Despite daily use, a lack of maintenance and neglect can cause problems for any garage door. If you’ve recently noticed that your garage door light blinks and refuses to function properly unless you hold down the wall button, don’t panic! The solution may be more simple than you think. The blinking light is meant to keep you safe by alerting you of any issues with the opener. While every opener is different, many share similar methods to determine what the real issue is. This guide will walk you through what the flashing light means, and how you can self diagnose and fix the issue with your opener.
Light Blinking Continuously
If you own a new garage door opener that comes with a locking feature, it’s possible someone may have accidentally locked your garage door by pressing the lock button. If you try to open your door using a remote while the lock system is engaged, you’ll notice that the garage door light will begin blinking continuously. The locking feature is meant to prevent garage door remotes from opening your door; only the button on the wall control or manual keypad inputs will open it. Simply hold down the lock button on the wall control for about two seconds to disengage the lock.
If the light flashing persists, then the problem may be wire related. It might be time for a maintenance check to determine if your wiring is to blame for the continuous blinking. The purpose of the safety sensors located on the bottom corners of your garage door is to automatically reverse your door if they detect motion underneath the door. If the opener cannot detect that the safety sensors are properly working or connected, then the opener lights will flash and the door will refuse to close. You’ll need to hire a professional to replace the wiring entirely or check to see if the wire disconnected from the opener and reconnect it. Check for misplaced staples holding the wiring in place as they may also cause the wire to short.
Perhaps the most common issue for many homeowners, if the safety sensors are not properly aligned the light will blink 10 times. The light from the opener blinks 10 times to warn you about misaligned photo eyes. To fix this issue, first, locate the two photo eyes attached to your garage door and clean the lens using a soft microfiber cloth. Loosen the wing nut holding up the photo eye and adjust them until both sensors are properly aligned. The photo eye with the amber light sends out the light, while the green sensor is the receiver. If aligned correctly, the green sensor will remain on and glow steadily.
If your problem has not been fixed, the self-diagnoses LED light indicator on your opener can help you determine a possible problem and solution for your opener. A garage door opener comes with an LED light indicator that is located on the back or bottom panel of the opener or underneath one of the light lenses if your opener has dual lights. This LED light flashes a specific number of times. Here are the most common problem indicators and solutions for common garage door openers.
LED light:
LiftMaster Light Blinking
LiftMaster comes with two methods of self-diagnosis. One is the arrow keys found on the opener and the second is through the small LED light located next to the learn button. The amount of times they flash corresponds to a specific opener issue. Below is a diagnostic chart showing the common light code for the arrow keys.
Arrow Keys:
Chamberlain Light Blinking
Chamberlain garage door openers function the same way as LiftMaster openers. Any issues regarding flashing lights and diagnosis light codes are the same for both openers.
Other opener brands such as Craftsman and Raynor also use a self-diagnosis LED light indicator with the same light codes as both LiftMaster and Chamberlain.
If you continue having problems with your garage door light blinking after having tried these solutions, the issue may be related to the logic board or a malfunction with the internal parts. Contact Garage Door Medics today by calling 888-997-2423 so that we can diagnose your issue and get your garage door back up and running. We are garage door opener repair and replacement experts so we can get the job done for you today!
Areas we serve: Southern California, Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, Boise, Denver
