garage door adjust

[Centerplate]

My garage door will come down part way, then go back up. I need to close it multiple times to get it to close. I have
tried to adjust it many times, but I must be doing something wrong. Can anyone give me some insight to this opener?

 

[Gumby]

I had something similar happen not long ago with a Chamberlain brand of opener, which was about 15 years old. I partially removed a cover to gain access to the electronics, and then sprayed the heck out of it with electrical contact cleaner. I let it dry out thoroughly and then then opener worked better for a couple of weeks only. I eventually just replaced the opener altogether.

 

[Repairman60]

This can be caused by different things. Without knowing the opener I would offer these suggestions. First check the sensors that stop or reverse the door as the case may be. I have heard a leaf in a spider web will do this does not take much. Next thing I would check is the slip clutch safety mechanism that stops or reverses door in the event the door strikes something on the way down. Track issues, tightness in drive screw or chain. Worn bushings that allow gears to shift adding more load. My guess from the few I have worked on something is binding and activating the safety and reverses the door. Just have to figure out how the safety functions and where the binding is at. Later models sense current draw of motor so anything that binds can cause the issue you stated. The other scenario is nothing is binding and there is an issue with motor or electronics that does sensing. Lots of variables. Good luck.

 

[504]

Mine will shake the eye loose and it will do what yours is doing. In my case I just slide it back on the bracket.

 

[Old Ford Mechanic]

Just had this problem. Mine was the beams out of alignment. You must have a solid light on each side of the door for it to operate correctly. One side on my door had gotten bumped out.

 

[gab]

The manual would have the trouble shooting chart and the adjustments such as down force/ up/force and the up/down limits. I worked on my own opener off and on all summer, sometimes it worked perfect for a month, then it was out of control for three or four days. I figured it was the logic module which cost half the price of a new opener so I put a new one up.

 

[MarkB_MI]

Are you talking about the DOOR adjustment or the OPENER adjustment?

Before monkeying around with the opener, disconnect it from the door and make sure you can raise and lower the door by hand. If properly adjusted, the door should go on up if you lift it over your head (assuming it's tall enough), it should close if it's within a couple of feet of fully closed, and it should stay put if you move it between those two zones.

As for the opener, most have three adjustments: upper limit, lower limit and down force. If it reverses partway down, it's probably encountering too much resistance. That could be caused by a sticky door; make sure the door opens and closes smoothly by hand. If you increase the opener down force, test it by placing a 2x4 under the door and closing it with the opener; if the opener doesn't reverse when the door hits the 2x4, the down force is too high.

 

[Centerplate]

To all:
Thanks for all the responses to my opener problem. The sensors( electric eyes) my be a likely issue as the shaking on the track could be causing a miss alignment. I will check every thing out.

 

[K Effective]

Does it malfunction when activated from the remote in a vehicle or just a wired wall switch? I had issues with a broken wire feeding a wall switch and poor quality doorbell switches used for the opener. Seemed to get multiple signals from one push and release of the button. Most often, mine would cause the door to operate, but also cause the opener to forget the programmed remote codes. If you pushed the button on the garage wall, one in ten times the buttons in the cars would not work. I have upgraded to better quality switches, fixed the broken wire and have had no issues yet...

 

[DaveBN]

My sensors got weak and did that. After replacing the sensors I noticed that the light was brighter on the new sensor.

Dave

 

[neverfear]

Just had the leaf in the cobweb deal happen last weekend. It was dangling from the bottom of the door seal and would break the sensor beam and reverse the door. It had the wife perplexed for a good half hr! LOL

 

[Determined]

As others have already said the sensors are the first thing to check.

Oldest son thought he was having trouble with the door opener on his attached garage.

Switch was right next to the door into the house.

He would get home and press the button on the way into the house.

About half the time he would hear the door go part way down then open back up.

Finally realized his dog was running into the garage when it heard the door opener.

 

[Repairman60]

Centerplate...let us know what you find
to remedy your issue. Maybe something no
one has seen before.

 

[deadeye123]

one pinestraw stuck to the bottom seal will make my door go back up after closing.

 

[MARK ROBKE]

I had the same problem-I wiped off the eyes, which had never been cleaned in 20 years, but it didn't really help. So then I cleaned the eyes with Windex and a paper towel: problem solved. Mark.

 

[DoubleR]

I cleaned off the eyes on one of my doors that I was having trouble with yesterday, Seems to have solved the problem. Hasn't been twenty years but probably ten since I installed the opener.

 

[Centerplate]

It was the safety sensors and they are difficult to adjust on a double wide door. It does not help that I am in a wheel chair.

 

[Repairman60]

Glad it was an easy fix for you. A little movement on the sensor has big results 16 feet away!

 

[ss55]

As was already mentioned, first check if the door moves smoothly all the way up and all the way down without the opener to determine if the problem is with the door or if the problem is with the opener.