10 Reasons Your Garage Door Is Opening By Itself

Automatic garage door openers are prone to various problems, so it can be perplexing when a garage door opens by itself. This situation poses a safety and security concern, exposing your home to theft or other bad intent. The good news is this problem is usually easy to fix. Here are 10 reasons why your garage door is opening by itself and how to fix the garage door.

1. Remote Control Has a Stuck Button

   The remote control, or transmitter, located in the car may have a sticky or faulty button. Dirt, sticky drinks, or frequent use may cause the button to stick briefly, causing the garage door to open by itself.

   Even if the remote control works properly, it may be lodged in the vehicle console against items that press the button and cause the garage door to open. 

   How to fix: Remove the remote control from tight places in the vehicle, such as consoles or behind the sun visor. Standing safely to the side of the garage door, press the button and see if it sticks in place.

   Clean the outside of the remote control if there is visible dirt or stickiness around the button. Do not use liquids to clean the remote control. If the remote control is in poor condition, purchase a replacement. 

   Tip

   If the button is not sticking, try inserting fresh batteries since old batteries can sometimes send random signals.

2. Sensor Eyes Are Dirty or Blocked

   When a garage door descends on command but reverses itself, the problem is often with the sensor eyes along the side tracks.

   Sensor eyes reverse the door for safety. This prevents the door from closing on people, pets, or vehicles. When the sensor eyes detect an object in the way, they tell the garage door to open up again. Dirty or blocked sensor eyes say there is an obstacle to the door, even if there isn't one.

   How to fix: Find the two sensor eyes at the bottom of the garage door on the door frame. Remove obstacles blocking the sightline between the two. Clean the lenses of the sensors with a cloth to remove built-up mud or dust that hamper operations. Be careful not to jostle the sensors out of alignment. 

3. Sensor Eyes Are Misaligned

   When a garage door descends but then opens by itself—and you have already checked that the sensor eyes are not dirty or blocked—the problem may be that the sensor eyes are misaligned. If the sensor eyes are misaligned, they will trigger the garage door's reverse mechanism and cause it to open. 

   How to fix: Some garage door openers have a diagnostic panel on the side of the door opener that indicates if the beam between the two sensors is not operating correctly. Check the diagnostic panel first to see if your garage door opener has one.

   • Find the safety sensors at the base of the garage door.
   • Locate the sending sensor, which should have a solid amber light. 
   • Go to the opposite side of the garage door and find the receiving sensor, which normally has a solid green light if the beam from the sending sensor is aligned correctly. If the green light is off or is flickering, the beam is not making contact.
   • Go back to the sending sensor and loosen the wing nut.
   • Adjust the sending sensor while observing the light on the receiving sensor. When the light on the receiving sensor glows solid green, the sensors are correctly aligned.
   • Tighten the wing nut on the sending sensor.

4. Wheels Are Binding in the Tracks

   When a garage door starts to close but reverses at some point on its path, the problem may be that its wheels are binding in their tracks. When the door senses an obstruction, it reverses and opens itself.

   How to fix: The tracks that guide the garage door up and down can become bent or shifted out of place when jarred by large items like a lawn mower, a garbage can, or a vehicle. Inspect the guide track for damage. Bend back or re-align bent or shifted tracks. If severely damaged, the tracks may need to be replaced.

   Tip

   If the garage door rollers are not turning in the tracks, lubricate them with silicone or replace them.

5. Safety Sensor Eye Wiring Is Frayed or Bare

   The thin, low-voltage wires that run between each of the safety sensor eyes at the sides of the door and the motor unit may be short-circuiting the system, causing the door to open and close by itself.

   How to fix: Look for damaged insulation, bare strands of wire, or even a nail or staple piercing the wire. When this happens, it's often down near the sensor eyes, where mice can chew through the insulation or the wires are damaged by a broom or shovel. 

   Wrap short sections of bare or frayed wire with electrical tape. If long sections are in bad shape, replace them entirely. The wire can be purchased at any home improvement center or hardware store.

6. Wall Control Button Wire Is Frayed or Bare

   An exposed spot or a short circuit in the small-gauge wire that leads from the garage door opener's motor unit to the wall control button may cause the garage door to open on its own.

   A bare spot in the wire might brush against the metal door track or another part—the electrical impulse will activate the motor unit.

   How to fix: Examine the wire for bare sections and wrap them with electrical tape. Replace long wire sections with wire can be purchased at a home center or hardware store.

7. Wall Control Button Is Short-Circuiting or Stuck

   The wall control button mounted near the side entry door may be causing the garage door to open. If it is old or dirty, the button may stick. In some cases, the garage door is in constant motion, opening fully and immediately descending, only to repeat the same cycle. 

   How to fix: Remove the control button from the wall. There may also be loose wire connections inside the button housing itself. As these wires short against the housing, the electrical impulse causes the door opener to activate. Replacing a malfunctioning control button is the best way to fix this problem.

8. Nearby Remotes Are Opening Your Door

   Wireless garage door opener codes are numerous, ranging in the thousands, but they are not unique. Sometimes, a neighbor may have a garage door opener set to the same wireless code as your opener.

   How to fix: It is easy to check—have your neighbor activate their garage door and see if your door begins to move. The solution is to reset your garage opener to a new code—every garage door opener has these instructions.

   Tip

   If this problem occurs, it will be with older garage doors since newer openers have safeguards against accidental opening.

9. Circuit Board Is Faulty

   When the garage door opens on its own, the problem may point to the opener's logic board or the circuitry inside the motor unit itself.

   How to fix: It is possible to repair circuit board problems. The solution could be a matter of resoldering a loose connection. This isn't a project for most casual DIYers. Either have a qualified service technician fix or replace the unit entirely.

   Tip

   Having a service technician attempt such a repair may cost as much as replacing the garage door opener, but it has the added benefit of diverting the unit from the landfill.

10. Garage Door Opener Is Faulty

    If all other avenues have failed, it's time to call a service technician or replace the garage door opener. 

    How to fix: Any moderately handy person can install a new garage door opener. Given that the problems with your opener pose real safety and security risks, a new opener makes sense if you can't track down the cause and stop the door from opening on its own.