Haunted Garage Door

[Outdoor9]

I know there are some smart garage door guys on here so maybe I can get some help! Backstory; I installed a new door for a buddy and wanted to do a great job for him so I installed the best opener we had the Liftmaster MyQ 8360. A day or 2 after install he called with issues. The opener will open the door about 3-4 feet and then stop. Stop like the power cuts out. I checked the opener everything worked great. Ran it 10-12 times no prob. Next day he called back with the same prob. I check it, it does the same thing to me. I can't find any problem with the opener. When it cuts out the opener eyes stay on and the wall button is lit. It just cuts out 3-4 feet from the ground. So I get him a 3280 Liftmaster Formula 1 belt drive opener hoping the frequency change will do the trick. Same problem. He works for the electric co so he has his guys check everything and change the plug just incase. They trace everything and find no problem. We sell a ton of Liftmaster 3255's so once again I change to that opener.. Now the 3255 is doing the same thing. My buddy says it cuts out from 11am-2pm. Not earlier, not later. I've adjusted the door to perfection. It runs smooth as silk by hand. I'm stumped at this point. I've narrowed it down to a radio tower he has close to his backyard, or simply a ghost he has in his garage. If you boys have any ideas, shoot them out there because we'll try anything at this point. I'm thinking about trying a linear opener because of the frequency difference but it's a 16x7 STS so I'm not sure the linear will have enough guts. Let me know!

 

[KenB]

Sunlight in the optical sensor. Use a filter or shade the sensor.


Ken

 

[e-tek]

^this!

Asked and answered.

 

[upndown]

Sunlight does not affect the sensors in the up cycle!

If the wiring was surface mounted, check for wayward staple. That can make an opener do all kinds of weird ****. Sounds like you've got a head scratcher there Outdoor9

 

[Outdoor9]

Sunlight does not affect the sensors in the up cycle!

If the wiring was surface mounted, check for wayward staple. That can make an opener do all kinds of weird ****. Sounds like you've got a head scratcher there Outdoor9

I'll check the wires again! Thanks for the idea!

 

[kesslerbmw]

I had a similar problem and it was the wires to the sensors. I called my garage door guy and when he got there he went straight to the wiring he had put it and checked his splice that was bad and fixed it. Said sorry for the trouble and went on his way with no charge.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[upndown]

That's the way it should be handled! Hey, we all make mistakes.

 

[Outdoor9]

I'm really hoping it is the wire, but when i took the first opener down I redid all the wiring and eyes, so I'm not sure it will be the problem.

 

[upndown]

Yah, that sounds like a weird one, but you gotta start somewhere. Good luck.

 

[Streetbu]

Pull the release for the opener and manually run the door up. I bet you find there is a spot where it catches int eh track or against the trim and binds. This causes the opener to stop. We have a door at work that does this but only during winter because the ground shifts enough for the 4x4 posts to move slightly and affect the track alignment.

 

[Outdoor9]

I've pushed the track in, pulled the track out, this door runs flawlessly by hand. I've worked on doors for the last 11 years, I know the point your talking about and I've adjusted every way possible. I have to believe its in the plug or house wiring, or the radio tower at this point. After 3 new openers and adjusting the door to run perfect I can't find anything wrong with the door and opener.

 

[gregtwojeeps]

I know there are some smart garage door guys on here so maybe I can get some help! Backstory; I installed a new door for a buddy and wanted to do a great job for him so I installed the best opener we had the Liftmaster MyQ 8360. A day or 2 after install he called with issues. The opener will open the door about 3-4 feet and then stop. Stop like the power cuts out. I checked the opener everything worked great. Ran it 10-12 times no prob. Next day he called back with the same prob. I check it, it does the same thing to me. I can't find any problem with the opener. When it cuts out the opener eyes stay on and the wall button is lit. It just cuts out 3-4 feet from the ground. So I get him a 3280 Liftmaster Formula 1 belt drive opener hoping the frequency change will do the trick. Same problem. He works for the electric co so he has his guys check everything and change the plug just incase. They trace everything and find no problem. We sell a ton of Liftmaster 3255's so once again I change to that opener.. Now the 3255 is doing the same thing. My buddy says it cuts out from 11am-2pm. Not earlier, not later. I've adjusted the door to perfection. It runs smooth as silk by hand. I'm stumped at this point. I've narrowed it down to a radio tower he has close to his backyard, or simply a ghost he has in his garage. If you boys have any ideas, shoot them out there because we'll try anything at this point. I'm thinking about trying a linear opener because of the frequency difference but it's a 16x7 STS so I'm not sure the linear will have enough guts. Let me know!

I have a LiftMaster also and I would go look at the top of mine to see what device (infrared motion or mechanical limit switch) stops the door travel as it gets almost back to the opener but my car is in the way...

Is is possible the newer unit has a program in it that allows the owner to program a timed lockout in it for security reasons ? Just plugging for a solution, as even this type of program would not explain the partial opening at odd hours. It could either be a poltergeist or a intermittent problem with the door travel limiter control that tells the door not to open too far ? good luck

 

[MN4x4]

If all else fails, try this to eliminate RF as a source of your problem. Either:

1. Run a shielded cable between the controller and the opener, being sure to ground the shield to a KNOWN GOOD ground point, or

2. Temporarily move the controller closer to the opener - as close as you possibly can.

If the problem goes away, it proves you've got an RF problem. There are steps that you can take to minimize any RF problems.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I had a door that used sensors that clipped to the bottom of the tracks. At certain points of the door travel, it would cause the tracks to flex and distort slightly, which caused the sensors to become misaligned and think something was blocking the beam.

Moved the sensors to their own mounts on the wall independent of the door tracks and it was solid performance after that.