Garage Door Won’t Open? 7 Common Causes and What to Check
A garage door that will not open usually comes down to a handful of causes. Some take a minute to fix yourself. Others, like a broken spring, need a technician. Here is how to tell the difference.
Request a technician1. A broken spring
If you heard a loud bang from the garage and now the opener hums or the door lifts a few inches and stops, a spring has most likely snapped. Look above the door for a gap in the coil. Do not try to lift the door by hand — without the spring it is extremely heavy. See garage door spring repair.
2. Remote or keypad problems
Try the wall button inside the garage. If the wall button works but the remote does not, replace the remote battery or reprogram it. If nothing works, the problem is the opener or its power.
3. No power to the opener
Check that the opener is plugged in, the outlet works and the breaker has not tripped. Some garages have a GFCI outlet that cuts power to the opener when it trips.
4. The lock is engaged
Many doors have a manual slide lock on the inside, and many openers have a “lock” or “vacation” button on the wall control. Either one will stop the door from opening.
5. The emergency release was pulled
If someone pulled the red emergency cord, the door is disconnected from the opener. The motor will run but the door will not move. Most openers reconnect when you run the opener through a full cycle with the door closed.
6. Snapped cables or a door off track
A loose cable hanging beside the door, or a door sitting crooked, means it should not be operated. See cable and roller repair and off-track repair.
7. A worn-out opener
If the motor runs but grinds, or clicks and does nothing, the drive gear or logic board may have failed. See opener repair.
When to call for help
Call a technician if you suspect a broken spring or cable, the door is crooked, or the simple checks above do not solve it. If your car is trapped, see emergency garage door repair.
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