Garage door opener repair
Your garage door opener runs, but the door doesn’t move?
When the garage door opener motor runs and the door stays put, the motor is turning but nothing is connecting it to the door. The usual causes are a disconnected trolley, a broken belt or chain, or a loose door arm.
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Is this what you're seeing?
You press the button and hear the motor run, with no hum of strain.
You may see the trolley slide along the rail while the door stays down.
The red release cord may have been pulled, or the chain or belt looks loose or on the floor.
It began suddenly, often after a bang or after the door was moved by hand.
What's going on
A garage door opener moves the door through a chain of parts: the motor turns a belt, chain or screw, that moves the trolley, and the trolley pulls the door arm. If any link lets go, the motor runs freely. That is a garage door opener repair, and it is usually a short one.
The easiest cause is the red release cord. Pulling it disconnects the trolley from the door, and the opener will not pick the door back up until the trolley is re-engaged.
The next cause is the belt or chain. A belt that snaps, or a chain that comes off the sprocket, leaves the motor spinning with nothing to pull. A loose or broken door arm or bracket does the same.
What to do right now
Do
Look at the red release cord and the trolley. If it is disconnected and the springs are fine, the trolley can be re-engaged.
Check the belt or chain. If it is loose, off the sprocket or broken, stop and leave it.
Lift the door by hand a few inches. If it is heavy or will not stay up, it is a spring problem and not the opener.
Don't
Don’t keep pressing the button. A spinning motor with no load wears the gear.
Don’t pull the release with the door up if you suspect a broken spring. The door can fall.
Don’t take apart the opener head with it plugged in.
How we fix it
We find where the chain of parts has let go: the trolley, the belt or chain, the sprocket, or the door arm, and we check the springs first so a broken spring is not mistaken for an opener fault. Then we repair or replace what failed. See garage door opener repair. This is what our records show.
- Belt or chain failure jobs since 2022
- 5
Recent jobs like this
Sep 2026
West metroFound
The opener’s belts had come loose.
Fixed
Fixed the belts and reset the torsion system on the same visit.
Sep 2022
Denver metroFound
The chain had broken off the sprocket.
Fixed
Installed a new LiftMaster chain-drive opener with a rail and a remote.
Mar 2022
Boulder CountyFound
The opener’s belt had snapped.
Fixed
Installed a new opener with an outside keypad, an inside wall control and programming.
Repair or replace?
A loose belt or a displaced chain can often be repaired. When the belt has snapped or the sprocket is damaged on an older unit, a new opener is often the better choice. We tell you which on site.
Related questions
How do you replace the drive belt on a garage door opener?
Disconnect power to the opener, disengage the trolley from the door, remove the belt from the sprocket assembly, install the new belt by routing it through the rail and over the sprockets, then re-tension it and readjust travel limits.
Read full answerWhen does a garage door opener drive belt need to be replaced?
A garage door opener drive belt typically needs replacement when it shows visible cracking, fraying, or worn teeth, when the opener runs but the door moves inconsistently, or when the belt slips or squeals during operation.
Read full answerHow long does a garage door opener drive belt last?
A garage door opener drive belt typically lasts 10 to 15 years under average residential use of about 4 cycles per day.
Read full answerMy garage door emergency release is stuck. How do I fix it?
Most often the release is hard to pull because the door is under tension.
Read full answerMy garage door opener motor runs but the door won't move. Is it the gear?
Usually yes.
Read full answerRelated services
Parts mentioned
Get the door moving again
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