How to fix liftmaster garage door opener

Q: What causes garage door opener to stop working?

If you replace the batteries and your garage door wont respond to the remote signal, the remote and door sensor signal might be interrupted by an obstruction. Other causes of a disrupted signal might be clicking the remote while out of range or having a broken antenna.

Garage doors are heavy, and opening one in the rain or at night can be a pain, especially if you have to do it in a hurry. This is one reason why automatic door openers with remote control modules are practically standard equipment in homes with garages. Liftmaster is a well-known manufacturer that sells a variety of chain-, belt- and screw-driven models, and when you're having trouble with one of their products, you can usually find your questions answered on their website. Many common problems are easy to fix yourself.

Table of Contents Show

The Typical Liftmaster Opener System
Problems With the Safety Sensors
Close and Open Limits
Remote Won't Work
Error Codes
Problems with The Liftmaster Safety Sensors
Liftmaster Close and Open Limits
Liftmaster Remote Won’t Work
Liftmaster Error Codes
Why is my LiftMaster garage door opener not working?
Why is my LiftMaster blinking and not closing?
How do you reset a LiftMaster garage door opener?
What causes garage door opener to stop working?

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The Typical Liftmaster Opener System

The door opener itself is in a casing mounted on the garage ceiling or wall. On either side of the track, near the floor, you'll find a pair of LED safety sensors that stop the door from moving when something is in the door opening. The sensors connect to the opener by a length of 16-gauge wire, and the opener itself usually gets its power from a 120-volt circuit in the home's electrical system via a 12-gauge plug. When your opener won't operate, always check the plug for power. If it's dead, a breaker in the main panel has probably tripped.

Problems With the Safety Sensors

When the door won't close, or it closes only part way and immediately opens again, the safety sensors are the first thing to check. You may find something blocking the light that passes between them, or you may find that cleaning the lenses solves the problem. Look also for cobwebs on the door tracks, because they could also be blocking the light. If you see a blinking light on one of the sensors, it means they aren't aligned. Loosen one of them and adjust it until the light shines steadily. Another reason for the sensors to misalign is that the door track is loose. If this is the case, tighten the bolts with a wrench.

Close and Open Limits

You can access and program most of the motor functions with the remote control. If the door won't close or open all the way, you can use the remote to reset the open and close limits. On most models, you can also do this manually by locating the limit dials on the motor housing. Turn the close limit dial counterclockwise to lengthen the close limit, and turn the open limit dial clockwise to lengthen the open limit.

Remote Won't Work

If your door opener is brand new, the remote won't work until you program it. Follow the procedure in your owner's manual for doing this. When a remote stops working on an existing door opener, it's often because you need to change the batteries. If you have a wall-mounted model, check the lock switch. If it's on, the remote won't work, so turn it off.

Error Codes

Newer Liftmaster openers feature an error code system that consists of a series of flashing lights. You need you manual to decipher the error, so it's always a good idea to save it. If you lose your manual, you can access it online at the Liftmaster website.

Is your Liftmaster garage door opener not working? Liftmaster garage doors come with many advanced features to make their use as convenient as possible. They are designed to hold up well in any weather and operate smoothly. With features like remote control openers, smart phone and wall-mounted openers, there are a variety of ways to operate your garage door with ease. However, there may be times when you experience some trouble with your garage door.

Liftmaster offers a wide range of quality garage door products and accessories and provides plenty of support if you experience any problems with any one of their products. But there are a number of common problems you may be able to tackle on your own.

A general understanding of how a Liftmaster garage door opener works can help you identify problems and aid in Chamberlain/Liftmaster troubleshooting.

The door opener is either located on the ceiling of your garage or mounted on the wall. A pair of LED safety sensors are located on either side of the track, close to the floor. The sensors will prevent the door from closing if they detect something is blocking the path. A 16-gauge wire connects the sensors to the opener, which is powered by the electrical system in your home. If your door opener is not working, the first thing you should check is the power plug to ensure that it is plugged in all the way and transmitting power to the garage door opener. If it isn’t, check the main panel to see if the breaker has tripped.

Problems with The Liftmaster Safety Sensors

Your Liftmaster garage door not working could be due to an issue with the sensors. As mentioned above, the sensors are there to prevent the door from closing if an object is in the path of the garage door. So if your garage door is closing partially and then opening again, or does not close at all, your safety sensors should be the first thing you check. There could be something blocking the beam between the two sensors. If there is nothing obvious in the way, the problem could be that the lenses on the sensors need to be cleaned.

