TROUBLESHOOTING – PDF

A few problems may occur with your garage door and/or garage door opener that is not product or installation based. To help better serve you we have added this section to allow you to troubleshoot some of these issues. This is in no way a replacement for a professional service. If you feel the issue you are having is not related to the advice below or if you do not feel comfortable performing the tasks below, please do not hesitate to call us for assistance.

DISCLAIMER:                                                                                                                                                
Mount Garage Doors Inc accepts no liability for the content of these pages, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. If in doubt, please call (410) 549-2668

How To Program Your LiftMaster 893Max Garage Door Remote

How to Program your Garage Door Remote & Keypad

How To Locate & Change Remote & Keypad Batteries.

Remote Controls

If your remote has stopped working all together or if the range on the remote has become less (you have to be directly in front of the door to make the door open) please check the following:

  1. The batteries. Newer remotes (less than 4 years) will take a round watch battery. If your remote is older than 4 yrs. it will take a 12 volt battery. Turn remote over to find where to replace the battery.
  2. Lock Mode on your wall button. The button that is INSIDE your garage may have a safety feature called a LOCK button. This button is used to place the motor on “vacation” mode. If this button is accidentally hit it will allow your door to be used ONE time with the remotes and the keypad. It will not work again unless it is opened by the wall button. It is to assure that you can leave the garage for vacation and then the garage is secure after that. If this is hit simply hit it again and your remotes/keypad should work.
  3. Needs reprogramming. If you have had the batteries out of the remote for some time or if you have continuously hit the button on the remote you may have cleared the code. This will cause the remote to be reprogrammed.

To reprogram your remotes:

  1. Press & release the “learn or smart” button on the back of your garage door opener. The learn indicator light will glow steadily for 30 seconds.
  2. WITHIN 30 seconds, press & hold the button on your hand-held remote.
  3. Release the button when the motor unit light blinks. It has “learned” the code. If the light bulbs are not installed 2 clicks will be heard.

Keyless Entry

If your keyless entry does not work at all, if the light is becoming dim or if you have NO light at all when you lift the keyless entry cover, please check the following:

  1. The batteries. Keyless entries less than 4 yrs old will take a 9 volt battery. Older units will take a 12 volt.
  2. Lock Mode. Please see above for lock mode information.
  3. Needs to be reprogrammed. If you have repeatedly tried to enter your code and the keyless entry is not working you may have accidentally cleared your code and it needs to be reprogrammed.

To reprogram please do the following:

  1. Press & release the “learn” button on your garage door opener. The learn indicator light will glow steadily for 30 seconds.
  2. WITHIN 30 seconds, enter a four digit code of your choice on the keyless entry. Then press & hold the ENTER button.
  3. Release the button when the garage door opener lights blink. If no light bulbs are installed 2 clicks will be heard. Your code has been accepted.

To clear all codes from your memory:

  1. Press & hold the “learn” button on the garage door opener until the learn button goes OUT (about 6 seconds). ALL previous codes are now erased. BOTH your remotes & your keypads are blank. You may now reprogram both as you wish.

If you have attempted some or all of these things and you are still experiencing difficulties please give us a call.

Springs: Broken Torsion Spring

Does your spring look like this? Well it shouldn’t – it’s broken! Torsion springs should be in one piece and replaced by a professional. Torsion springs work on cycles. The typical spring is a 10,000 cycle spring. Each time you raise and lower your door it is one cycle, get to the end of the spring life and your spring breaks. However, our replacement springs are upgraded, 20,000 cycle springs, giving you a possible longer life to your spring.

Photo Eyes/Photo Safety Devices:

Photo eyes are safety features located at the bottom of your garage door that will not allow the door to come down if it senses that something is in the way. They can become out of alignment Very easily. Also, nothing should block the photo eyes in any way.

There are several indicators that your photo eyes may need to be serviced:

    1. If your door can be raised without a problem but it will not close or starts to close and comes back up.
    2. When you hit the wall button to close the door and the door doesn’t come down or starts to and goes back up, the lights on the motor head will blink.
    3. If you can “force” the door to the ground by holding the wall button and not releasing it until the door is fully closed.
    4. Newer Lift-Master motors will have one green photo eye light and one amber one. The green photo eye is the receiving eye and will go out even if it is not the eye that has been hit. Both lights must be solidly lit. There should be no flickering or flashing of the lights. Even the slightest flicker will not allow the door to come down.
    5. Check to make sure all wire connections are fine. It is possible for wires to become tangled with something in the garage.

