I'm dealing with a Chamberlain 1/2 hp motor garage door that only goes down about a foot before reversing back up. I've already cleaned the sensors and double-checked both the yellow and green lights. There are no flashing signals when the door returns to the fully open position. Manually, the door works fine, and there's no issue with the wheels being stuck. Sometimes the chain will return to the latch to lift the door, but other times it just goes down a foot and then reverses as if the door were attached. Given that this unit is 23 years old, could this be an issue with the circuit board? I'd really appreciate any insights!
2 Answers
It sounds like you might have a stripped gear in the motor. I encountered similar issues, and it turned out to be a plastic gear that wasn't worth repairing—just went ahead and bought a new motor instead!
You can actually replace just the gears for under $20, which might save you some cash. Also, check if you need to adjust the load limits on the motor; there are usually a couple of screws for that.
Does this issue happen consistently, or does it vary? I had a garage door that would malfunction mainly during sunny mornings or evenings because the sensor got too much light. It might help to try operating it later tonight and see if that changes anything. If it is the sensor, it might need some cleaning or realignment, or you could reposition them closer to the walls of your garage.
That hasn’t been a problem for me in the 15 years I've lived here, but I’ll definitely give it a shot this evening. I’ve been adjusting it for the past hour and a half and don’t think the sun is the problem, but thanks for the tip!
Did you end up getting a whole new motor then?