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Garage door problems; won't open/close all the way
Topic Started: Jun 21 2015, 04:38 AM (850 Views)
rmcelwee
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OK, I haven't done any troubleshooting (it is 5AM and I am hot and tired) but I thought I would ask anyway. A few days ago my garage door began stopping both when going up and going down. It will move 1-4 feet and then stop. Sometimes it works fine. The door light does not blink indicating that it sensed an obstruction and did a safety shutdown. However, the light does turn off and might blink a couple of times on and off. Nothing that would indicate a normal "hey, something is wrong" troubleshooting code. It is more like the power is going off. I bought the opener used and it might be 10 years old or so. It has not given me any problems for the 3 years I have had it. I did lose the main gear one time (I think I tightened the chain too much and stressed it) but that was repaired a year ago. The chain droops a bit but I am scared to adjust it since adjusting it caused (maybe) my $50 repair to the gear. I have not disconnected the chain to see if it is hard to open but did lube the wheels a few months ago (silicon spray). I am inclined to think that there is a cold joint on the circuit board (since the light goes on/off) but I do not know.

Any ideas?
Edited by rmcelwee, Jun 21 2015, 04:40 AM.
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Old Man


You did not say what model etc it is, and what 'extras' it has.
Mine has laser lights that must line up or it will shut off. Keeps kids and pets from getting smashed. If one of the arms is loose or vibrating it will act the way you describe.
Mine also has an inner setting that will shut the unit down if there is any extra pull on the motor that is not normal.
You need to pull the rope that disconnects the unit (the incase of loss of electric power thingy) and do some investigating--until you do that you cannot give enough accurate info to be able to ask for help.
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Car Nut
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Had some issues with my Chambers brand a couple months back. Googled the model # & "problems with". Found all kinds of stuff. Even youtubes on how to test it, etc. Mine was a sensor issue.
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rmcelwee
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It is a Liftmaster with no extras (I'll get the model number, etc soon). On your unit, if the lasers are triggered it will blink some lights or something (error message). Mine is not doing anything like that. It is as if the power was cut off. I'm on night shift and going to bed now. I will lift it manually tonight but would bet that there will be no resistance at all.
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Otey13
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Geo Nerd

I have a Lift Master Pro 1/2hp. As you look at the back towards the door on the left side there are a up adjust and down adjust. Mine was doing the same thing. I had to mess with both to get it right, it was a pain. Sometimes I would have to mess with the up and down force that's the little adjustment just under the wiring on the back. An hour or so later I had it running fine. I also bought some garage door lube. And sprayed the tracks and the cork screw and the inner wheels on the tension rod and springs. That was 3 yrs ago, my garage door is 13 yrs. old. I lube it every year and have not had a problem with it.

Good luck!
Otey
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Old Man


Here is a start:
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/liftmaster-troubleshooting-door-opens-part-way-102251.html
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aaronvincent
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Mr Mojo Risin'

Have you tried holding down the button the whole time, an old garage door I had used to do that sometimes. Also check for binding on the hinges, one binding hinge and the whole thing will screech and groan to a halt.
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ZXTjato
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bass heads

i had an issue with the anti child smash laser, the eyes had become so dirty and cob webs around them they would spaz out occasionally wiped em up and now small dogs and children are safe from slowly closing noisy garage doors.
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rmcelwee
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Liftmaster (Chamberlain) 41A5483C

Absolutely no resistance when I raise it by hand.

I can tap on it and the light turns on and off.
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Otey13
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Geo Nerd

Does the light on the opener turn off when it's in use? If it turns off during opening and closing. You have a problem with the light synchro. Most garage door openers have this safety feature. It's connected to the break light sensors.
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rmcelwee
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No, no, no...

The door starts to open and the light turns on (just like every garage door ever made), then the light turns off and the door stops a few feet in the air like someone cut the power. The sensors are sitting on top of the motor, looking at each other and duct taped together. They have been like that since day one.

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Metromightymouse
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Powdercoat Wizard

Have you checked the plug to see if it vibrated out of the socket?
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Otey13
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Geo Nerd

Ok, so if you start the garage door going up the light comes on, it starts going up then the light turns off after a few feet. On the lift master and most garage doors, the safety beam sensor and the light are connected by a synchro board. When you break the beam the light on the opener flashes during normal operations, what sounds like to me is the opener has a short in the safety synchro board or the beam sensors are bad, I've worked on garage doors, gate openers for several years. If you can PM me some pics of your set up. I can probably walk you though it. I have a shit load of parts for openers. If you need some I can send them to you.
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Silver2K


Ours often stops midway. Spraying the coiled spring with silicon oil will fix it for several months.
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rmcelwee
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Otey13
Jun 22 2015, 08:34 AM
Ok, so if you start the garage door going up the light comes on, it starts going up then the light turns off after a few feet. On the lift master and most garage doors, the safety beam sensor and the light are connected by a synchro board. When you break the beam the light on the opener flashes during normal operations, what sounds like to me is the opener has a short in the safety synchro board or the beam sensors are bad, I've worked on garage doors, gate openers for several years. If you can PM me some pics of your set up. I can probably walk you though it. I have a shit load of parts for openers. If you need some I can send them to you.
Sounds good. I'll check it out tonight and see if I can find anything.

If the beam sensors are bad wouldn't it flash (error message) vs acting like I pulled the power to the unit?
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