What to Do When Your Garage Door Isn’t Closing

There’s nothing more frustrating than a garage door that refuses to shut (especially when you’re already in a rush). Luckily, there are ways to try and troubleshoot it yourself before getting professionals involved. Read on to learn what may be causing your garage door to not close and how you can fix it. 

6 Reasons Your Garage Door Might Not Be Closing

1. The Sensors Are Blocked or Misaligned

If your garage door isn’t closing, it often means that your garage door sensors are blocked or misaligned. Your sensors project an invisible beam of light across the opening of your garage, and if there is something even slightly blocking that beam, your garage door won’t be able to close. 

To fix this:

• Check to make sure there is nothing blocking them: Look for stray cardboard boxes or equipment that may have gotten in the way. 
• See if the sensors are dirty: Dust, dirt, or grime can cloud the sensor’s eyes and intercept the message they’re trying to send to each other. Make sure to give both eyes a good wipe with a damp rag. 
• Make sure the sun isn’t messing with the sensors: If the eyes are clean, look up to the sky and see if the angle of the sun happens to be shining right into one of the eyes. If so, grab your remote from your car, stand outside your door, and position your body so your shadow falls over the eye. Hit the button and stand there until the door has closed completely.
• Try realigning the sensors: Check to see if both lights of the eyes are on. One should be green, and the other should be yellow or red. If one or both of the sensors are blinking or off, then they’re likely misaligned. Fixing this may require something as simple as wiggling the eye until the lights return to normal, or retightening the wingnut. (But you may have to call a professional if they’re severely misaligned.)

2. There’s Debris on the Tracks or Rollers

Rollers are the small wheels that support your garage door as it travels along the tracks. Together, the rollers and the tracks play a big role in opening and closing your garage door. However, it’s easy for leaves, small rocks, dirt, and other debris to clog up the tracks and prevent the rollers from closing the garage door.  

To clear away the debris, close your garage door manually by pulling on the bypass rope (doing so will allow you to safely and thoroughly reach all the track sections). Then, take a vacuum and suck up any dirt, grit, or cobwebs from the tracks. Once the loose debris is cleared, wipe away any remaining grime on the tracks with warm water and dish soap. 

3. The Remote is Dead or Needs to Be Reprogrammed

If your garage door won’t work with the remote, there’s a chance your batteries are dead or close to the end of their lifespan. Try replacing them—if that doesn’t fix the problem, your remote may need to be reprogrammed.

It’s possible for a power surge to “wipe” your garage door remote’s memory clean, meaning it’s no longer connected to the opener. To reprogram your remote:

1. Using a ladder, safely open the rear flap or remove the light cover on your garage door opener.
2. Inside the garage door opener, you’ll see a large “learn” button. Press that button until a light flashes. 
3. Once the light flashes, your remote should be reprogrammed. Try opening and closing with the remote to see if it works. 

4. The Trolley is Broken or Disconnected

The trolley is the piece that connects the garage door to the opener. This can be a chain, belt, or screw that pulls the garage door along the tracks when the opener is activated. If the trolley breaks or becomes disconnected, the door won’t close. 

Check the trolley for signs of damage. If the emergency release cord has been accidentally engaged, this can disconnect the trolley from the door. If that happens, slide the trolley near the opener, then push the wall button or remote to run the opener. You should hear a click as the trolley reconnects with the opener. 

5. The Limits Need Adjusting

If your garage door is closing partially before stopping, then your “limits” need adjusting. The limits determine how far your garage door travels when opening or closing. With newer garage models, these limits can be controlled via dials or apps (like MyQ). 

However, older openers use physical limit-adjustment screws. Sometimes, the mechanical vibrations of your motor can cause the limit-adjustment screws to get knocked out of place. 

When that happens, try:

1. Opening the rear flap or removing the light cover on your opener. You should see two plastic screws labeled “up” or “down”.
2. Using a flathead screwdriver, twist the “down” screw clockwise an increment. Check to see how far your garage door closes now. 
3. Keep screwing your “down” screw until your garage door closes all the way and compresses the rubber seals. If the door closes and bounces open, unscrew the “down” screw slightly. 

6. The Door Lock is Activated

It may seem simple, but there’s a chance your garage door isn’t opening because it’s locked. There are two ways your door can become locked:

• Electronic lock: Most openers have a “lock” or “vacation” button that, when turned on, disables the remote control. It could be possible this was accidentally pressed. If so, just press it again to turn it off. 
• Manual slide lock: Some garage doors have a manual lock that can be bumped into place. Look along the sides of your garage door to see if there is a sliding metal bar or a rotated handle latch connected to the tracks. 

What Should I Do if My Garage Door Still Isn’t Shutting After Troubleshooting?

If your garage door still isn’t closing after you troubleshoot it, it may be time to call the professionals at Jim’s Garage Door Service! Start by: 

1. Disconnecting the door using the red or yellow emergency release cord hanging from your door opener on the ceiling. (This will allow you to lower and lift it manually.)
2. Grab the handle and slowly walk your door down until it’s about halfway closed. Exit your garage under the door and finish closing the door from the outside. Your garage door will not be locked, but it will at least be closed until you can return to your home.
3. You can easily lift the door again once you return. Then contact us! With 24-hour emergency service and knowledgeable service technicians, we can get your door back up and running in no time.