Door not always closing, why?

[1SlowFormula]

OK I have 2 doors a 9X8 and an 8X8, both go up and down at the same speed, and I haven't pulled them off the drive unit to see if they have different weight (spring adjustment). But for some reason within the past few months (colder months) my smaller door doesn't always close. It goes all the way down, touches the ground then reverses and starts going back up. If I hit the button to stop it before it gets about 2-3' up, then hit it again to close it will close without a problem, but pretty much any time it is more than 3ish feet up it does the same thing where it closes then as it closes it goes right back up. What should I look for? If I was home I could give you more details about the openers but I know they are Genie's from somewhere in the early 90's, but never think about it until I'm on this site and that is normally at work, lol...

 

[Stuart in MN]

Check to see if there are any leaves or twigs or other debris hanging on the bottom of the door. If they're in the right position they can pass in between the photoeyes, which will make the door go back up. I've even had cobwebs and blowing snow cause the door to reverse sometimes.

 

[mrDuffy]

I had the same problem. It turns out the sun was hitting the sensor and made the door go back up. I reversed the sensors. Problem solved. It might be worth a try.

 

[1SlowFormula]

Yeah I know there isn't anything on the bottom, I just cleaned the garage last weekend and made sure thre was nothing near the sensors, an it goes all the way down touches the ground then reverses so I doubt it's the sun since the door is closed before it decides to go back up. Searching the forums I found someone say that it might be a travel limit switch, and now I am looking into where those might be and wondering if that was the issue why would it either happen all the sudden or when it's cold, since it's only been doing it for the last few months?

Any thoughts on that?

 

[BradCMSP]

Mine will do this on occasion too, can't figure it out. Interested to know what it is on your's if you find it.

The sun theory is an interesting one. Will have to note time of day when mine does it.

Good luck.

 

[1SlowFormula]

Oh yeah mine does it at night too after the sun goes down, so I can rule that out.

 

[Gray]

Check for a current limit adjustment (pot) on the motor control.

 

[lametec]

Not sure what kind of GDO you have, but I have some old Craftsman units.

One door had the same symptoms many years ago. Turns out the problem was some corrosion (or dirt) on the
metal parts that make electrical contact on the travel adjuster.

I took some fine sandpaper to the metal where they make contact on full open/full close, and it's worked great ever since.

 

[touchton]

I have Chamberlain LiftMaster garage door openers. There is a travel limit adjustment as well as a force adjustment. To me, it sounds like either the down travel limit or the down force needs to be adjusted. I'm not sure if the Geni's have the same adjustments.

Thad

 

[upndown]

on units that old they should have external limit switches. Check your down limit switch and make sure it's tight and functioning properly. Then check your Sensivity adjustment, may be set to light.

A little more information would be helpful, Screw drive, Chain drive, Belt drive.. not all openers are created equal.

 

[MrMark]

If it hits something before the down limit switch is actuated it will autoreverse as a safety feature. Yours definitely sounds like the down limit switch is too far forward on the track. On the Genie screw drive it is a crappy little plastic arm switch mounted on the rail. It is easily moved. I would start adjusting that switch. I'll bet your door is hitting the ground hard.

 

[1SlowFormula]

Yeah it kinda does sound like it hits the ground hard, so that makes sense. When I get home I will look for these limit switches and see what I can play with, thanks for the info guys...

 

[Dennis93]

Just a little 1/4 nut driver and move it closer to the opening. Try that, it is most likely the problem. Also make sure you didn't hang a little extra on that red pull cord,or the garage door isn't dirty, it might be that it's some dirt or cobweb on the door itself hitting the camera.

 

[upndown]

What camera would you be referring to?

 

[jomobco]

What camera would you be referring to?

Optical

 

[1SlowFormula]

OK, so let me be 100% honest with you guys, this is my first garage and looking into how these doors work is all kinda new to me. But I have been working on cars/truck/motorcycles/tractors and racing/modifying anything with a motor for decades, I'm a software developer by trade, and ex-Soldier that was a Scout in the U.S. Army, so I feel I have the aptitude to take on anything. That being said everything I ask below is based on assumptions, so bear with my inaccuracy.

This morning I snapped a couple shots of the down travel limit switch, one with the door raised a few inches and the other with it down. I uploaded the hi-res shots to my website so click on the image here to see a larger copy. But it almost looks like the limit switch is a hair worn (if you zoom in on the open shot), I can only assume that is from the carrier piece that holds the door pushing too far on the switch causing the wear. But that is counterintuitive to what I would think I would need to fix it, if I pull the switch more towards the door (to the right in the images) the switch wouldn’t be hit as hard, however, wouldn't this mean the door hits the floor prior to hitting the switch and will just continue to go back up because it feels resistance? So from that train of thought I would think moving closer to the opener (left in the images) it would hit the switch before it feels the resistance of the floor, but wouldn’t that cause more wear on the switch? Which direction should I try and move this thing, and why? The why is so I understand how it really works...

 

[MrMark]

Move it back an inch toward the operator head and see if it helps. That black metal carrier thing seems to go past the switch arm a bit before the door stops. The door doesn't stop the instant it hits that switch arm. That switch arm folds right up to horizontal. You are not going to hurt it, it is made to do that. I have the same setup.

 

[AndyL]

Ok, it's probably tripping in winter because force is just a smidge low... That's why it's hitting the floor - but then turns around and goes back up, hasn't QUITE finished travel, but knows it's hit its overload, so up she goes... Try just a miniscule amount higher on the closing force setting. And yes, the close limit switch is probably just a bit too far ahead - slide it back, probably not an inch, - 1/4" or so.

 

[upndown]

2 things I always liked about those limit switches, easily adjusted and once they are set, they don't move!

Being that unit is around 20 years old, it's probably just metal fatigue. There's a small paper clip sized metal arm connected to the white plastic arm, take a small screwdriver, stick it about 1/2 way down the little metal arm and push up L shaped end gently, bends that arm a little. I've used this trick many times over the years! Or you can replace the switch. you may need to re-adjust the switch just a bit. Good luck