Cold Garage Door Won't Close

[Eye Slayer]

So my garage door doesn't want to close on its own when the temps drop. It opens and closes fine when it's warm out, but if the temps drop around 30 and below, it locks up. I can hold the button down inside the garage and that will 'force' the garage door down, but if I just push the remote button, the opener tries to push but immediately starts blinking its light.

FYI, the house was built in 1989 so the door/etc should only be about 20 years old. Not ancient but not new either...

I tried adjusting the strength of the opener's push on the back of the opener unit and that doesn't appear to have helped.

Any ideas?

Do I just need a new opener, new tracks, new door or rollers? Any help/suggestions is definitely appreciated!

[Shack]

Do you have door sensors at the bottom of the door (lazar beam/sensor type)?

For some reason, when it gets cold out my brackets loosen or flex enough to shake beam while the door is first closing. I figure this is due to temp difference or something.

I readjust them and it is fixed. This is my second year doing this.

If not, adjust the track and lube rollers if you can with some light weight oil or synthetic lube.

Also you can pull the release and see if you have even tension going up as going down. If it is hard to close, you may need to adjust the spring tension.

[Eye Slayer]

We do have the laser beams so I will check those out tonight. I have tried the track 'lube' in the past and that didn't seem to help much. Although some WD40 seemed to help for a bit.

Not sure I know enough about the spring tension, etc to monkey around with that so if the WD40 treatment doesn't work and the lasers are all set, I might have to give somebody smarter than me a call.

Any other ideas? Thanks!

[Surface Tension]

Disconnect the trolley from the track and open and close the door manually. Look for binding and rubbing at the door stop as each section as it comes into contact with the door stop. Check for binding against the side of the rails and door. Next would be unequal spring tension. One side pulling harder then the other will make the door rack back and forth. Each time it does that it binds. Too much spring preload could also be the cause.

If you have to pull down hard to close the door and if the door wants to open on its own you have too much spring pre-load.

[huntnfish]

On my garage if the door stops or goes back up and the light blinks it means that something tripped the sensors at the edge of the door. That will be the easiest place to start.

[paceman]

I have the same problem. My door is coming down crooked so I think you guys are right in saying my sring tensions are uneven.

[jwhjr]

On my garage if the door stops or goes back up and the light blinks it means that something tripped the sensors at the edge of the door. That will be the easiest place to start.

Same here.

[Shack]

In my case, I just readjusted the brackets the sensors are on. I think just bending them should help also.

[paceman]

How high off the floor should the bracket/sensors be?????

[Shack]

About 6-8"'s

[KidWalleye]

I just had the same problem last week. The door would get about 1 foot from the ground then go back up. I knew it wasn't the sensors because the light wasn't flashing. All I had to do was adjust the down pressure a little bit then lube the pulleys that the cable wraps around. I also lubed the chain a little. I used silicone spray and it works perfect now. The manual even says there may be an adjustment needed when the weather gets colder. This is the first year I had to do this. Also I've never had to lube it.

Good luck, Kid

[Eye Slayer]

Well, I took a look at the laser sensors last night and while the little green light was on, it wasn't very bright. I moved the bracket just a little bit and the light became stronger. I tried the door and it worked fine.

Thanks for the input SB! It saved me ~ $100 in service!!!

[Shack]

Quote:

Well, I took a look at the laser sensors last night and while the little green light was on, it wasn't very bright.

Same with me, but mine are red. They would be on, but just enough so the vibration from the door starting down would vibrate the sensor off the other sensor so slightly and quickly, the naked eye could barley catch it.

2 years in a row now this has happened when it gets cold outside for me. This after I go threw the rollers/idlers and track (adjusting and lubing) and then backing off spring tension and nothing worked. This year right after doing all this, I remembered about last year and sure enough I went down and adjusted one of the sensors and walla! It worked and I had to readjust my spring back .

Good to hear it worked out for ya!

[snoozebutton]

I was told never to oil the tracks. Dust builds on the oil, then gums up when it's cold.

[Shack]

I do not oil the tracks; only adjust them if needed so the garage door does not bind while going up or down. I will lube with (synthetic light weight or silicone) the inside of the rollers and hinge points on the door. Makes for a quite moving door

Yes, do not put lube on the track them selves, or at least I never do.