To re-align your photo eyes: See Video Above

Unfortunately, this is something that may occur several times because of the sensitivity of the photo eyes. It is designed with SAFETY in mind. Since this is rarely an installation issue, Mount Garage Doors, Inc. does NOT warrant this issue.

How to Release a Garage Door from the Door Opener:

Why won’t my garage door close?

There are a few reasons why a garage door will not close. The first possibility is that your photo eyes at the bottom of the garage door are out of alignment or something is blocking their reception. These sensors are in place as a safety device so that nothing is crushed under the door. This only affects the door closing. Usually the door starts to go down and then reverses or will not try to close at all. There are several ways to see if this has occurred. Please see the above video for instructions.

The second possibility is that the sensitivity has been thrown off on your garage door opener. Your door will start to go down a little or not at all or it will start to open and only go half way up. Several reasons for the sensitivity being off are constant use and inconsistency with the weather. It’s 55 degrees one day and then it is 30 the next. This is hard on garage door openers and springs! If you feel this is the problem a SERVICE CALL will be needed to adjust the problem.

Sometimes my garage door will start to go up and stop. It will also do the same thing when closing. I need to hit my remote several times to get it to open/close. Why?

As stated above this is usually caused by the sensitivity being off on your garage door opener. This can happen to a newly installed opener as well as an older opener. A SERVICE CALL is usually required.

Why won’t my garage door open?

There are several reasons why your garage door may not open. The first possibility is you could have a broken spring. If the torsion spring (this spring sits above your garage door with a metal rod running though it) or an extension spring (these springs are to the side of the door near the tracks. One on the left and one on the right) breaks it removes all the tension off of the door causing it to become extremely heavy or unable to lift at all. A SERVICE CALL is needed to correct this problem.

The other possibilities may have something to do with your garage door opener. Is the battery dead in your remote? You can check this by activating the door from the wall button. If the door goes up you may need to replace your battery. (Please see above).

The circuit board or brain of your garage door opener may be damaged. This will cause your motor to click but it will not activate the door. This may be caused by wear on the motor or a recent power surge. A SERVICE CALL is needed for this.

Your garage door opener may be caught on a bolt. This will cause your motor to try to work but it is unable to move. A SERVICE CALL is then required.

Why do I have to be directly in front of my garage door to get it to open?

This problem is usually caused by two things. The first reason could be that the range of your remote is a problem. Check your battery first. Unfortunately even if the remote is new to you, the batteries could have been in it for a while.

The second reason could be the circuit board/brain of your motor. Please see details above. If your circuit board is bad a SERVICE CALL will be necessary.

The third possibility is a frequency problem. If you have an older motor and live in a certain area, Frederick, parts of Sykesville, your motor could have the same frequency as the US government. This will cause an interference with your frequency causing problems with your door opening and closing. The frequency is not ALWAYS being used so this problem could be sporadic.

What does it mean when the light on my garage door opener blinks?

When your garage door opener light blinks it means that your photo eyes are out of alignment or there is something blocking their reception. Please see above video.

What does it mean when my garage door opener just hums or clicks?

If your garage door opener just hums or clicks when you engage it this is a sign that you have either a bad circuit board, a stripped gear and sprocket or your garage door opener could be stuck on a bolt. All of these issues will require a PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CALL.

How often should I have my garage door serviced?

Your garage door should be serviced yearly unless you are experiencing a specific problem. A good yearly check up on your door should include lubricating the door, springs, hinges, rollers, pulleys, and bearings. It should also include adjusting the spring tension, testing the safety features of the garage door opener and inspecting the rollers, hinges and cables for defects/wear. Lastly, all screws and bolts should be tightened. Generally the fall is a good time of year for maintenance.

How to Lubricate & Maintain Your Garage Door:

Can I add a keyless entry to my existing garage door opener? Can additional remotes be purchased?

Depending upon the age and model of your garage door opener a keyless entry and additional remotes can be added. Please call for details.

How to Frame a Garage Door Opening