Help me diagnose my automatic garage door opener weirdness February 22, 2013   Subscribe I have a two-car garage with a LiftMaster automatic garage door opener that is misbehaving and it's driving me crazy. It seems to be randomly just opening the door long after it is closed and I can't figure out why. I've seen the other questions about garage door openers but was hoping for some advice specific to my situation.Are you wondering if your Garage Door needs maintenance? Your Garage Door will probably tell you, listen to your Door. Squeaking, groaning, clickity-clacks, and chunk-chunk-chunks are all trying to tell you something. Have you heard those guys on NPR that talk about car repairs? A caller demonstrated what kind of noise his car was making and asked: “What does it sound like to you”? The response was: “To a mechanic it sounds like two weeks in Hawaii!” [followed by snorts and laughter]. It doesn’t have to cost you the price of two weeks in Hawaii to keep your door running smoothly;

the following are simple things that you do yourself. The most important and probably the easiest thing a homeowner can do is to lubricate any and all moving parts, but not all moving parts need the same kind of lube. garage door service saskatoonThe rollers and hinges are the first things to begin to complain and all they need is oil; front door replacement aucklandnothing fancy, just plain oil. garage door convention las vegas 2015Products with sticky silicones can attract dust from the garage and actually prevent lubrication from reaching the metal on metal contact. garage door installation kennesaw ga

Products that are full of propellants can sometimes wash off lubrication. One such product that I will not name here was developed to be a Water Displacement agent, the company’s 40th formula. It does a great job removing water condensation from under a cars distributor cap but does not do as well for Garage Doors. A basic light oil is just the right thing. There are several products that are made specifically made for Garage Doors. Some you can find at almost any hardware store: ‘3-in-1 Garage Door Lubricant’ or ‘Blaster Garage Door Lube’ are a couple of examples. Our repairmen also have lubes on our trucks that you can purchase. Areoles work the best in getting the lube into the little cracks of hinges and rollers but if you are patient you can drip regular oil onto your hardware. Once in a while the torsion springs across the header above the door can use a little drizzle when they start chunking. Not all rollers are created equal. Some rollers have no ball bearings and consist of a plastic roller that rides on a metal stem.

They are installed on most new doors and work pretty well if they are oiled three or four times a year, but if you are like most folks you have more on your mind than dealing with cheap rollers. The best rollers have between 10 to 13 ball bearings and have a nylon tire that makes them extremely quiet. They need oiling too but annual attention is normally sufficient. Please, if you decide to lubricate your own door step away from the grease can.  Grease will get stiff and sticky in cold weather.  Rollers need to roll through the track, not slide.  Some screw-drive Garage Door Openers need to be greased but require specialized low temperature grease. After you have the door oiled it is time to see if it is properly balanced. It is best to begin with the door in the closed position. If the door is connected to an operator release it by pulling down on the cord that is connected to the release lever. Raise the Door about half way up and if it will stay there without shooting up or falling to the floor it is probably doing pretty good If not please do not try adjusting the springs yourself;

Garage Door springs can be very dangerous! Running the Door manually gives you an idea of what the Garage Door Operator is going through. Operators only guide a well balanced door and are not intended to lift all the weight of the door. A safety check involves being sure your door will reverse on a 1 ½ inch obstacle placed on the floor. It is also a good idea to see if the door will reverse while traveling down by holding it. If either of these does not work the force adjustment settings need to be reset. You may want to consider changing the force settings seasonally. In the cold and wet winter months most doors need a little more force to move them up and down so may need to crank up the force adjustment. In the summer when all the kids are playing in the garage and driveway you may want to ease up on the force because it does not take as much effort for the Garage Door Opener to move the door and you can make it safer for children and pets. Always remember before changing the force settings to service the Door as described above.

Most all Garage Door Openers have separate adjustment controls for up force and down force. The IR sensors (Infrared Sensors) need to be checked to be sure they are properly mounted. Manufactures suggest the best height to mount them is 3 to 6 inches off the floor. You can refer to your operating manual or we can walk you through many of these processes over the phone. The best thing may be for us to come out and service the door and we will be happy to show you how to adjust the settings and service your door so that you can do it yourself the next time. If you have any questions about garage door repair, rollers, or anything related, give us a call today! We are here to help you. Call us at 1-800-478-8428 or Contact Us here.All of the console buttons are blinking continuously.POSSIBLE CAUSE: DC voltage below 24VSOLUTION: Disconnect the unit from the power supply. Wait several minutes before reconnecting. If problem persists, contact customer service.POSSIBLE CAUSE: DC voltage exceeds 40 voltsSOLUTION: Disconnect the unit from the power supply.

