# Garage door opener troubleshooting **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 16, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/308545 "2005-06-16T14:58:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/308545/1 "2005-06-16T14:58:08Z")
Before going out to replace my garage door opener that stopped working I thought I’d see if anyone had any ideas on what was wrong with it. It stopped operating (open/close) when you pushed the remote or direct line button. When you press the button you get a buzzzz out of the unit but then it stops and a light on it blinks for about 10 seconds. It’s stuck in the ‘up’ position. Things I’ve checked: I manually released the door and lowered it so there is no load on the opener. No luck. I unplugged and replugged the unit to see if maybe it had overloaded itself and went into protect mode and needed to be reset. No luck. I thought maybe something was obstructing the eye-beam or it got knocked out of alignment. No luck. Chain looks intact, unit is getting power, there is no load on the unit, no obstructions. And I have no manual for it since it came with the house. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/308545/2 "2005-06-16T15:20:26Z")
Sounds like your motor has siezed. You might be able to get a replacement motor for it, but it’d probably cost you as much as a whole new opener. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/308545/3 "2005-06-16T15:31:24Z")
Went through a similar thing last week. Sounds like you’ve done a good job with troubleshooting already. Openers don’t cost that much… I’d replace the sucker. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/308545/4 "2005-06-16T16:06:16Z")
Check the wires on your electric eye units to see if one has come loose. You don’t mention the brand, but when mine (Chamberlain) refuses to close and the light blinks that is an indication that something is interfering with the electric eye. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/308545/5 "2005-06-16T16:08:10Z")
You might also be able to go to the manufacturer’s web site and download a PDF copy of the user’s manual. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/308545/6 "2005-06-16T16:12:26Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > Check the wires on your electric eye units to see if one has come loose. You don’t mention the brand, but when mine (Chamberlain) refuses to close and the light blinks that is an indication that something is interfering with the electric eye. Yeah, that’s what I thought it would be. But the eye unit has a indicator light on it that shows it’s working. And if you block the beam with your hand the light goes out. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/308545/7 "2005-06-16T16:17:40Z")
I think I may have found the problem: [link](http://www.chamberlain-diy.com/diy04/product_support/technical_support/0,3818,uid-d257bmFoZGtkaQ==_1849,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/308545/8 "2005-06-16T21:27:57Z")
If the unit is giving you a safety flash and the IR beam is correctly adjusted, then the mechanism of the head is bound, and it thinks it has encountered an obstruction. After you’re finished, be sure to re-test the reversing force. A door should pause and reverse if it strikes a 2 x 4 laid flat at the bottom of the door opening. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/308545/9 "2005-06-17T03:31:16Z")
I had the same problem with mine recently and after all the same troubleshooting steps I had a repair guy come out. There was a plastic part in the mechanism that had fatigued and broken. The repair cost around $50 or so. Much cheaper and less hassle than replacing the whole thing. Why they make these parts out of plastic I’ll never know. My MIL’s had a similar problem but it was a broken gear, also plastic (!). Didn’t buzz, though–it clicked, like a kid with the Ace of spades in his spokes. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/308545/10 "2005-06-17T03:56:32Z")
Why do they make the parts out of plastic? Cheaper Lighter Planned obsolesence Need I say more? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/308545/11 "2005-06-17T06:45:36Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Why do they make the parts out of plastic? > > Cheaper > Lighter > Planned obsolesence > > Need I say more? Yes, but you’ll need to move to the Pit to adequately express yourself. 😃