---
title: "Garage Door Won’t Open? Causes and What to Do | Armored"
description: "Garage door won’t open? Five quick checks you can do safely, the six most common causes with typical repair costs, and when to stop and call a technician."
url: https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/guides/garage-door-wont-open
language: en
business: "Armored Garage Door Solutions"
phone: "(910) 760-1466"
---

[Home](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/) / [Guides](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/guides) / Door won’t open

Troubleshooting

# Garage door won’t open? Start here.

**Short answer** If your garage door won’t open, check the power, the wall button’s lock setting, the remote battery and the safety sensors first. If you heard a bang, the door is crooked, or it feels too heavy to lift, stop using it: a broken spring or cable is the likely cause, and that needs a technician.

Armored Garage Door Solutions · Updated November 1, 2026

## Five quick checks (safe for anyone)

- Power. Is the opener’s light on? Check the outlet on the ceiling and the breaker or GFCI outlet it is plugged into.

- Lock mode. Many wall buttons have a lock or vacation switch that disables remotes. Look for a lock icon or a blinking light.

- Remote battery. If the wall button works but the remote doesn’t, replace the remote’s battery.

- Safety sensors. The two small eyes near the floor must face each other with steady lights. Wipe the lenses and straighten the brackets.

- Manual lock. Some doors have a slide bolt or handle lock on the inside. Make sure it is open.

**Stop here and call if:** you heard a loud bang, the door is crooked or off its track, a cable is hanging loose, or the door feels very heavy. Those are spring and cable problems, and forcing the door can make it fall.

## Loud bang, door won’t lift

**Likely cause:** A torsion spring has almost certainly snapped. Springs hold the door’s weight (often 150–250 lb); the opener is not built to lift it alone.

**What to do now:** Leave the door closed. Pull the red emergency release only if the door is fully down. Don’t keep pressing the opener button.

**Typical cost:** $275 – $450. [How we fix it](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/broken-spring-repair) .

## Door is crooked or off its track

**Likely cause:** A roller has left the track, usually after the door met an obstacle or a cable frayed and let one side drop.

**What to do now:** Stop using the door and keep cars and kids clear. A crooked door can fall. Unplug the opener.

**Typical cost:** $150 – $300. [How we fix it](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/garage-door-repair) .

## Closes, then goes back up

**Likely cause:** Usually the safety sensors near the floor are out of alignment, dirty, or in direct sun. Sometimes it’s the close-force setting.

**What to do now:** Wipe both sensor lenses and check that the little LEDs are both lit steady. If one blinks, the beams are misaligned.

**Typical cost:** $0 – $150. [How we fix it](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/garage-door-openers) .

## Grinding, squealing, or rattling

**Likely cause:** Worn steel rollers, dry hinges, or loose hardware. Noise is often the first warning before a bigger failure.

**What to do now:** Safe to use for now. Avoid spraying grease on the tracks; that collects grit.

**Typical cost:** $99 – $275. [How we fix it](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/maintenance-plan) .

## Opener hums but nothing moves

**Likely cause:** A stripped drive gear, a failed capacitor, or a door that’s too heavy because a spring is weak.

**What to do now:** Unplug the opener. Check if the door feels very heavy by hand (fully closed, release pulled).

**Typical cost:** $120 – $250. [How we fix it](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/garage-door-openers) .

## Stuck open at night

**Likely cause:** Anything from a spring or cable failure to a dead opener. Either way, your home is open.

**What to do now:** Don’t try to force it down. Call us; this is what our 24/7 line is for.

**Typical cost:** Quoted by phone. [How we fix it](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/emergency-garage-door-repair) .

## Still stuck?

Call or text [(910) 760-1466](tel:+19107601466) , day or night. Send a photo or short video of the door and the opener if you can. We serve [Wake Forest](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/garage-door-repair-wake-forest-nc) , [Rolesville](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/garage-door-repair-rolesville-knightdale-wendell-nc) , [Franklinton and Youngsville](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/garage-door-repair-franklinton-youngsville-nc) , [Raleigh](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/garage-door-repair-raleigh-nc) and [the rest of the Triangle](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/service-areas) . You can also try the [Door Doctor](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/#doctor) on our home page.

**About the owner** JC Antunez is a veteran and the owner of Armored Garage Door Solutions in Franklinton, NC. He answers the 24/7 line himself, in English or Spanish. [Meet JC](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/about) .

Answered 24 hours a day

## Door still won’t budge? Call us.

Call or text JC’s line. You’ll get a real person, honest advice on what to do right now, and a truck on the way.

[(910) 760-1466](tel:+19107601466)

[Call now](tel:+19107601466) [Book online](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/book)

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**Armored Garage Door Solutions** · Call or text 24/7: [(910) 760-1466](tel:+19107601466) · [Book online](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/book) · Se habla español · [All pages](https://armoredgaragedoorraleigh.com/llms.txt)