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Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Do it Yourself Discussion! => Topic started by: Wendyimhome on October 08, 2012, 08:30:26 PM

Title: Need help with garage door opener going crazy
Post by: Wendyimhome on October 08, 2012, 08:30:26 PM
So I have this relatively new (2-3 yrs) Liftmaster Elite garage door opener that has worked fine until today.  For no known reason, it doesn't want to open or close when I push either a remote or the wall unit.  Then, when I come inside the house, it does something.  At other times, just when I think it is working, it goes down 3/4 and then stops.  I checked the sensors, and they seem secure, with nothing in their paths.  Any ideas would be appreciated.

Not sure if this post belongs here or in Ask a Mustachian.  Will post there as well.  Many thanks!
Title: Re: Need help with garage door opener going crazy
Post by: arebelspy on October 08, 2012, 08:34:40 PM
Sometimes the sensors get covered with dust and have issues.  Have you cleaned them and lined them up properly?
Title: Re: Need help with garage door opener going crazy
Post by: kkbmustang on October 08, 2012, 09:26:45 PM
Mine does that when it gets cold outside. WD-40?
Title: Re: Need help with garage door opener going crazy
Post by: Wendyimhome on October 08, 2012, 10:15:24 PM
Mine does that when it gets cold outside. WD-40?

Interesting you say that because today was an unusually cold day for my area and the first such day since last winter. 

Where do you spray the WD, just all over the tracks?
Title: Re: Need help with garage door opener going crazy
Post by: kkbmustang on October 09, 2012, 07:48:09 AM
I think so. I'll have to ask the Hubs.  Also, when mine does that sometimes right when it gets stuck I hit the button again and then again, quickly, and it unsticks itself. It's not a surefire solution. It didn't work for me yesterday. :( Our first cold streak hit yesterday so the garage responded accordingly. By the afternoon, when it had warmed up, it wasn't sticking anymore. Bizarre and frustrating.
Title: Re: Need help with garage door opener going crazy
Post by: fwttg on October 09, 2012, 11:50:01 AM
Cold weather sometimes causes opening or closing problem for us also.

After disconnecting the motor drive and moving the door up and down manually a few times I discovered that the door binds slightly on the wood trim/frame just in front of it. Adjusting the brackets that hold the tracks to allow more clearance took care of our problem.

That doesn’t explain your issue with the door moving after you leave but it’s something you might want to look into.
Title: Re: Need help with garage door opener going crazy
Post by: Wendyimhome on October 10, 2012, 08:47:56 PM
Thanks to all who answered.  For those who are interested, I seem to have (with fingers crossed) stumbled on a solution.  I think someone had mistakenly punched the lock button on the wall unit a time or two.  I pressed and held that button, and that SEEMS to have corrected it.  Will advise if problem resumes!