Garage door tech

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:39 pm

My garage door has decided to randomly stop while going up or down. It is operating smoothly but it stops frequently and I have to keep pressing the button to get it all the way down. I imagine there is one of Spy vs Spy fellas around the corner snickering as they stop my door five times while I'm trying to close it.

It does have the "photo" sensors to keep it from closing on objects blocking the door.

Any thoughts??

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:42 pm

MarcusMcRae wrote:

My garage door has decided to randomly stop while going up or down. It is operating smoothly but it stops frequently and I have to keep pressing the button to get it all the way down. I imagine there is one of Spy vs Spy fellas around the corner snickering as they stop my door five times while I'm trying to close it.

It does have the "photo" sensors to keep it from closing on objects blocking the door.

Any thoughts??

Oil all of the rollers and anything that moves. There's probably a resistance function on this beast where if it hits something, it either stops or reverses. Might be too much resistance from the rollers or one is sticking. Just a thought...

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:54 pm

RodneyWright wrote:

MarcusMcRae wrote:

My garage door has decided to randomly stop while going up or down. It is operating smoothly but it stops frequently and I have to keep pressing the button to get it all the way down. I imagine there is one of Spy vs Spy fellas around the corner snickering as they stop my door five times while I'm trying to close it.

It does have the "photo" sensors to keep it from closing on objects blocking the door.

Any thoughts??

Oil all of the rollers and anything that moves. There's probably a resistance function on this beast where if it hits something, it either stops or reverses. Might be too much resistance from the rollers or one is sticking. Just a thought...

I just lubed it this summer and everything appears to be working smoothly. I'll take a closer look to see if anything obvious is binding. Thanks.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Nov 17, 2011 1:23 pm

Assuming no other changes and a chain drive system with extension springs (one on each side of the door) here is my experience:

1) As Rodney suggested, tweak the sensitivity adjustments to be less sensitive.

2) How old is the opener (or how much use does it get)? If high mileage and chain drive both our openers had similar symptoms that sensitivity adjustment didn't solve. "THEN" the door simply quit. The plastic gear that is driven by a worm gear on the motor shaft finally shed its teeth. One door took 12 years of our use, the other 14 (last week).

3) Overhead Door on Gresham Lake Road charges about $175 each for part/labor/travel when done separately. The part is probably available on line for roughly $40 as a kit (assuming the Chamberlain made systems). It takes lots of "tweaking" to get the system set up correctly after the part change so I've paid to have it done.

4) If the simple extension springs break (one of mine did recently) they are available from Lowes and Home Depot. Lowe's was cheaper. The springs are color coded near the ends. Google is your friend for finding the color codes if you cannot find the paint splash (mine are white and looked just a little too uniform to be paint "splash" from when we painted the garage). Google confirmed "white". Buy both springs. I tried doing just one (but bought two) and the door just didn't pull correctly with one old and one new. Pay close attention to the sag of an unbroken spring when the door is open and then adjust as needed to match. Replace one spring at a time since "show and tell" makes figuring out where the safety wire hooks, sag, etc. much easier.

Frank Catena · **Joined:** Wed Aug 27, 2003 1:08 pm **Posts:** 418

Sage advice from Dick. I've replaced extension springs (in pairs is the way and the color codes your friend.). We have screw drive openers - typically here the screw is harder material than the carriage material. So the easy to replace carriage is sacrificial.

Can you tell if it stops at the same place each time?

Frank

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Fri Nov 18, 2011 12:37 pm

Frank Catena wrote:

Can you tell if it stops at the same place each time?

Frank

It stops in different places just about every time. I looked at it again last night and all of the rollers are moving smoothly through the tracks. I have to locate the owners manual to see if I can adjust anything.

Thanks

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Fri Nov 18, 2011 12:39 pm

MarcusMcRae wrote:

Frank Catena wrote:

Can you tell if it stops at the same place each time?

Frank

It stops in different places just about every time. I looked at it again last night and all of the rollers are moving smoothly through the tracks. I have to locate the owners manual to see if I can adjust anything.

Thanks

Look on the drive box itself and look for "increase" "decrease" adjustors. Should be obvious and easy to reach w/ a screw driver.

Frank Catena · **Joined:** Wed Aug 27, 2003 1:08 pm **Posts:** 418

Is there a "test" override for taking the optical sensors out of the loop?

Frank

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:10 pm

I changed the sensitivity and that made no difference. I did take off the panel and look inside. The screw and all the moving parts look to be in good condition.

Like any smart mechanic I tried just banging on the housing. That is causing a switch inside to click and the lights will go on and off and the door stops. I think the problem is the switch that sets the upper and lower limit of the opener.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:37 pm

You realize the top of the line, belt driven Chamberlain is cheaper than diagnostics and repair on your current opener will be. Just get a new one. The belt driven ones will let you leave on a Sunday morning at 5:30 AM and now wake up SWMBO

.

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:19 pm

Are you sure the door sensors are aligned correctly? Might want to check that too.

clinehall · **Posted:** Mon Nov 21, 2011 8:21 pm

I think I need to check the sensitivity of mine, I recently put mine down on my wife's cat, did not end well for the cat.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Mon Nov 21, 2011 8:29 pm

clinehall wrote:

I think I need to check the sensitivity of mine, I recently put mine down on my wife's cat, did not end well for the cat.

you think?

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:22 am

Update.

Changing the adjustments has not made any difference in how it opperates. It appears to be a connection between the sensors and the opener that is causing the problem. The Wires that connect the sensors to the opener are starting to break down. I tried to re-strip some fresh wire but the casing is just disintegrating when I manipulate it.

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