CMC Door ServiceGarage Doors & Gates
Call now (786) 315-9238 Free Estimate
Troubleshooting

Garage door won't open

Usually a broken torsion spring, and the tell is a loud bang and a door that feels enormously heavy. What to check safely, and what never to touch.

Call (786) 315-9238 Get a free estimate
If the door is stuck open, your home is unsecured. Call (786) 315-9238 for same-day service.
Diagnosis

What's actually causing it

Work down the list. The tells are what separate one cause from another.

Inside a garage looking up at the opener: the motor unit on the ceiling, the rail running to the wall, the trolley arm connected to the top of the door, and the horizontal track
The opener, the rail and the arm that connects the trolley to the top of the door. If someone has pulled the red emergency release, the motor runs but the door stays put because that arm is disconnected.

Broken torsion spring

Technician job
How you know
A loud bang from the garage earlier. The opener strains or does nothing. Lifted by hand the door feels impossibly heavy. There is a visible gap in the coiled spring above the door.
The fix
Spring replacement. Always both springs, always by a technician.

Snapped or unwound cable

Technician job
How you know
The door sits crooked, one side higher than the other, or a cable hangs loose beside the track.
The fix
Cable replacement, usually as a pair.

Emergency release has been pulled

You can check this
How you know
The opener motor runs and the trolley moves, but the door stays put. Someone pulled the red cord.
The fix
Re-engage the trolley: close the door fully, pull the cord toward the door, then run the opener once.

No power to the opener

You can check this
How you know
No lights on the motor unit at all. Check the breaker and that the unit is plugged in.
The fix
Reset the breaker or plug it back in.

Stripped opener drive gear

Technician job
How you know
The motor hums or runs but nothing moves, and you can hear it spinning freely. Often plastic shavings on the floor below.
The fix
Gear kit replacement, or a new opener if the unit is old.

Door is bolted or locked

You can check this
How you know
Manual slide locks on the track are engaged. Common on doors that sat unused.
The fix
Disengage the locks.
Before you call

Safe things to check yourself

Any of these could save you a service call, and none of them will hurt you or the door.

  1. Is the opener plugged in, and has the breaker tripped?
  2. Has the red emergency release cord been pulled? If the motor runs but the door doesn't move, that's your answer.
  3. Are the manual slide locks on the track engaged?
  4. Try the wall button as well as the remote. If the wall button works, it's a remote battery.
  5. Look at the spring above the door. A finger-width gap in the coil means it has snapped. Stop there and call us.
Close-up of a garage door torsion spring and cable drum during a CMC repair
When we come out

What a service call looks like

We diagnose on site, tell you what failed and why, and give you a written price before touching anything. If it turns out to be something you could have fixed in five minutes, we will say so.

Our trucks carry springs, cables, rollers, hinges and common opener parts, so most repairs finish in a single visit rather than needing a return trip.

Call (786) 315-9238 See typical costs
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Why won't my garage door open but the motor runs?

The trolley has almost certainly been disconnected from the door, usually because someone pulled the red emergency release cord. Close the door fully, pull the cord back toward the door until it clicks, then run the opener once to re-engage. If the motor runs and you hear it spinning freely with plastic debris below, the drive gear has stripped instead.

How do I know if my garage door spring is broken?

Three tells: you heard a loud bang, the door feels enormously heavy if you try to lift it by hand, and there is a visible gap of an inch or so in the coiled spring above the door. Any one of those is enough to stop using the door.

Can I open my garage door manually if the spring is broken?

You should not. Without the spring the door is carrying its full weight, 150 to 400 pounds, with nothing counterbalancing it. It can drop. Leave it where it is and keep people and vehicles clear.

How quickly can you get to a door that won't open?

We aim for same-day service across Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe County, seven days a week from 8am to 6pm. Call (786) 315-9238 for availability today.

What does it cost to fix a garage door that won't open?

It depends on the cause. From our published Miami cost guide: springs run $350 to $600 on a single-car door and $750 to $1,200 on a double-car door, cable repair $200 to $300, opener repair $200 to $350. You get an upfront price before work starts and the estimate is free.

Related repairs

Our work

Jobs like this one

Our own work across Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe County. No stock images.

Torsion spring and shaft above a garage door
Garage door opener rail and trolley during an installation
A CMC technician's equipment during a garage door repair
Range

Models and collections we install

The doors, finishes and hardware we fit across South Florida.

A nylon roller and hinge seated in a garage door track
Close-up of a reinforcement strut, hinge and roller bracket on a sectional garage door
What the work involves

How the job is actually done

What a proper installation and service visit actually involves, step by step.

Technician working on the rail and trolley of a ceiling mounted garage door opener

Want it looked at today?

Same-day service across Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe County, seven days a week. Free estimates, upfront pricing.

Call (786) 315-9238 Free Estimate
Call Now Free Estimate