Garage Door Won’t Close? How to Fix the Most Common Causes

Check the safety sensors first

Every modern opener has two small sensors on either side of the door, a few inches above the floor. If anything blocks the invisible beam between them — a broom, a box, leaves, even a cobweb — the door will reverse. Look at the small lights on each sensor. If one is off or blinking, the sensors are blocked or out of line.

Clean and line up the sensors

Wipe the lenses with a soft cloth. If a sensor has been bumped, gently turn it until both lights stay solid. Strong sun shining straight into a sensor can also confuse it for part of the day.

Check for something in the tracks

Look along both tracks for debris, a bent section or a roller that has popped out. A door that binds will often reverse because the opener thinks it has hit something.

Close-force and limit settings

If the door touches the ground and then goes back up, the opener’s close limit may need adjusting. These settings are on the motor unit. Follow your opener manual, and keep the auto-reverse working — it is an important safety feature.

Close it by hand in an emergency

Most wall controls let you close the door by holding the button down until the door reaches the floor. If that fails and the door is otherwise working normally, you can pull the emergency release and lower it by hand. Do not do this if a spring or cable looks broken.

When to call for help

If the sensors are fine and the door still will not close, or the door is crooked or noisy, call a technician. A door stuck open leaves your home unsecured — see emergency garage door repair and opener repair.

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