Fix it
Garage door will not close
Nine times out of ten it is the safety sensors — the two small eyes about six inches off the floor at either side of the opening. If they cannot see each other the opener refuses to close, by design. It is usually a knock, a cobweb or low sun, and it is the one thing on this page you can genuinely fix yourself in five minutes.
Do this first
Look at the two sensors. One shows a steady light and the other should too. If either is off, flickering, or a different colour from usual, that is your answer.
4 of 5 are yours to fix
What it usually turns out to be
| Cause | How to tell | What happens next | Yours? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The safety sensors are misaligned or blocked | The door starts down then stops and goes back up, and the opener light flashes ten times. One sensor LED is out or flickering. | Wipe both lenses. Loosen the wing nut, sight them at each other until both LEDs are steady, tighten. Check nothing — a bin, a bike, a leaf — is in the beam. | Yes |
| Direct sunlight is washing out the receiver | It only happens in the late afternoon, or only in one season. | Shade the receiving sensor with a short piece of pipe or a sun shield. It is a known fault with every brand. | Yes |
| The close-travel limit is set wrong | The door closes fully, touches the floor and immediately opens again — sensors are fine and their lights are steady. | The opener thinks it hit something because it is still pushing after the door has landed. The travel-down setting needs backing off a turn on the opener head. | Yes |
| Something is binding in the track | It stops at the same point every time, and the door looks or sounds strained at that spot. | A bent track, a flat-spotted roller or a loose hinge. It needs looking at before the opener is forced against it again. | Call somebody |
| The lock is engaged | The door will not move at all and there is a solid clunk when it tries. | The manual slide lock on the inside of the door is thrown. Slide it back. Openers are broken this way regularly. | Yes |
What it costs
$95 – $180
For a sensor pair, fitted, if that is what it turns out to be. National guide range, checked September 2026 — get it in writing.
Exact price
Want somebody to look at it?
The range above is a guide. Tell us what you need and somebody who works your area will price it properly.
If the door will not move and a car is stuck behind it, do not wait on a form — leave the door where it is and ring somebody. Do not pull on the spring or the cable.
Your details are used to quote this job and nothing else.
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