When your garage door starts down and then goes right back up, the opener is usually doing its job: it thinks something is in the way. The most common causes are blocked or misaligned safety sensors, low winter sun shining into a sensor, or the door hitting resistance from cold weather, ice, or a worn part.
Here in Greater St. Louis, St. Charles County, and the Metro East, we get a lot of these calls once fall turns to winter. Most causes are easy to check yourself, and we will tell you which ones are not.
Why does my garage door open back up when I try to close it?
Your opener has two safety systems that tell it to reverse: the photo eye sensors near the floor and a force setting that senses resistance. If either one is triggered, the door stops and goes back up.
That reversing feature protects kids, pets, and cars, so the goal is never to disable it. The goal is to find what is setting it off.
How do I know if it is the safety sensors?
If the door reverses before it touches the floor and the opener lights flash, the sensors are the most likely cause.
On LiftMaster openers, one sensor has an amber light and the other has a green light. Both should glow steady. If the green light is off, dim, or flickering, the sensors cannot see each other. Check for:
- Something in the beam: a trash can, a broom, leaves, a cobweb, or snow piled near the door.
- Dirty lenses: wipe both lenses gently with a soft, dry cloth.
- A bumped sensor: if one got knocked by a bike or a car bumper, gently turn it back until the green light glows steady.
On many LiftMaster models, you can press and hold the wall button to close the door while the sensors are not working. Hold it until the door is fully down and watch it the whole way. That is a short-term workaround, not a fix.
Can the sun make my garage door reverse?
Yes. In fall and winter the sun sits low in the sky, and direct sunlight shining into the receiving sensor can blind it, so the door only acts up at certain times of day.
If your door reverses in the late afternoon or early morning but works fine the rest of the day, sun glare is a strong suspect. Swapping the sensors to opposite sides or shading the receiver usually solves it.
Why does my garage door reverse more in cold weather?
Cold makes everything stiffer. Grease thickens, rollers and hinges drag, and the bottom seal can freeze to the driveway, so the opener feels extra resistance and reverses to be safe.
Clear ice and snow from where the door lands and make sure the bottom seal is not frozen down. Silicone spray on hinges and steel rollers helps too. Our post on regular lubrication shows what to lube and what to leave dry. Please do not just turn up the force setting to push through it. That can make the door less safe for people and pets.
What if the door touches the floor and then goes back up?
If the door hits the floor and bounces back up, the close limit is usually set too far, so the opener thinks it hit something.
Your owner's manual shows how to adjust limits for your model, or we can set them and test the safety reverse at the same time. If you see a code on your wall control, our post on garage door error codes can help you read it.
When should I stop and call a professional?
Call a pro if the door is crooked, feels very heavy, makes a loud bang, or if you see a broken spring or a loose cable. Those parts hold extreme tension and can cause serious injury, so do not try to adjust or remove them yourself.
A door that is out of balance or binding in the track will also cause reversing that no sensor cleaning can fix. That is a job for our residential service team, and if your door will not close at night, our 24/7 emergency service is there for you. A yearly tune-up through our Worry-Free Maintenance plan includes checking sensors, balance, and the safety reverse so small problems get caught early.
Quick answers
Is it safe to keep using a garage door that keeps reversing?
Not for long. Holding the wall button can close it for now, but get the cause fixed so the safety system works as designed.
Why does my garage door only reverse when it is sunny?
Low fall and winter sun can shine straight into the receiving sensor and blind it. Shading the sensor or swapping sides usually solves it.
Should I turn up the force setting so the door closes?
No. Raising the force can stop the door from reversing when it should. Find out what is causing the resistance instead.
Have a garage door that will not stay closed? Call The Wright Door Co. at 314-484-3667, Missouri 636-293-3007, or Illinois 618-698-8058. Information has always been free, and it is your "Wright" to know.