Weird Garage door question

[Skidog]

OK so heres the deal. I have a craftsman garage door opener (yeah i dont need the Sears haters chiming in, it came with the house). Thing looks like it was brand new when i bought the house 3 years ago. Worked fine til about a week ago, how it seems the guide to bring the door up and down only wants to keep pushing forward (like its closing the door) even when the doors already down.

I've checked the simple things like electronic eyes are clear and seem to be functional, door goes up and down without restrictions and is on track. Messed with the open/close "toggles". Unplugged for a couple hours, nothing seems to work.

Its like its stuck thinking its not at the end of its track and keeps trying to close the door, but all its doing is binding up at the "stop screw" at the track end and buckling the whole unit.

Any ideas or is this fucker just shot? I'd rather not call a garage door guy and pay out the ass, but i dont have time to replace it before i go in for shoulder surgery and opening the door manually is a pain the fucking ass... Yeah im THAT lazy...

thanks for the advice in advance. Hope someone has an answer..they shit that gets answered in here amazes me. I've searched google..

Thanks again.

[nvr2deep]

Google your model and see if there is a reset procedure?

[Moeghoul]

Sounds like a sensor issue. Somehow the signal isn't getting back to the motor. Look on the rail and see if that sensor's wires are ok and that it is fastened down where it's supposed to stop.

[Snow Dog]

The electric eye is a safety switch and is unrelated to your problem. A limit (end of travel) switch isn't working. On some door openers there's a switch mounted at each end of the track. Is that what you're calling 'toggles"? You should see the door activate the switch at each end. The problem could be mechanical (switch not operated or in the wrong place), or electrical (the switch or wire has failed). You should be able to operate the switch manually as the door is going down to check it.

On some openers the stop mechanism is built into the opener itself. There will be two limit knobs to set the open position and closed position.

[Skidog]

The electric eye is a safety switch and is unrelated to your problem. A limit (end of travel) switch isn't working. On some door openers there's a switch mounted at each end of the track. Is that what you're calling 'toggles"? You should see the door activate the switch at each end. The problem could be mechanical (switch not operated or in the wrong place), or electrical (the switch or wire has failed). You should be able to operate the switch manually as the door is going down to check it.

On some openers the stop mechanism is built into the opener itself. There will be two limit knobs to set the open position and closed position.

The "knobs" are what i was referring to.

Ill look for something at the end of the track but i didnt notice anything that could be out of alignment..but im an idiot mostly.

FYI...i cant get the door to go back up, thats the issue im having...so i cant "test it". if i put the door up manually by hand and push the opener, it still keeps going "forward" like it wants to close the door, hitting that "stop screw" and buckling the entire setup.

What exactly and where would i be looking for these "limiting" sensors? I assume its on the top rail itself.

Please advise...

[Snow Dog]

I should explain all the knobs. On every opener there are two tension knobs which are adjusted to stop the door when it hits something in either direction. They're adjusted to allow the door to move but stop when the tension/force exceeds some limit. You should be able to stop the door going down by grabbing it. Clearly these aren't set up right either. Reducing the tension is the first step. Turn it down until the door stops from the friction in the system and then turn it up a little.

If you have external limit switches they'll be on the top rail -- a little box with two wires and an arm that contacts the traveller (the thing that slides along the rail and connects the chain and door).

It could be that the logic board inside the opener is fried so it could be time for a new opener.

[El Chupacabra]

It could be that the logic board inside the opener is fried so it could be time for a new opener.

This has been the diagnosis on both garage door opener failures I've had. One day, works fine.... next: dead.

Google the precise model number of your garage door opener and see what you find. There's an amazing amount of info on these online.

[Skidog]

I should explain all the knobs. On every opener there are two tension knobs which are adjusted to stop the door when it hits something in either direction. They're adjusted to allow the door to move but stop when the tension/force exceeds some limit. You should be able to stop the door going down by grabbing it. Clearly these aren't set up right either. Reducing the tension is the first step. Turn it down until the door stops from the friction in the system and then turn it up a little.

If you have external limit switches they'll be on the top rail -- a little box with two wires and an arm that contacts the traveller (the thing that slides along the rail and connects the chain and door).

It could be that the logic board inside the opener is fried so it could be time for a new opener.

Doesnt seem to be anything on the "top rail". I will play with the adjustments for the up and down. I did this before but i may not have lowered them enough.

thing literally worked fine for the 3 years i been there, and opened the other day to go out to store...closed door and when i came back the sucker wouldnt open, just kept pushing forward (closed).

Damn thing looks soo new.. i think 3/4hp craftsman.

Ill take pics of it if i cant get it to work after trying again...thanks for the help thus far...

Any idea how much it'll cost me to have a new one installed...again ill reiterate im fucking LAZY.

[Snow Dog]

If it's newish then parts might be available and it might even be cheaper than replacing.

[Skidog]

If it's newish then parts might be available and it might even be cheaper than replacing.

Yeah looks like worst case i have to replace the entire unit...under $400. Might be able to be fixed. I will try the suggestions given here tonight when i get home and if its not fixed from those.....ill have a guy come look.

thanks again...this place never ceases to amaze me with the knowledgebase.

[El Chupacabra]

IIRC, both Home Depot and Lowe's have set-installation-price arrangements with local contractors. You buy the opener of your choice at HD/Lowe's, pay for the installation at the register, then the contractor contacts you to schedule.

I think the last time I did this it was around $90 for the installation. The actual garage door opener wasn't that much either; maybe $140.

[Buzzworthy]

Doesnt seem to be anything on the "top rail". I will play with the adjustments for the up and down. I did this before but i may not have lowered them enough.

thing literally worked fine for the 3 years i been there, and opened the other day to go out to store...closed door and when i came back the sucker wouldnt open, just kept pushing forward (closed).

Damn thing looks soo new.. i think 3/4hp craftsman.

Ill take pics of it if i cant get it to work after trying again...thanks for the help thus far...

Any idea how much it'll cost me to have a new one installed...again ill reiterate im fucking LAZY.

Same problem happened to me in Feb. Would close but not open. It was a switch out of whack on the rail. Wife called the number on the opener and the dude fixed it in about 3 minutes. $15, but at least it was not a "it is dead, spend lots of money for a new one".

[old goat]

It's not that hard to install a garage door opener yourself--I've done a couple and am not mechanically gifted. Of course you know not to mess with the door itself.

[abraham]

We installed 2 openers in the house a few months ago and they did not have the sensors on the rail to stop the opener. Instead you had to use the buttons on the motor to set the distance the door should travel and the force it used. I remember the buttons were not labeled and servedvarious purposes depending on how many times they were pressed.

Its also ppretty easy to set up a new one if you don't get distracted easily like my dad and I did

[Skidog]

It's not that hard to install a garage door opener yourself--I've done a couple and am not mechanically gifted. Of course you know not to mess with the door itself.

Im sure its not all that hard. However I am helping move offices this weekend which will take up most of Saturday. Sunday id like to relax a little as im having surgery on Tuesday....then im out of commission for a bit so...i wont have time to dick around with attempting to install a new one. Ill eat the cost on this. Oh well.