Garage Door Won’t Close? Here’s How to Fix It (Step-by-Step)

What to Do When Your Garage Door Won’t Close

Your garage door opens fine but won’t close — or it starts going down and immediately reverses back up. This is one of the most common service calls we get, and in many cases, the fix is surprisingly simple. Here’s a step-by-step guide to diagnosing the problem.

Step 1: Check for Obstructions

The first thing to do is look at the floor and the path of the door. The safety sensors at the bottom of your tracks use an invisible beam. If anything — a leaf, a cardboard box, even a spider web — is breaking that beam, the door won’t close. Clear the path completely and try again.

Step 2: Inspect the Safety Sensors

On both sides of your door, near the floor, are small sensors — one sends an infrared beam, the other receives it. Look at the indicator lights:

• Both lights solid green — Sensors are aligned and working
• One light blinking or amber/yellow — Sensors are misaligned or blocked
• One light off entirely — Power issue or broken wire

If the sensors are misaligned, loosen the wing nut holding the sensor bracket and gently adjust it until both lights are solid. Retighten and test.

Step 3: Clean the Sensor Lenses

Dust, dirt, or cobwebs on the sensor lens can block the beam even when the sensors are properly aligned. Wipe the lens on each sensor with a dry cloth and try closing the door again.

Step 4: Check for Bent Tracks

Look along the vertical sections of track on both sides. A bent or obstructed track creates resistance that triggers the opener’s safety reversal. If you see a visible kink or dent, you’ll need a technician to straighten or replace the track section.

Step 5: Test the Close Limit Switch

If the door starts closing and then reverses before touching the ground, the close limit switch may be set incorrectly — the opener thinks the door has hit an obstruction. On most openers, you can adjust this with a small screwdriver on the motor unit (look for a “DOWN” or “CLOSE LIMIT” dial). Adjust it slightly and test.

Step 6: Try Manual Close

Pull the red emergency release cord to disconnect the door from the opener. Try lowering the door manually. If it moves smoothly to the floor, the issue is with the opener or its settings. If it’s hard to pull or gets stuck, the problem is mechanical — springs, cables, or tracks.

Step 7: Disconnect and Reconnect the Opener

Sometimes resetting the opener clears a fault condition. Unplug the opener from the outlet, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. If you have a battery backup unit, there may be a reset button as well.

When to Call a Professional

If after checking all of the above your door still won’t close, it’s time to call in a technician. Common causes that require professional repair include:

• Broken or detached cables
• Damaged springs affecting door balance
• Faulty logic board in the opener
• Severely bent or damaged tracks

24/7 Garage Doors is available around the clock throughout Houston TX. If your door won’t close and you can’t figure out why, call (713) 999-1059 and we’ll send a technician right away.