When your garage door doesn't close all the way or won’t go down at all, the experience is frustrating, but more importantly, it can be dangerous.

A garage door that won’t close makes your home vulnerable to:

• Theft
• Intruders
• Pets or small children wandering outside
• Rodent and pest infestations
• Harsh outdoor elements

Identifying the root of the problem and fixing it as soon as possible will keep you safe and give you peace of mind. The experts at Precision Garage Door Service™ review 12 reasons why your garage door is jammed and won’t close so you can determine the most likely cause –– and get to the solution faster.

Your jammed garage door can be caused by something as simple as an obstruction in the track. Check to see if anything fell in the track and is now stuck. If so, simply remove it.

Similarly, if something is blocking your garage door sensors, the door will not close as a safety precaution. Sensors may detect obstructions slightly beyond the direct path between them, meaning that even if it doesn’t look like anything is in the way, the sensors may detect objects closely nearby that prevent the door from closing.

Check for anything in the way, including:

• Any part of a vehicle
• Small children or pets
• Tools or gardening supplies
• Toys and sports equipment
• Dirt, dust, grime, or cobwebs on the sensors

Try moving potential obstructions and testing the door to determine if sensitive sensors are the problem.

When your sensors themselves are dusty or misaligned, the door may read it as an obstruction and will not fully close.

To fix this issue, turn off the power to the garage door opener and clean the eyes of your sensors with a soft cloth. Once you’re finished, turn your opener back on and attempt to close the garage door again. This process should be the same whether you have a belt or chain garage door opener.

Over time, sensors can also become misaligned. Many sensors will blink when they can’t “see” the other paired sensor, so if you spot this, we recommend a professional garage door tune-up to ensure the sensors are properly aligned and functional.

The culprit of your stubborn garage door may be as simple as dead batteries.

Your garage door transmitter or remote usually runs on batteries. If the batteries are dead, your transmitter or remote will not close your garage door. Replace the remote’s batteries with new ones and try using it again to close your garage door.

If you replace the batteries and the remote still doesn’t work, you may be dealing with a bigger issue. You may need to reprogram your remote or contact your local garage door service professional to identify the cause.

If your garage door opens manually and when you press the button inside your garage but not when you use your remote, the remote may be the issue. If replacing your remote’s batteries doesn’t solve the problem as described above, the remote itself may be defective.

Replace your defective remote as soon as possible. In most cases, you can order a replacement from the manufacturer or look for a universal remote.

The trolley is a ceiling-mounted rail mechanism connecting the opener and garage door. You can find the trolley by looking for a rope hanging down from it.

If your garage door won’t go down automatically but you can close it by hand, your trolley may be stuck in bypass mode. You can get the trolley out of this mode by pulling the rope in the direction of the garage door to re-engage the latch. Once the trolley is reconnected to the chain mechanism, you should be able to activate your garage door opener.

There’s a chance your garage door won’t open or close properly simply because it’s locked. Even if you have an automatic garage door lock, there is usually a manual lock option to ensure functionality even without power. While convenient and secure, this means that anyone can turn the handle and lock the garage door. Manually unlocking the door should solve this issue.

If your garage door system is damaged in any way, an engaged lock puts extra pressure on your garage door by adding resistance to the door’s movement, which can make existing problems much worse.

To resolve this issue, we recommend enlisting the help of a service professional to examine your garage door system, including the door lock. Precision Garage Door Service’s garage door repair service includes a 25-point inspection to help identify and fix any damaged parts.

The cause of your malfunctioning garage door may be related to the flow of electricity in your home. Check your electrical panel for a tripped breaker. Power outages will generally prevent you from using a remote or other transmitter to automatically close your garage door, but you should still be able to manually close it by disengaging the trolley and pulling the door closed.

If you suspect a different electrical problem in your home, we recommend calling a licensed electrician to safely identify and solve the issue.

Garage door limit settings determine how much your door can open and close. If the settings are off, there’s a chance your garage door won't close all the way and goes back up.

Adjusting the travel limit settings can fix this issue. While you can attempt this fix yourself, it’s best left to a professional who can quickly identify the issue and safely make necessary adjustments.

A technician can find the limit screws inside your garage door opener – one labeled “up” and the other labeled “down.” Your technician can precisely adjust the door by turning the “down” screw in small increments and testing your garage door between adjustments until it closes fully without bouncing back up.

If important garage door opener parts such as the motor, belt, chain, or gears are defective, your garage door opener may not operate as it should. Even if your opener hasn’t completely given out, some functions may still be unavailable if you have rusty garage door parts or other faulty components.

Make sure you try to open the door using the remote transmitter and the button inside your garage. The issue may not be with the opener but with these devices instead. If neither option works, be sure to call a garage door specialist for a garage door opener replacement or part repair.

Rollers on either side of your garage door allow it to glide along the track when moving up and down. If the rollers are bent, misaligned, or disconnected from the track, the door won’t budge.

You should be able to quickly determine if misaligned tracks are the reason your garage door won’t close all the way. Look along both sides of the garage door for bends, dents, or a roller outside the track.

You’ll need to get this issue repaired by a professional to avoid causing further damage to your garage door system.

Springs help balance your door’s weight so it doesn’t fall or close harshly. If they are worn or broken, they can’t evenly distribute your door’s weight, which can make your door hang lopsided or prevent it from closing all the way.

Two types of springs may affect the operation of your garage door: torsion springs and extension springs. Torsion springs are located at the top of your garage door, while extension springs are located on either side of the door. A gap between torsion springs often indicates damage, while worn-out extension springs may have loose pieces hanging by the door.

Replacing a spring is a dangerous process. Seek the help of a professional to replace or repair damaged garage door springs to avoid injury to people, pets, or property.

Your garage door cables help support the weight of your garage door. The cables wrap around a set of pulleys and springs, using tension to gently lower and raise your door.

When the spring turns the pulley, it pulls a cable attached to the garage door. When one or both of those cables are broken or damaged, it could cause your door to hang unevenly, preventing it from completely closing. Replacing a garage door cable is a common garage door repair that your local garage door service professional can perform with ease.

We don’t recommend trying to fix this problem on your own, as a snapped cable or falling door could result in severe injury to you and anyone near the door. To resolve this issue, you’ll need to have the broken cables replaced by an experienced garage door professional.

A garage door that won’t close is a hazard that should be corrected as soon as possible. Fixing a garage door that won’t close can be as simple as changing the batteries in your remote or something more technical that requires professional expertise.

If your garage door doesn’t go down and you’ve tried the simple fixes, let the experts at Precision Garage Door Service help.

Give us a call or find a professional nearest you.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and may not be applicable to every situation. You are responsible for determining the proper course of action for your property. Services should be performed by licensed and experienced professionals. Precision Garage Door Service is not responsible for any damages that occur as a result of this blog content or your actions. For the most accurate guidance, contact a Precision Garage Door Service professional for a comprehensive, on-site assessment.