my garage door opener does not work all the time. Does it need new batteries or something else?

Answer 1

It might be the cold weather affecting the motor. We only have problems with ours only in the winters.

Answer 2

Replace the batteries first. Don’t waste your time with possibly bad wiring. Unless you have done some recent renovations, why would the wiring become bad?

The biggest reason garage doors malfunction (don’t open or close on command) is because there is usually something obstructing the safety sensors on either side of the door, about 4” up from the floor. They are mandatory child protection devices in most states, so kids don’t get pinned and killed under heavy doors. They reverse the door upwards when it is coming down and something breaks the beam (child, pet, bike, car, etc.)

If one of them got bumped (by a snow shovel, toy, bike, etc.), the laser sensors will no longer be able to see each other, thus the system thinks something is under the door, thus will not function properly. Or, something is partially blocking the sensors (snow, the end of a snowblower, a toy, etc.).

Use a laser level (Home Depot/Lowes/ about $20.00) Set it on top and in the center of one of the sensor, facing the other. If the beam is a fraction off (up or down, left or right) , the door may not function properly. Make adjustments so both line up (vertically and horizontally). Disconnecting them is unsafe and not an option. Most openers will not function when the sensors are disconnected – makes for heavy lifting.

Answer 3

There are only three possibilities: either your garage door opener battery is dead (yes, they do need to occassionally be replaced!) You should have a secondary remote ... try it and see what happens.

OR

the garage door mechanism is unplugged

OR

the wiring is shot.

Now do try checking out options #1 and #2 above first. (They are cheaper solutions than #3, which means having to take the darn unit apart!) lol :-)

Answer 4

It could be the batteries in the remote, or if you've given it a few good drops then you might have damaged it internally. They're pretty fragile things... Try some batteries, but try not to drop it too.

Answer 5

I had problem with the safety sensors, i think the cold or damp got into one of them and broke it, fitted new sensors and its working again. ( don't know where you are from but in UK it is law to have sensors so if the door is closing and a child break the beam of light on the sensors the door opens )

Answer 6

Replace the batteries. If this doesn't change anything, then it is something else...

Answer 7

It needs new batteries.

Answer 8

You need a new battery in your remote.

Answer 9

the remote needs new batteries

Answer 10

i would say the batteries need to be changed.