Garage door opener issue/opinion?

[SlowPoke-Canada]

Our Craftsman 1/2hp is acting up for my wife and I can't recreate the issue. Its happening with the wall switch and her remote. Opens/closes part way and stops... hit the button again, it reverses, hit it again, stops. She said she has had to cycle it 4 or 5 times to fully open or close.

I've tried it twice, no issue.
Current temp is hovering around freezing. Door rolls freely. Sensors are clear and aligned.

This Craftsman is about 6yrs old and a very loud chain drive. The lights are no longer working. I have no qualms about replacing it but would rather do so on a warmer day!

Questions....
- any ideas for a quick fix?
- opinions on a Chamberlain Whisper Drive 3/4hp?

7' double door, very light and no insulation. Canadian retailer/availability required.


Thanks in advance,
Brian

 

[bmw57isetta]

Mine did the same, but down here in Texas where it isn't that cold. Same opener same age. Adjusted the down force a little and that worked for a few days but what permanently fixed it was taking a Q-Tip and swabbing both sensor lenses after making sure someone hadn't bumped them out of alignment. They looked OK from a distance but had just enough dust on them to make the door do exactly what you described.

Hope that helps out.

 

[Duck72]

I adjusted the knobs on the back of the unit for mine and lubed the gear drive and bearings in the rollers to ensure smooth rolling. I had the same issue at below freezing days. That seemed to fix mine for now and it has been a few weeks now without a hiccup. Mine is a Chamberlain 1/2 hp Not sure of the specific model or age. It was already installed in my 9 year old old house when I bought it in July 2012.

 

[yuk]

back the car in the garage so the exhaust is not blowing past the safety sensors.

 

[SlowPoke-Canada]

Mine did the same, but down here in Texas where it isn't that cold. Same opener same age. Adjusted the down force a little and that worked for a few days but what permanently fixed it was taking a Q-Tip and swabbing both sensor lenses after making sure someone hadn't bumped them out of alignment. They looked OK from a distance but had just enough dust on them to make the door do exactly what you described.

Hope that helps out.

I already know that's not the problem; I never get that lucky!!
Thanks for the (q)tip, I'll give that a try.
My wife just came home from work and it worked fine for her this time.

 

[SlowPoke-Canada]

I adjusted the knobs on the back of the unit for mine and lubed the gear drive and bearings in the rollers to ensure smooth rolling. I had the same issue at below freezing days. That seemed to fix mine for now and it has been a few weeks now without a hiccup. Mine is a Chamberlain 1/2 hp Not sure of the specific model or age. It was already installed in my 9 year old old house when I bought it in July 2012.

If the q-tip thing doesn't help, I'll give that a shot. Thanks for your input.

back the car in the garage so the exhaust is not blowing past the safety sensors.

No parking in my garage and she drives into her spot but I can see where that might cause an issue... warm exhaust/condensation on the sensor. Good thinking.

 

[xdnoics]

Try lube where the trolley slides. Adjust the force down setting if the lube does not fix it.

 

[AndyL]

Stopping dead during operation, probably a force issue... Now since it's up and down, I'd be leaning towards a couple worn out rollers, or somethings caused the door to be out of level (could be a thrown cable, could be a slipped drum, could be a colapsed bearing) basically start by checking that the doors sitting square between the tracks (roughly similar spacing on the roller stems at the top and bottom rollers, if its off level its pretty obvious, just a matter of figuring out why). Rollers - give them a good visual, if nothing obvious - run it up overhead, lift the joint - give the roller a twist/spin with the weight off. Little play is normal, if its flopping in the breeze, you've found your problem.

Pretty much, disconnect the opener run her by hand, should be 2 fingers to open/close (ok manly fingers, for a wife, might be a whole hand)

 

[SlowPoke-Canada]

Well, it took a while to get back at this issue because I'm away all week...
Tried servicing the door.. no issues but could use a little spring adjustment.
Sensors clear.
Up/down forces seem okay.
Took the plunge and installed a new Chamberlain 3/4 Whisper Drive. Easy install and setup.
I'm amazed by the silent operation of this opener and the features.
Thanks for all the tips!