Garage Door Won’t Close? Here’s What to Check

You press the button, the door starts to close, then reverses right back up. Or maybe it won’t move at all. A garage door that refuses to close is one of the most frustrating — and most common — issues homeowners face. The good news: many causes are simple to identify, and some you can fix yourself.

Step 1: Check the Safety Sensors

This is the cause about 70% of the time. The photo-eye sensors near the floor on each side of the door opening must have a clear line of sight to each other. Check for:

• Obstructions — a broom, trash can, shoe, or anything blocking the sensor beam
• Dirty lenses — wipe both sensor lenses with a soft, dry cloth
• Misalignment — the sensors have small LED indicator lights. On most models, the sending eye shows green and the receiving eye shows amber. If the amber light is flickering or off, the sensors are misaligned. Gently adjust until both lights are steady
• Sun interference — direct afternoon sun can overwhelm the sensor. This is common in west-facing San Diego garages. A simple shade or cardboard tube over the sensor can solve it
• Damaged wires — check for pinched, cut, or rodent-chewed wires running from the sensors to the opener

Step 2: Look at the Opener Lights

Most openers flash their lights a specific number of times to indicate the problem:

• 1 flash — sensor wire disconnected or shorted
• 2 flashes — sensor wire short (reversed)
• 4 flashes — sensor slightly misaligned
• 6 flashes — sensor not connected
• 10 flashes — sensor wiring issue

Check your opener’s manual for the specific flash code chart for your model.

Step 3: Check the Track and Rollers

Look along both tracks for:

• Debris or objects in the track path
• A bent section of track where a roller could jam
• A roller that’s come out of the track

Step 4: Check the Limit Settings

Your opener has “close limit” and “force limit” settings that control how far the door travels and how much resistance triggers a reversal. If these are set incorrectly, the door may reverse before reaching the floor, thinking it has hit an obstruction. Adjusting these requires knowing your specific opener model — check the manual or call a technician.

Step 5: Try the Wall Button

If the remote won’t close the door but the wall button does, the issue is with the remote or its signal, not the door itself. Try replacing the remote battery. If that doesn’t help, the remote may need reprogramming.

Step 6: Use the Lock-Out Override

On most openers, holding the wall button continuously will close the door while bypassing the safety sensors (the opener beeps and the lights flash). This is a temporary workaround to get the door closed, not a permanent solution. If you need to use this, the sensors need attention.

When to Call a Professional

If the steps above don’t resolve the issue, or if you notice any of these conditions, it’s time to call a tech:

• The door is making grinding, scraping, or popping noises
• The door is visibly off-track or crooked
• Cables are loose or dangling
• The opener motor runs but the door doesn’t move
• You smell burning from the opener

Learn more about our sensor repair service or schedule a service call.