# Garage door not opening-What can I do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-not-opening-what-can-i-do/565838 "2010-12-30T16:43:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f475e1/32.png) [@Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pierrot_Le_Fou)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-not-opening-what-can-i-do/565838/1 "2010-12-30T16:43:40Z")
My garage door is not opening. The code panel on the outside is not working. I replaced the battery, trying two new batteries, but it does not appear to have power–lights are not lighting up. There is no way to manually open the door. There is a remote, but it is in my car in the garage. There are no exposed hinges or any way I can see to take off the door. The opener is Sears Craftsman if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-not-opening-what-can-i-do/565838/2 "2010-12-30T17:00:06Z")
There should be a manual release to open the door. In most cases it’s a red cord that is hanging down from the door opening system. I think most building codes require a manual door release. (this assumes you can get into the garage, but maybe that is not true?) If you can’t get in , call a local place that fixes garages doors and they should get in one way or another. ---
**Author:** ![Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f475e1/32.png) [@Pierrot\_Le\_Fou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pierrot_Le_Fou)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-not-opening-what-can-i-do/565838/3 "2010-12-30T17:48:10Z")
Nevermind. I got the door open, and I will be replacing the lock. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-not-opening-what-can-i-do/565838/4 "2010-12-31T04:22:38Z")
I’m so glad my garage door has an manual opener on the outside, as well as access from both a door in the house and from the backyard. It seems silly to me not to include at least one of those.