the way. There is really no rhyme nor reason for why it is stopping.

It will close all the way if I hold down the main button inside my garage or the "Enter" button on my keypad. Holding down the button on the remote doesn't work.

I've checked the sensors, and there doesn't seem to be a problem there. I have also greased the tracks. Neither have helped. I'm about to call a professional, but I'm sure he'll turn one screw and charge me $150. I'm more worried about looking like an idiot than I am paying the $150. Also, I'm an idiot.

Water is wet.

Most openers do have an adjustment that IS simple.

What brand is your opener ?

Something is tripping your sensors, or they are not properly aligned. I know you said you checked them, but I have had this problem numerous times. Sometimes it is kind of tricky.

What type of garage door opener do you have?

Ok, seriously.

-Check that all your screws/bolts/nuts on the door are tightened so as to be sure its not warping/torquing while closing.

- Is there a sensitivity knob? Perhaps yours is set to low?

Is it coming ALL the way back up or just a little bit?

It's a Liftmaster.

ALL the way.

When the batteries start to go bad in the remote my door will start doing similar crap

Ok....I worked tech support for Chamberlain for a year.

Go to the back of the opener. There should be two blue knobs that look like screws. There are numbers around them. Tell me what yours are set at.

Both sensors have a STEADY glowing LED light? (both the sending AND receiving sensor need to have LED illuminated)

i can't help...i usually just call the guy and he comes, fixes it. it's still under warranty, so he's never charged for it. bastard always comes when we're all at work, so we never know what he does to fix it. guess i'll worry about it when he starts charging.
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You say you've checked the sensors but which ones? The ones that shoot a beam to each other near the bottom of the door? Or the ones along the track on near the ceiling?

How old is your opener?

Something is making the reverse mechanism engage. There's an adjustment knob on the motor housing that allows you to dial the amount of load that it will trip the reverse. You can adjust it so that it is less sensitive.

However, something is probably not right in the operation of the door. Have you disconnected the door from the opener and checked to see if its binding up somewhere?

Ha, I sold Chamberlain openers for a LONG time while I was in collge...Great chain openers for a damn good price...Was cake to sell them..made decent money.

You can check this as well. There should be an orange and a green light.

Tech support was easy as ****. 95% of the calls were simple reprogramming of remotes.

lol press button on opener, then press your remote and wait for light to flash...Bye now

Pretty much. You'd get the occasional call where they ran it before they installed it.....but other than that.....easy shit.

both 6

could be a Johnson Rod.
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nice....the ones I sold were under the 'Craftsman' brand, but were Chamberlain openers

5 years

What color is the button on the back of your opener?

One solid orange and one solid green. If I put my hand in between, they go off.

Did you check the fluid in the floor sensors? Mine did the same things when it got low on me.

Those are around the right setting. How old is the actual door itself?

Purple

The house is 5 years old.

sensors are good, its probably something in the travel or binding the door itself...I would check the door manually 1st...unhook the opener latch thingy and see how your door feels when you open and close it....

then move on to adjusting the travel / sensativity

I've had to do it manually several times. I don't really feel any obvious binding. Then again, it's a 16' x 8' door, so it's pretty ****ing heavy.

This.

Unlatch the door.....get it about halfway from the floor to the celing and let it go. If it stays....then adjust the down force a little bit. If it drops....then your door is unbalanced.

from l m

Nice story...but really, no help.

Cool story, though.

Don't adjust the travel screws.

also Force

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I have a Chamberlain that I bought at Sam's in about '95 that still works great. I was amazed that they was the largest manufacturer of openers in the world since I'd never heard of them.

I then replaced my other opener with a Sears Craftsman and it was the EXACT same opener as the Chamberlain. No wonder they are so big, they make the openers for a bunch of other companies. The Sears instruction manual was exactly the same except it said Craftsman where the other manual said Chamberlain.

Adjusting the travel screws tells the opener how far it needs to go down before it stops. Your travel screws should be fine. It's the closing power that is more than likely the issue.

Your garage door should be able to be opened and closed manually by a 10 year old child.

Hey I am too trying to help!

Meanie!

http://www.sectalk.com/boards/images...gged3na4-1.jpg

Buy a new one

It stayed where it was. Which direction do I adjust the down force? Also, there are screws on the side of the opener as well.

Yup.....They made really good priced units (Chamberlain) that held up and lasted..Buying from Sears was probably good becuase you get the same4 thing, often on special with extra remotes and/or security pads for the exterior thrown in......And sears had decent prices frequently on the installation as well.

no shit?
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I think a 10 year old would be strong enough.

The down force should have an arrow pointing down next to it. The numbers only go from 1-10. Adjust it one number down at a time until it closes fully.

Yep.

Your travel adjustment screws are different. You'll actually need a screwdriver to turn those. You should be able to adjust the down force with your hand.

Can he throw down field? Bring him in for a look.

I think that did it. Thanks!

good job pestilence and groupon

I have a LiftMaster and it is easy to program the stops. I will also warn that I learned how to program it when a sensor went out on my unit. Had to set it back up about every other day for two weeks until the replacement part arrived (they replaced the motor).

I think I'm supposed to say "rep" or something. I've only given one other rep ever.

make sure to test the safety reverse when youre done ****ign with it

Donger and I were on the right track with our suggestions. :p

good job all!

Didnt mean to leave anyone out, that was nice of everyone to help out.!

I love Cheifsplanet

disregard my theory of a bad johnson rod. by the sounds of things, it's functioning properly.

Sweet!

Definitely do the safety test that Pawnmower was talking about.

If it starts to happen again in the future....then you'll need to call a door technician to come out because your door is to heavy for your opener.

It opened when I did that. Thanks

Seems like youre all dialed in then and the force is correct. Good job sir.

Sent you a PM.

Let me know if you have any problems with it.....and I'll see what I can help you with.

Isn't it supposed to open when you do that test? I don't know as much as you do about the tech support end of it.

Be aware that you will now be able to crush small children (and crush your car) without the door reversing. It's a safety feature. Find out what is making it reverse in the first place.

Yes. The springs should be doing all the work. If you release the door, it should NOT go flying toward the ground at super speed. If it does, your springs are grossly is need of adjusting/replacing.

The door should not even hit the ground if the springs are in working order.

I believe he tested the saftey reverse to make sure it would still reverse....(using a 2x4 on the ground, as per standard)

That's for pussies. I had my boy straddle the beams and closed it on him to test it. Now, he walks in circles.

DONT BREAK YOUR STANCE BOY OR YOU WILL FACE MY WRATH

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Shouldn't be. It's your tension springs. They probably need adjusted.