Question 1

My garage door: loud bang, now it won't lift. What's wrong?

Accepted Answer

Broken torsion spring. A single loud bang followed by a door that will not lift is a snapped torsion spring in almost every case. The spring counterbalances the door's weight — without it the opener is trying to lift 150 to 400 pounds on its own and will strip its gear or burn out the motor. Repair typically costs $220 to $580 and takes 60 to 90 minutes. Safe to operate: No.

Question 2

My garage door: closes partway then reverses. What's wrong?

Accepted Answer

Safety sensor misalignment or obstruction. A door that starts closing then goes back up is usually the photo-eye sensors near the floor being knocked out of alignment, or a lens that has collected dust. The opener reads the broken beam as an obstruction and reverses, which is the safety system working correctly. Repair typically costs $125 to $300 and takes 30 to 45 minutes. Safe to operate: Yes.

Question 3

My garage door: one side hangs lower than the other. What's wrong?

Accepted Answer

Cable off the drum, or a broken lift cable. A door sitting crooked has lost cable tension on the low side. Running the opener from here can pull the door fully out of its tracks, bend the sections, and turn a cable repair into a door replacement. Repair typically costs $140 to $260 and takes 45 to 60 minutes. Safe to operate: No.

Question 4

My garage door: opener runs but the door doesn't move. What's wrong?

Accepted Answer

Disengaged trolley, stripped drive gear, or broken spring. If the motor runs and nothing happens, the trolley may simply be disconnected from the emergency release cord — that is a free fix. If reconnecting does not help, the drive gear has usually stripped, or a spring has broken and the opener cannot move the weight. Repair typically costs $150 to $400 and takes 45 to 90 minutes. Safe to operate: Lift by hand to test.

Question 5

My garage door: loud grinding or rattling when it moves. What's wrong?

Accepted Answer

Worn rollers, dry bearings, or a failing opener gear. Grinding is usually metal rollers that have lost their bearings, or dry hinges and shaft bearings. It is not an emergency, but it accelerates wear on the track and the opener, so the cheap repair becomes an expensive one if it is left. Repair typically costs $130 to $290 and takes 45 to 60 minutes. Safe to operate: Yes, but book it.

Question 6

My garage door: nothing happens when i press the remote. What's wrong?

Accepted Answer

Dead remote battery, lost programming, or a tripped opener. If the wall button works but the remote does not, it is the remote — battery or programming. If neither works, check that the opener still has power and that the lock button on the wall panel has not been pressed, which disables remotes entirely. Repair typically costs $0 to $190 and takes 20 to 45 minutes. Safe to operate: Yes.

What is your garage door doing?

Loud bang, now it won't lift

One side hangs lower than the other

Opener runs but the door doesn't move

Loud grinding or rattling when it moves

Closes partway then reverses

Nothing happens when I press the remote

The two-minute test that tells you most of it

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