Garage Door Won't Open? 8 Reasons Why and How to Fix Them

A garage door that suddenly stops opening is frustrating — especially when your car is inside. Before calling for a technician, work through this checklist. Some of these you can fix yourself in five minutes. Others require a professional.

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1. Dead Remote Battery

Start here. It sounds obvious, but a dead remote battery is responsible for a surprising number of service calls. Replace the battery in your remote and try again. If the wall button still works but the remote doesn't, it's the battery.

DIY fix: Yes — CR2032 or similar, available at any hardware store.

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2. Misaligned Safety Sensors

Every garage door opener made after 1993 has a pair of safety sensors near the floor on each side of the door. These infrared sensors prevent the door from closing on people or objects. If they're misaligned, dirty, or blocked, the door may refuse to close (or may reverse immediately after touching the ground).

Look at both sensors — they should have solid green and solid yellow indicator lights. If either is blinking, the sensors are out of alignment or something is blocking them.

DIY fix: Usually. Loosen the mounting bracket slightly, align the sensors until both lights are solid, and retighten.

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3. Broken Torsion Spring

If you heard a loud bang (often described as a gunshot) and the door suddenly won't open, a torsion spring has likely snapped. You'll see a visible gap in the coil above the door, or the spring may be in two pieces.

Do not attempt to open the door manually or operate the opener. A door without a functioning spring puts enormous stress on the opener motor and cables, and can cause additional damage or injury.

DIY fix: No. This requires a professional with the right tools and safety equipment.

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4. Opener Motor Running but Door Not Moving

If you can hear the opener motor running but the door doesn't move, the problem is usually a disconnected trolley or a stripped gear inside the opener.

First, check the trolley carriage — there's often a red emergency cord that disconnects the door from the opener. If someone pulled that cord, the door is in manual mode and won't respond to the opener. Reconnect by pulling the cord toward the opener and manually lifting the door until it clicks back into the carriage.

If the trolley is connected and the door still won't move, the drive gear is likely stripped and needs replacement.

DIY fix: Reconnecting the trolley, yes. Gear replacement, no.

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5. Broken or Snapped Cable

Cables run from the bottom of the door up to the spring drum. When a cable snaps, one side of the door drops lower than the other. The door may be stuck partially open and leaning at an angle.

Do not force the door. Using it with a broken cable can bend the tracks or damage the opener.

DIY fix: No. Cables are under high tension and must be replaced with proper tools.

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6. Locked Door

If someone manually locked the door from the inside (there's typically a slide lock in the center of the door), the opener can't move it. Check whether the manual lock is engaged before troubleshooting further.

DIY fix: Yes — disengage the lock from inside.

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7. Power Outage or Tripped Circuit

Check whether the opener has power. Look for the indicator light on the motor head — if it's off, the unit has no power. Check your circuit breaker for a tripped breaker labeled "Garage" or "Opener."

DIY fix: Yes — reset the breaker.

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8. Limit Switch Needs Adjustment

The limit switch tells the opener how far to travel before it considers the door fully open or closed. If the limits are set incorrectly, the door may stop short of fully opening. Most openers have limit adjustment screws on the motor housing.

DIY fix: Possibly — check your opener's manual. But if you're not comfortable adjusting it, a technician can set it in a few minutes.

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When to Call a Technician

Call a professional if:

• You suspect a broken spring or cable
• The opener motor is running but the door isn't moving and the trolley is connected
• The door is off track or visibly bent
• You've checked everything above and can't identify the problem

Las Vegas: (702) 463-9075
Henderson: (725) 314-2565
Reno/Sparks: (775) 857-9757

We offer free estimates and same-day service across all three Nevada locations.