Garage Door Will Not Open: What to Check First
A garage door that will not open is most often a broken torsion spring, a dead remote battery, a tripped opener, or a door that has been locked. Pull the manual release and try lifting by hand: if the door is extremely heavy or will not move, the spring has failed and the opener must not be used.
Start here: is it the door or the opener
This one test separates almost every cause.
With the door closed, pull the manual release cord, which is the red handle on the trolley. That disconnects the door from the opener. Now lift the door by hand.
If it lifts easily and stays put halfway, the door is fine and the problem is the opener.
If it is extremely heavy or will not budge, the spring has failed. Stop. Do not reconnect the opener and do not press the button.
If the door itself is fine
Work through these in order.
Remote battery. Try the wall button. If the wall button works and the remote does not, it is the remote.
Power. Check the opener is plugged in and that the outlet has power. Garage outlets are often on a GFCI that has tripped.
Lock. Many doors have a manual lock or a vacation lock on the wall control. It is easy to knock on without noticing.
Safety sensors. These stop the door closing, not opening, but a fault can put some openers into a state where they refuse to run at all. Look for a steady light on each sensor.
The trolley. If the motor runs and the rail moves but the door does not, the trolley has come off the carriage or the release has been left disengaged. Re-engaging is usually a matter of running the opener until the carriage clicks back in.
Stripped gear. If the motor runs, makes a grinding noise, and nothing moves, the plastic gear kit inside has failed. That is a common and repairable fault on chain drive openers.
If the spring has failed
You will usually know, because it is loud. A torsion spring failing sounds like a gunshot and people frequently report thinking something hit the house.
What to do:
- Do not use the opener. It will strain the motor, bend panels and can drop the door
- Leave the door closed if it is closed
- If it is open and you must close it, do it with a second person and be aware it is heavy
- Call someone the same day
Spring replacement runs $170 to $400 per spring installed. If your door has two springs and one broke, expect a conversation about replacing both, which is a genuine recommendation rather than an upsell: the survivor has the same cycle count and usually follows within months.
What not to do
Do not lubricate the track. Track should be clean and dry; grease in it collects grit and makes things worse.
Do not adjust the springs. A wound torsion spring stores enough energy to break bones and releases it instantly if it is not unwound under control with winding bars.
Do not keep pressing the button hoping it clears. Every attempt on a broken door makes the repair larger.
Related questions
Why does my garage door open a few inches and stop?
Usually a broken spring: the opener lifts what it can and gives up. It can also be an obstruction in the track or a travel limit that has drifted. Do not keep pressing the button.
Can I open a garage door with a broken spring?
Manually, with help, sometimes. The door will be extremely heavy, often 130 to 350 pounds, and it will drop if you let go. Prop it securely and do not stand under it.
The opener light comes on but nothing happens. What is that?
The motor has power, so the problem is between the motor and the door. Most often a stripped gear kit or a snapped trolley, both of which are $100 to $350 repairs.