Garage door opener won't close

[Greenlawnracing]

My opener is on the fritz, it has done so many things today that I can't even keep track of them.

Basically, the thing didn't close all the way this morning. My wife messed with it a few times, no dice.

She disconnected it until I got home, when I got home it worked fine but seemed to be making a little noise.

Shortly afterwards it would only close an inch or two before reversing. The lights did not blink.

I disconnected the door, it moves just fine. The opener reverses after a few inches even if it isn't connected.

I tried new sensors, no dice.

Friend of mine said he thinks its fried, most of the troubleshooting tells you that its a logic board.

Here is the opener and manual.

Any ideas before I buy a new one tomorrow?

https://www.searspartsdirect.com/model/30v6vi7e20-000247/craftsman-13955918-garage-door-opener-parts

http://embed.widencdn.net/pdf/plus/cgi/ucwoi4vmub/114a4858.pdf

 

[FMB4]

Do you know how old the unit is? 15-20 yrs is about the avg lifespan of a GDO.

 

[Greenlawnracing]

Do you know how old the unit is? 15-20 yrs is about the avg lifespan of a GDO.

Only four years

 

[Neggy]

if it rolls relatively free after pulling the release and moving it by hand, you can rule out the rollers and tracks

That leaves checking the alignment of the sensors, the track being bound up, or the torque sensors on the motor need to be adjusted to allow for a little more grunt to be applied before the motor barfs.

Usually when the sensors are the culprit there light on the unit will flash a few times

Check for two adjusters ( potentiometers) on the opener, one adjusts allowed up force, the other allowed down force. Add some ooomph.

 

[Greenlawnracing]

if it rolls relatively free after pulling the release and moving it by hand, you can rule out the rollers and tracks

That leaves checking the alignment of the sensors, the track being bound up, or the torque sensors on the motor need to be adjusted to allow for a little more grunt to be applied before the motor barfs.

Usually when the sensors are the culprit there light on the unit will flash a few times

Check for two adjusters ( potentiometers) on the opener, one adjusts allowed up force, the other allowed down force. Add some ooomph.

So this model apparently doesn’t have an oomph adjuster, just the adjustment ive attached. I tried adjusting it down, but it still stops after a few inches.

 

[JRichard]

Try wiring photo eyes directly to opener sounds like that’s the issue maybe bad wire but if sensors are working and you can’t program limits and forces than it’s probably logic board .

 

[1redTA]

check the eye sensor mounting on the garage door opener also, after replacing, re adjusting the eyes over the years the wiring into the garage door opener came loose on my garage door

 

[nadogail]

Over the years, I have received a lot of help for the technical support line for m Garage Door Opener. I realize that not all Garage Door Opener companies are alike.

If you have the liffetime warranty and free technical support service service guarantee, I suggest you use it.

 

[FredWanaker]

if someone bumped the sensors out of alignment, a broom or toy is in the way of the eye, or a bug built a web in the sender or receiver eye that will make it do what yours is doing. Been there done that.

 

[Finally]

There should be a way to adjust the opening and closing distance. Sometimes they need to be reset. There are arrows for up and down. Follow the manual and reset the door. Maybe that will work

 

[jimkinney]

check the eye sensor mounting on the garage door opener also, after replacing, re adjusting the eyes over the years the wiring into the garage door opener came loose on my garage door

This.

Mine (craftsman) was off just a little and wouldn't stay closed.

 

[Slowbuilder]

Does the opener raise the door without issue? If not, logic board is a good bet. You said it doesn't flash the light when it stops; if you block the photosensors with a box or something, does it flash the light when you try to lower the door? If it does, but not when you try again with the box removed, then the sensors and wiring are ok. If it never flashes the lights, then the wiring may be an issue. Does it work at all? Only during specific periods of the day? It could be the old "sunlight shining in the sensor" bugaboo. Sometimes you can help that with a tube attached to the sensor so that the sunlight doesn't activate or blind it.

 

[vrinner]

if someone bumped the sensors out of alignment, a broom or toy is in the way of the eye, or a bug built a web in the sender or receiver eye that will make it do what yours is doing. Been there done that.

I've had this happen a bunch where a little leaf or even a small bird feather was stuck to the bottom/back edge of the door. Just before the door closes the leaf triggers the sensor and it opens back up. Even the smallest piece of something will cause this. I brush mine down with a broom every month or so to get off any spider webs to reduce this.

 

[Greenlawnracing]

After a bunch of troubleshooting, I’m going off the assumption that it was the logic board. Disappointing as it was 11 months out of warranty, unfortunately chamberlain was the only replacement I could find in stock. Probably a good product, but after having two of them fail I was wanting to try something else. $270 later I’m back in business, I left the original sensors in place and was tempted to replace just the actual Drive unit.

 

[sca037]

It's good to see you've got it working right again.

Going forward, until folks can properly diagnose and fix the problem...some openers will allow you to still close the door by pushing and holding the button down until it hits bottom.

This will at least help to keep critters and whatnot out until the proper fix is implemented

 

[jmiller_2308]

I hope you looked at slowbuilder's advice. That sunlight issue hit me and confused the heck out of me until I eventually resorted to reading the fine manual and looking at the LED diagnostics on the opener.

 

[Greenlawnracing]

It's good to see you've got it working right again.

Going forward, until folks can properly diagnose and fix the problem...some openers will allow you to still close the door by pushing and holding the button down until it hits bottom.

This will at least help to keep critters and whatnot out until the proper fix is implemented

I did try that, but it only moved a few inches

 

[Greenlawnracing]

I hope you looked at slowbuilder's advice. That sunlight issue hit me and confused the heck out of me until I eventually resorted to reading the fine manual and looking at the LED diagnostics on the opener.

Unfortunately it happened during different times of the day.