What's wrong with my garage door?

Your result

I heard a loud bang and now the door won't lift

Stop using the door

Likely causes

• A broken torsion or extension spring (by far the most common cause)
• Less often, a snapped lift cable

What to do now

1. Leave the door closed if it's closed
2. Unplug the opener so nobody runs it
3. From the floor, look for a gap in a spring above the door
4. Don't lift the door by hand or pull the emergency release

Ask for: Garage Door Spring Repair. Read: related guide.

Your result

The opener hums or clicks but the door doesn't move

Stop using the door

Likely causes

• A broken spring, so the door is too heavy to lift
• A stripped drive gear inside the opener
• The door's manual lock is engaged, or it's frozen to the floor

What to do now

1. Stop pressing the button so the motor doesn't burn out
2. Unplug the opener
3. Check the inside lock and, in winter, whether the bottom seal is frozen
4. Look at the springs from the floor; if one is broken, call

Ask for: Garage Door Opener Repair. Read: related guide.

Your result

The door starts to close, then goes back up

Safe to check a few things first

Likely causes

• Photo-eye sensors near the floor are dirty, misaligned, or blocked
• The opener's close-force or travel limit needs adjustment
• Something is binding the door on the way down

What to do now

1. Wipe both sensor lenses and clear anything in the beam
2. Check that both sensor lights are steady; realign the bracket if one blinks
3. Never tape over or bypass the sensors
4. If it still reverses, call for opener service

Ask for: Garage Door Opener Repair. Read: related guide.

Your result

The door hangs crooked or one side is lower

Stop using the door

Likely causes

• A lift cable slipped off its drum or snapped
• One extension spring broke
• A bent track

What to do now

1. Stop using the door and unplug the opener
2. Leave the door where it is
3. Keep people and cars out from under it
4. Note which side is lower and whether a cable is loose

Ask for: Garage Door Off-Track and Cable Repair. Read: related guide.

Your result

Rollers have come out of the track

Stop using the door

Likely causes

• A slipped or snapped cable
• A broken spring
• A track bent by a car or snowblower
• Worn rollers or loose track brackets

What to do now

1. Don't try to push the rollers back in
2. Unplug the opener and leave the door where it is
3. Keep everyone clear of the doorway

Ask for: Garage Door Off-Track and Cable Repair. Read: related guide.

Your result

The door slams shut or falls fast near the floor

Stop using the door

Likely causes

• A broken or badly worn spring that no longer counterbalances the door
• A spring sized wrong for the door's weight

What to do now

1. Stop using the door; a falling door can injure someone
2. Unplug the opener
3. Keep kids and pets away from the doorway

Ask for: Garage Door Spring Repair. Read: related guide.

Your result

The door is stuck open and won't close

Stop using the door

Likely causes

• A broken spring or cable
• The door is off track
• Photo-eye or opener failure

What to do now

1. Unplug the opener and keep everyone out from under the door
2. Don't pull the emergency release while the door is open
3. Lock the door between the garage and the house and move valuables
4. Call and ask about availability and after-hours fees

Ask for: Emergency Garage Door Repair. Read: related guide.

Your result

The wall button works but the remote doesn't

Safe to check a few things first

Likely causes

• A dead remote battery
• The wall console's lock or vacation mode is on
• The remote lost its programming

What to do now

1. Try a fresh battery
2. Check the lock button on the wall console
3. Reprogram the remote using the opener's learn button (see the manual)
4. If none of that works, the opener's receiver may need service

Ask for: Garage Door Opener Repair. Read: related guide.

Your result

Nothing works: no light, no sound

Safe to check a few things first

Likely causes

• No power at the outlet or a tripped GFCI
• A failed logic board or motor

What to do now

1. Check that the opener is plugged in
2. Reset any tripped GFCI outlet in the garage
3. Check the breaker for the garage circuit
4. If it has power but does nothing, call for opener service

Ask for: Garage Door Opener Repair. Read: related guide.

Your result

It won't open on a cold winter morning

Safe to check a few things first

Likely causes

• The bottom seal is frozen to the floor
• Ice packed in the tracks
• A worn spring struggling in the cold

What to do now

1. Stop pressing the button so the opener doesn't strip its gear
2. Unplug the opener
3. Free the seal along the floor with a plastic scraper or ice melt
4. If it still won't move or the seal tears, call

Ask for: Garage Door Opener Repair. Read: related guide.

Your result

It grinds, scrapes, or shudders as it moves

Schedule a repair

Likely causes

• Worn rollers or hinges
• A track out of alignment
• A loose opener chain or worn drive parts

What to do now

1. Watch whether the door moves evenly
2. If it binds, jerks, or tilts, stop using it
3. Otherwise, schedule an inspection before it gets worse

Ask for: Garage Door Off-Track and Cable Repair. Read: related guide.

Your result

A panel is dented or cracked

Schedule a repair

Likely causes

• Impact from a car, mower, or snowblower
• A section cracked when the door twisted or fell

What to do now

1. If the door was hit, don't run it until it's inspected
2. Photograph the damage
3. Find the door's brand and model to check whether a matching section is made

Ask for: Garage Door Panel Repair. Read: related guide.