Garage Door Reverses Before Fully Closing
easy 15–45 min
Tools: soft cloth, screwdriver, spirit level or a string, flashlight · Materials: none usually — a new photo-eye pair if one is dead
Steps
- Look at the two photo-eyes near the floor on each side of the door: each should show a steady LED. A flickering, dim or off light means they do not see each other.
- Wipe both lenses with a soft cloth and clear anything in the beam — a leaf, a broom or a toy is enough.
- Loosen the wing nut on the eye whose light flickers and tilt it until the light goes solid; the two must point straight at each other at the same height.
- Check the wires to the eyes for a staple through the insulation or a break where the door track shook them.
- If the eyes are fine, note how far the door travels before reversing: near the floor means the close-limit or force setting is a little short — turn the 'down' limit adjustment on the opener a quarter turn and test.
- Watch the door move by hand with the opener disconnected: it should roll smoothly with no tight spot; a bent track or a worn roller binding at one point makes the opener think it hit something.
Stop and call a pro if
- the door only closes when you hold the wall button — that is the safety system working around a fault, not a fix
- the door reverses at the same spot every time even with clean, aligned eyes and no obstruction
- a spring is broken or the door is heavy to lift by hand
What a pro does that you can't
A garage-door technician replaces a failed photo-eye pair, straightens a bent track, adjusts the force and travel limits to the door's weight, and checks the springs that make the opener strain.
DIY cost: $0 for cleaning and alignment; $20–40 for a sensor pair