Automatic garage door opener issue

Factual Questions
23

My last house had this issue (down the the way the door was behaving and the red and green light).

  1. Clean both sensors. Spider webs and dust are awesome at causing problems. The sensors are trying to “handshake” across the opening. If they can’t, then the door won’t open or close correctly.

  2. Still got one green and one red after the cleaning? Then one was knocked out of alignment somehow. You’ll need to gently jiggle things around until you’re getting 2 greens again. This is easier with 2 people, if you can manage it, but I think I did it by myself while my helper went off to look for a screw driver. Basically, you’re pointing them at each other.

  3. Of course, it never hurts to look at the manual and read the steps for correctly aligning the little buggers. If you don’t have manual handy, it should be online. You should be able to get the model number off the main unit by climbing up a step ladder and using a flash light, or taking a picture with your mobile phone.

I think it was a pretty quick fix, once we narrowed it down to the sensors. Hopefully yours will be too.

24

I was involved in some litigation about 20 years ago over defective circuit boards used in garage doors. Extremes in temperature would cause them to open and close as if ghosts had their fingers on the remotes. The matter settled before anyone adduced expert evidence.

26

Epilogue: You were right.
Thanks all for the helpful responses.