First, look before you pull anything. If you heard a bang, a spring has a gap, a cable is hanging, or the door is crooked, leave the door where it is, keep everyone out from under it, and request help. Don't pull the red emergency release on an open door until you've ruled those out.
A garage door that won't come down, whether it's all the way up or stuck partway, needs a careful look before you do anything else. The cause might be as simple as a blocked sensor or a power outage. It might also be a broken spring or cable, and then the door can be unstable.
Step 1: Rule out the dangerous causes (from a safe distance)
Don't walk or drive under the door. Stand outside its path and look up.
| What you see or heard | What it often means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A loud bang, or a gap in the spring above the door | Broken torsion spring | Stop. Don't release the opener. Request help. |
| A spring along the side track is stretched or hanging | Broken extension spring | Stop. Request help. |
| The door hangs lower on one side | Cable slack, frayed, or off its drum, or a roller out of the track | Stop. See cable snapped. |
| A roller has popped out, or the track is bent | Door off track | Stop. See off-track repair. |
| Opener hums or strains, door barely moves | Spring failure, a jam, or an opener drive problem | Unplug the opener and check the springs. |
| Door is level and stops at the same spot every time | Binding in the track, worn rollers, or limit/force settings | Don't raise the force setting. Request a technician. |
If any of the first four apply, the door isn't balanced. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says a properly balanced door stays in place when stopped partway open, and that a severely unbalanced door could crash to the floor. Leave it where it is, secure the house (Step 4), and request help. More on spotting a broken spring: broken spring signs.
Step 2: Check the simple causes
If the springs and cables look intact and the door is level:
- Sensors. Look at the two small units near the floor on each side of the door. If a light is off or blinking, something is blocking the beam or knocking them out of line. Clear the path, wipe both lenses, and realign until both lights are steady. Full guide: sensor light blinking.
- Opener lights flashing. Chamberlain's support pages say LiftMaster and Chamberlain openers flash their lights 10 times when there's a sensor problem.
- Wall button vs. remote. If the wall button closes the door but the remote doesn't, try a fresh battery and check the wall control for a lock or vacation mode.
- Power. Check that the opener is plugged in and that the breaker or GFCI outlet hasn't tripped. After a storm, the power may simply be out. See opening or closing a garage door without power.
- Something in the way. A bin, a rake, or storm debris in the track or at the floor can stop the door or make it reverse.
- Sun glare. If the door only refuses to close at a certain time of day, low sun in a sensor lens is a likely cause. See why a garage door won't close.
Step 3: Closing the door by hand (only when it's safe)
If the springs and cables are intact, the door is level, and the opener still won't close it:
- Unplug the opener so nobody triggers it.
- Stand clear of the door's path, with a second adult if you can.
- Pull the red emergency release cord. If the door starts to drift down on its own or feels very heavy when you hold it, the springs aren't doing their job. Step back out of its path and request help.
- Lower the door by the handle, not by the panel joints, where fingers can get pinched.
- Lock it with the manual lock, if it has one. Leave the opener disconnected until it's checked.
CPSC's own manual check is done with the door closed, which is the safest position to release the opener. That's why we say to rule out spring and cable problems first when the door is open.
Step 4: Secure the garage overnight
If the door has to stay open:
- Lock and deadbolt the door between the garage and the house.
- Move valuables, bikes, and tools out of sight, and turn on outside lights.
- Keep everyone, including pets, out from under the door. Block the opening with something visible.
- Don't wedge, prop, or tie up the door if a spring or cable might be broken.
- Request help and choose "ASAP." Say the door is stuck open, and whether a spring or cable looks broken.
Stop and call
Request help when:
- A spring or cable looks broken, or you heard a bang
- The door is crooked, off track, or stuck partway
- The opener runs but the door doesn't move
- The sensors are clean and aligned and the door still won't close
- You can't close it safely and the garage is open overnight
Emergency and same-day repair · Broken spring repair · Cable repair · Opener repair
When the company calls, tell them whether the door is open or partway, level or crooked, whether you heard a bang, and whether a car is trapped. Ask for a written price before work starts. Published ranges, including after-hours costs, are in our emergency repair cost guide and Raleigh repair cost guide.
Getting help in the Triangle
Raleigh Garage Door SOS is a free referral service for homeowners. We're not a garage door company. When you send a request, we pass it to one independent local company that serves your ZIP code, and that company contacts you with its availability and price. Pricing, scheduling, and the repair are between you and the company. Here's how it works.
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Publication 523: Non-Reversing Automatic Garage Door Openers Are a Hazard
- Chamberlain Group support, "Garage Door Opener Light Blinks but the Door Won't Close"
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Frequently asked questions
Can I pull the red emergency release if my garage door is stuck open?
Only after you've ruled out a broken spring or cable. With a failed spring, the opener may be the only thing holding the door up, and releasing it can let the door drop. If you heard a bang, see a gap in a spring, a cable is slack, or the door is crooked, leave the release alone and request help.
Why is my garage door stuck halfway?
If the door is crooked, it's usually a cable problem or a roller out of the track, often after a spring failure. If it's level and stops at the same spot every time, the cause is more often binding in the track, a worn roller, or the opener's limit or force settings. The first group needs a technician right away.
The power went out after a storm and my door is open. What do I do?
If the springs and cables look intact and the door is level, you can usually disconnect the opener with the emergency release and lower the door by hand. Use the steps below, and see how to open or close a garage door without power. If the door feels very heavy or starts to drop, step back and request help.
Is a garage door stuck open an emergency?
Often, yes. An open garage leaves an attached house less secure, and a door stuck partway can be unstable. If you can't close it safely, choose "ASAP" when you send a request.