When setting or testing travel limits, a buzzer sounds and the UP button in the console blinks continuously.POSSIBLE CAUSE: Safety sensor (receiver) can’t be detected.SOLUTION: Inspect sensor wires for damage and ensure they are installed correctly. When setting or testing travel limits, a buzzer sounds and the DOWN button in the console blinks continuously.POSSIBLE CAUSE: Safety sensor (transmitter) can’t be detected.SOLUTION: Disconnect the unit from the power supply. Inspect sensor wires for damage and ensure they are installed correctly. Connect the power supply and reset travel limits.When testing travel limits, a buzzer sounds and all console buttons blink seven times.POSSIBLE CAUSE: A step for setting the travel limits was not completed within two minutes.SOLUTION: Complete each step for setting the travel limits within two minutes.When testing travel limits, a buzzer sounds twice and all console buttons blink eleven times.POSSIBLE CAUSE: Safety sensors became misaligned or obstructed during testingSOLUTION: Remove the obstruction or align the safety sensors as described in the Installation section.

When programming the outdoor keypad, a buzzer sounds and all console buttons blink seven times.POSSIBLE CAUSE: A step for programming the outdoor keypad was not completed within two minutes.SOLUTION: Complete each step for programming the outdoor keypad within two minutes.During operation, the opener struggles to raise or lower the door and then stops. A buzzer sounds continuously and the SET button in the console blinks continuously.POSSIBLE CAUSE: Motor amperage has exceeded 8 amps.SOLUTION: Unplug the unit. Have door spring or door repaired or replaced by a qualified service technician.POSSIBLE CAUSE: Door spring (torsion spring and/or extension spring) is damaged.Have door spring repaired or replaced by a qualified service technician.POSSIBLE CAUSE: Door is too heavy, broken, or stuck.Have door repaired or replaced by a qualified service technician.When a car remote, smart phone, or keypad is used a buzzer sounds and the UP and DOWN buttons in the console blink continuously.POSSIBLE CAUSE: The travel limits have been erased or have not been set correctly.

SOLUTION: Set the travel limits as described in the Operation section.Garage door begins to close then stops and reverses. A buzzer sounds five times and the garage door opener’s LED lights blink five times.POSSIBLE CAUSE: The garage door opener hit an object while it was closing.SOLUTION: Remove the object and continue operation.Garage door opener is in the fully open position and cannot be closed with a car remote, smart phone, or keypad.POSSIBLE CAUSE: The safety sensors are not receiving power.Garage door opener does not activate when indoor keypad is pressed.POSSIBLE CAUSE: Battery is low in charge or power supply not connected.SOLUTION: Charge the battery or connect to power supply.POSSIBLE CAUSE: The wire connecting the keypad to the power head has been damagedSOLUTION: Replace damaged or broken wiresPOSSIBLE CAUSE: Circuit breaker is trippedSOLUTION: Reset circuit breakerGarage door opener activates, but the garage door does not move.POSSIBLE CAUSE: The outer trolley is not engaged with the inner trolleySOLUTION: Pull the emergency release rope and raise the garage door until the outer trolley engages the inner trolleyPOSSIBLE CAUSE: The door arms are not connected to the garage doorSOLUTION: Secure the door arms to the garage door using clevis and hitch pinGarage door cannot be opened or closed with car remote or outdoor keypad.

POSSIBLE CAUSE: The garage door opener is in Vacation Mode.SOLUTION:Press the LOCK button on the indoor keypad or smart phone app to unlock the garage door openerGarage door opener is loud or noisy.POSSIBLE CAUSE: Fasteners may not be tightened securelySOLUTION: Inspect the entire product for loose parts such as screws, nuts, bolts, caps, etc. Tighten all parts securelyPOSSIBLE CAUSE: The open travel limit has been set incorrectly (Single Panel Doors Only)SOLUTION: Adjust the travel limits as described in the Operation sectionAC accessories not working.POSSIBLE CAUSE: AC power supply is disconnectedSOLUTION: Connect AC power supplyPOSSIBLE CAUSE: GFCI is trippedSOLUTION: Press the reset button on the consolePOSSIBLE CAUSE: One or two accessories are installed with a combined rating of more than 10 ampsSOLUTION: Remove the module or accessories and press the 10 amp circuit breaker reset button on the console.DC accessories not working.POSSIBLE CAUSE: AC power supply is disconnectedSOLUTION: Connect AC power supplyPOSSIBLE CAUSE: The port powering the DC module is not activated.