![The Garage Door Keeps Opening When Trying to Close It! [Solved]](https://www.gofulldiy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Garage-Door-Keeps-Opening-When-Trying-to-Close-It-1.jpg)
Picture this: you’re running late for work or returning home after a long day, and as you press the button to close your garage door, it begins to descend but then unexpectedly reverses and starts opening again.
Frustration sets in as you repeatedly attempt to close it, only to have it stubbornly reverse its course every time. You’re not alone if you find yourself trapped in this maddening cycle.
Garage doors are programmed to travel a certain distance before closing. In the event that it opens before it has traveled that distance, it believes something is wrong, so it reopens to prevent any damage from occurring.
You may find that your garage door components shift or contract as the weather changes.
A garage door that continuously opens when you’re trying to close it can be exasperating and inconvenient, not to mention a potential security risk.
It’s crucial to address this issue promptly to maintain the safety and functionality of your garage.
In this guide, we will delve into the possible causes behind this perplexing problem and provide you with practical solutions to help you overcome it.
Obvious Reasons
Several problems can explain why your garage door keeps opening when trying to close, including something blocking the sensors.
In other words, it is a safety feature, not a flaw. There’s no reason to let something–or anyone–be crushed as the door closes.
A group of photo eye sensors send signals to each other when the garage door is in use to ensure that nothing is on the ground under it. This reversing mechanism is triggered if something blocks the signal.
As the sensors are a few inches off the ground, if your car’s bumper isn’t fully parked, the garage door may hit it before going up again.
Also, your garage door opener can reverse direction if it encounters anything causing some resistance.
The safety sensor may need to be cleaned or serviced if nothing is blocking the door and nothing is in the way.
Why Does My Garage Door Keep Opening When Trying To Close?
The garage door closing, then opening again for no apparent reason, is common to several household issues. Some reasons why this might be happening are listed below:
The Safety Sensors Are Blocked
Safety sensors are installed at the bottom of your garage door. The infrared sensor detects an opening by passing a beam horizontally across the opening.
The door opens once again when anything enters the beam, even briefly. Even if pets or objects are in the way of the door, they will remain safe.
The sensor lens needs to be cleaned, and obstructions that may trip the sensor need to be removed.
Springs Or Rollers Are Worn Or Misaligned
If the springs or rollers are worn or misaligned, your door will have to work harder to close. If the door is overly friction, it may be unable to close.
Spring and roller lubrication can sometimes resolve this problem, but your product may require a complete replacement.
You may need to replace these parts if rust has significantly built up or if you have an old garage door.
Your Remote Is Dying Or Deprogrammed
Your garage door might behave strangely when the battery in your remote is dying. To check whether the door closes completely, check your wall switch.
In most cases, a battery replacement will resolve the issue if it usually works with the wall switch. It is possible that the programming, rather than the battery, is at fault.
You must use a remote control and keypad to open and close the garage door. You likely remember the initial programming process if you have ever installed a new keypad.
It is possible for your keypad’s programming and the door’s programming to experience a glitch and need to be reset.
A reset might work if your wall switch works but not your remote or keypad. Use your garage door opener’s user manual to reprogram it.
Your Close-Force Setting Is Off
You can adjust the force your garage door uses to close just as you can adjust the distance it travels. It may return to the open position if the force setting is too low, so it lacks enough energy to reach the floor.
A screw on your garage door opener should allow you to adjust this setting. Your opener’s manual will provide you with more information.
Your Travel Module Or Logic Board Needs to be Replaced
With the travel module in your garage door opener, the logic board is able to receive information about the position of the door. An automatic garage door opener’s logic board is similar to its brain.
If the travelling module and logic board wear out over time, you may need to replace them.
Travel modules can malfunction and stop communicating garage door position to the logic board, causing your garage door to suddenly close and open.
Old garage door openers will benefit from replacement if their travel module or logic board is worn out.
Installing a new opener is the best course of action in this instance. Changing out the logic board is not as complex as you might think, and you can enjoy all the features of a new opener without any complications.
Your Travel Down Setting Needs To Be Adjusted
The garage door in your garage is programmed to travel a certain distance before closing. This causes the device to think something is wrong if it closes before it has travelled the distance.
In addition, it opens and closes again to prevent any damage. Some garage door components may shift or contract depending on the weather conditions.
You may notice that your garage door needs to travel a different distance when that happens. Typically, you just need to adjust your “travel down” setting to the new span.
Your Threshold May Be Blocked
Look at your garage door’s threshold before you break out your tools or call a professional.
To prevent damage or safety threats, your garage door senses if anything blocks the threshold, even slightly. It reverses direction to prevent damage.
You might experience a blockage in the threshold if the sensor eyes are dirty or smudged. Clean all sensors along the floor with a cloth and mild cleaner to ensure they can see clearly.
Your garage door reversing for no apparent reason could indicate a problem with your system or component. Make sure the threshold is clear, and the sensor eyes are clean.
Other Garage Door Opener Fixes
Garage door openers can have other features you may not have noticed, including faulty sensors or stray objects.
The settings of a garage door opener are usually adjusted during installation to ensure proper operation. Most of the time, there is little to no adjustment needed.
There’s always the possibility that they can fail or become “out of tune” like anything mechanical.
It may be that something else is affecting the performance, such as settling with the garage door frame or tracks. You may be able to trigger the opener if the tracks at the bottom are bent somehow.
Most garage door openers, especially newer models, have “travel limits” and “force limits” to determine when you should close your garage door completely.
The travel-down settings determine how far down the door should open before stopping. In such a case, it will open if it stops before reaching that distance.
Similarly, force limits close a door only to a certain degree of force. Regardless of your opener’s type, you may be able to adjust it with its buttons.
New motors calibrate the Force Limits to determine how much force is required to open or close a door.
With all new models, the motor determines the force limits after setting the travel limits. See the owner’s manual of your opener to find out where these settings can be adjusted.
Final Words
This article discussed some steps you can take if your garage door closes and reopens. For this issue to be resolved, you must find out the cause and diagnose it properly.
You should contact a professional if you’ve tried all the troubleshooting options on your garage door, and none of them have helped.
You are not required to leave your garage door wide open if there are unexpected issues, as some dealers offer emergency services.
