A garage door opener is equipped with safety features that cause automatic reversal in case there is an event where the motor encounters resistance. Typically the garage door would travel a little and then reverse. There are a few factors that can trigger this safety feature, even if there is not evidence that the garage door is meeting any type of resistance.
1) The garage door opener’s force setting may not be set correctly. The force setting feature tells the garage door opener how much resistance the door should provide and if the opener detects more than is “allowed”, the door will automatically reverse.
2) If the gears of the garage door opener have recently been replaced, the shaft bearing kit may be interfering with a part of the RPM sensor assembly called the interrupter cup. If this cup is not pushed on to the end of the shaft, it can cause the described symptoms.
3) If the opener motor shaft moves back and forth through the motor more than 1/16th of an inch during operation, it could lead to the door traveling only a short distance before reversing. Check and ensure that the motor shaft is tightened enough so that there is not too much “endplay” in the shaft. Endplay is caused by a loose or improperly installed shaft bearing kit.
Worcester Door is a garage door company and specializes in residential and commercial garage door repair, maintenance and installation.