Also check to see if there are any cobwebs on the door tracks as these may block the light. For the sensors to work, they need to be perfectly aligned. If they are slightly off, it will cause a problem and you will see a blinking light on one of them. Simply loosen one of the sensors and adjust its position until the light is no longer flickering.

A loose door track will affect the sensors and cause them to be misaligned. To fix this, use a wrench to tighten the bolts.

Liftmaster Close and Open Limits

You can use your garage door remote control to program and control the bulk of the motor functions including resetting the open and close limits if the garage door doesn’t close or open completely. This can also be done manually on most Liftmaster models. To do this, you will need to locate the limit dials that are on the motor housing. Then, to extend the close limit, turn the close limit dial counterclockwise and adjust the open limit dial clockwise in order to extend the open limit.

Liftmaster Remote Won’t Work

When you install a new door opener, the remote will need to be programmed and will not work until this is done. Your owner’s manual should provide instructions on how to program your remote control. If your remote has been working for a while and stops working, the most common reason for this is dead batteries. Change the batteries and try again. If the remote still doesn’t work after changing the batteries, check if the lock switch is turned off if you have a wall-mounted model.

Liftmaster Error Codes

The latest Liftmaster garage door openers come equipped with a feature that will display an error code consisting of a series of flashing lights. The number of times the lights flash and direction of each flash determines what error is being detected. How to interpret the error code system is outlined in your manual so keeping it handy to troubleshoot error codes is important.

Below is a list of error codes for the Liftmaster 8550 garage door opener:

UPDOWNPROBLEMREASONSOLUTION1 Flash1 FlashesGarage door opener is not closingSafety sensor wires may be faulty or sensors not installed or connectedCheck for disconnected wires sensor wires. If the amber LED that is connected to the sending sensor is not lit, inspect the wire and connections to the sensor. If the LED is lit on the sending sensor, the wire connections to the green receiving sensor should be checked. If disconnected or cut, reattach the wire or replace it.1 Flash2 FlashesThe garage door opener will not close and the light(s) flashSafety sensor wire shorted or reversedCheck the wiring to ensure it is not pinched or incorrectly attached. If the amber LED is not lit on the sanding sensor, inspect the wiring leading to and from the sensor. If the sending sensor LED is lit, inspect the wiring leading to the green receiving LED. And reattach or replace as necessary.1 Flash3 FlashesWall-mounted door control not functioningDoor control wires shorted or the door control is faultyCheck the wiring to the door control to see if there is a short, (staple in the wire). Replace it with a 22-gauge wire if necessary. Once new dog control wires are installed, if the door control still malfunctions, you will need to replace the door control.1 Flash4 FlashesThe garage door will not close and light(s) are flashingSafety sensors are misaligned or obstructedCheck the green LED on the receiving sensor to make sure that it is not flickering. Flickering means that the safety sensor is misaligned. Check the area immediately surrounding the safety sensor to ensure that nothing is obstructing the sensors’ path and preventing the garage door from closing.1 Flash5 FlashesThe garage door opener clicks in response to remote but does not more
The opener closes partially then stops and/or reversesTravel module communication errorDisconnect the garage door opener from its power source, remove the cover and find the travel module. Inspect the wires to ensure that they are connected properly. If everything is connected correctly, you will need to replace the travel module.

If you have any questions about Liftmaster garage door opener troubleshooting, feel free to get in touch with us. A friendly member of our team will gladly assist you.

Why is my LiftMaster garage door opener not working?

Common reasons your garage door opener may not be working properly: The batteries in the remote control need to be replaced. The door needs lubrication. The safety sensors are out of alignment.

Why is my LiftMaster blinking and not closing?

If the sensors are not properly connected, the garage door light will blink continuously and the door will refuse to close. Have your system professionally inspected to identify and repair any wiring issues that might be causing your garage door light to blink.

How do you reset a LiftMaster garage door opener?

A Liftmaster garage door opener will have a button that reads “Learn” on the motor..

Push the button on the garage remote..

Press the button located on the motor..

Hold the buttons until the light on the garage door opener flashes, indicating the system has been reset..

What causes garage door opener to stop working?

If you replace the batteries and your garage door won't respond to the remote signal, the remote and door sensor signal might be interrupted by an obstruction. Other causes of a disrupted signal might be clicking the remote while out of range or having a broken antenna.