When a garage door won't move, the cause is either something simple or something that needs a professional, and the simple causes are the common ones. Work through this list in order. The first four checks take five minutes, cost nothing, and solve a surprising share of "broken" doors.
Safe to Check Yourself
1. The remote's battery (yes, really)
If the wall button works but the remote doesn't, it's the coin cell in the remote. If nothing works, make sure the opener's outlet has power. Garages are famous for tripped breakers and GFCI outlets.
2. Lock mode is on
Most wall consoles have a lock or vacation button that disables the remotes. If a child or a stray elbow pressed it, the remotes go dead while the wall button keeps working. Hold the lock button for a few seconds to turn it off.
3. The safety sensors are blocked or misaligned
Door closes partway then reverses, often with flashing lights? Look at the two small photo-eyes near the floor on either side of the opening. Move anything sitting between them (a broom, a snow shovel, cobwebs count), wipe the lenses, and check that both LEDs glow steadily. A knocked sensor can be gently bent back until its light goes solid. This one fix clears up a huge share of "won't close" calls.
4. The trolley is disconnected
If the opener runs but the door doesn't move, someone probably pulled the red release cord at some point. With the door fully closed, run the opener until the trolley clicks back into the carriage.
Call a Professional
5. A broken spring
Heard a loud bang recently? Door lifts 15 cm then quits, and feels like dead weight by hand? That's a snapped spring, the most common serious cause on this list. Stop using the opener and read our guide on what to do about a broken spring.
6. Snapped or slipped cables
Check the thin steel cables running down each edge of the door. If one hangs slack or looks frayed, or the door sits crooked in the opening, stop there. A crooked door can jam in the tracks or fall. This is a same-day professional repair.
7. The door is off its tracks
Rollers visibly out of the rail, door tilted or jammed? Don't cycle it again, since every attempt bends more hardware. Disconnect the opener and call.
8. Stripped opener gears
Motor hums, nothing moves, and the trolley is connected? On older chain-drive units the nylon main gear strips, and you'll sometimes find white plastic shavings inside the housing. A gear kit can fix it, but on a 15-year-old opener a new quiet smart opener is often the better place to put the money.
9. Winter has seized the door
In a GTA cold snap, doors freeze to the slab when water pools under the seal, and old grease thickens until the opener gives up trying. Free a frozen seal gently, never with the opener motor. And if the door struggles all winter long, a tune-up with low-temperature lubricant and a force recalibration fixes it properly.
The 30-Second Diagnostic
| Symptom | Most likely cause | DIY? |
|---|---|---|
| Remote dead, wall button works | Remote battery / lock mode | Yes |
| Closes partway, reverses, lights flash | Safety sensors | Yes |
| Opener runs, door doesn't move | Trolley disconnected / stripped gear | Check trolley |
| Lifts a few inches, stops; door heavy | Broken spring | No |
| Door crooked, cable hanging | Cable failure | No |
| Grinding, door tilted in opening | Off track | No |
Stuck at step 5 or beyond? Summit Premium Services covers the whole GTA with same-day garage door repair. Call (647) 696-6639 and we'll get you moving today.