Garage Door Won't Open? 9 Common Causes and What to Check

Few things derail a morning like a garage door that refuses to move. The good news is that a surprising number of "broken" garage doors turn out to have simple causes you can check yourself in a few minutes. The bad news is that some causes, especially broken springs and cables, are genuinely dangerous to handle without training.

This checklist starts with the easy, safe checks and works toward the problems that need a professional. Work through it in order.

Before you start: stay safe

• Keep people, pets, and cars out from under the door while you troubleshoot.
• Don't pull the red emergency release cord if the door is open or partly open. If a spring is broken, the door can come down hard.
• Don't touch springs, cables, or the bottom brackets. Those parts are under high tension.

1. The remote or keypad batteries are dead

If the wall button works but the remote doesn't, start here. Replace the remote battery and try again. Keypads mounted outside take a beating in Ontario winters and often need fresh batteries sooner than you'd expect.

2. The opener isn't getting power

Check that the opener is plugged in and that the outlet has power. Plug a lamp or phone charger into the same outlet to test it. Many garages use a safety outlet (the kind with Test and Reset buttons, called a GFCI). Look for one that has tripped in the garage, basement, or near the front entrance and press Reset. A tripped breaker in the panel is another common culprit.

3. The lock button or vacation mode is on

Most wall control panels have a lock or vacation feature that disables remotes. Look for a lock icon or a small blinking light on the wall button. Press and hold the lock button (check your model's manual) to turn it off.

4. The safety sensors are blocked or misaligned

If the door starts to close, then reverses back up, the photo-eye safety sensors are the first suspect. These two small sensors sit a few inches above the floor on each side of the door opening. They need a clear line of sight.

• Remove anything in the doorway: recycling bins, boots, a bike tire.
• Wipe the lenses with a soft cloth. Dust, cobwebs, and road salt spray build up.
• Check the indicator lights. On most models, both lights should be steady. A blinking or dark light usually means the sensors are misaligned or a wire is damaged.

Our guide to garage door safety sensors covers alignment step by step.

5. The door is locked manually

Some doors have a manual slide lock or a T-handle lock. If someone engaged it, the opener will strain against it. Make sure any manual locks are fully open.

6. The door was disconnected from the opener

If the opener runs but the door doesn't move, the trolley may be disengaged, usually because someone pulled the emergency release. With the door fully closed, pull the release cord toward the door (or follow your opener's manual) and run the opener; the trolley should reconnect as it travels.

7. Ice is holding the door down

In Durham Region winters, water can pool under the door, freeze overnight, and bond the bottom seal to the concrete. The opener will strain or reverse. Don't force it. Carefully chip ice away from the seal or use a hair dryer on low heat, then clear the area so it doesn't refreeze. A little silicone spray on the bottom seal helps prevent it happening again. Our winter maintenance checklist has more cold-weather tips.

8. A spring or cable is broken

This is where DIY stops. Signs include:

• A loud bang from the garage recently
• A visible gap in the spring above the door
• Cables hanging loose or off their drums
• The door lifting a few inches and stopping, or feeling extremely heavy

Unplug the opener, leave the door where it is, and call a technician. Our article on broken garage door springs explains why, and our spring and cable repair service replaces the broken part and rebalances the door.

9. The door is off track or the opener has failed

Rollers that have jumped out of the track, a door hanging crooked, a grinding noise from the opener, or an opener that hums without moving can all mean a mechanical failure. Running the opener repeatedly can make the damage worse. See our guide to an off-track garage door for what to look for.

When to call a professional

Call a technician if:

• Your checks above didn't solve it
• You see any sign of a broken spring or cable
• The door is crooked, off track, or making grinding or banging noises
• The opener runs but the door doesn't move and it isn't simply disengaged

Our garage door repair service covers everything from openers and sensors to springs, cables, and tracks, and every visit ends with a safety and balance check. We're based in Oshawa and work across Durham Region, including Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Courtice, and Bowmanville.

Frequently asked questions