Why does my garage door opener run but the door doesn't move?

Start with the connection

When the opener hums or runs but the door does not move, the problem is nearly always that the motor is no longer pulling the door. That happens when the door has been disconnected on purpose, with the red emergency release, or when the link between the trolley and the door has come loose. The motor is working. The door just is not attached to it.

This guide helps you tell which case you have, in order, from easiest to check to least safe to touch. You are not going to open the opener or touch wiring.

Check the release first

Look at the red cord that hangs from the trolley on the opener's rail. If it has been pulled, or the handle is in the released position, the opener is detached and will run without moving the door. Someone in the house often pulls it by accident, or after a power cut, and forgets.

The rule for using it is simple. The CPSC's own check tells you to make sure the door is closed, then pull the “quick release” mechanism to detach the garage door from the opener.^[1] Do not pull it with the door open. If the door is up and a spring is weak, it can come down.

To reconnect, follow the diagram in your opener's manual. Release styles differ by brand and model, so the manual is the right guide, not a general rule.

See what the trolley does

Press the wall button and watch the rail. If the trolley moves back and forth along the rail but the door stays still, the door is disconnected from the trolley. If the trolley does not move at all, the motor, gears or drive may have failed. That is a job for a technician, not something to open up at home.

Test the door by hand

Before you reconnect anything, find out whether the door is fit to be moved by an opener. With the door closed and the opener detached, use the garage door handle to manually move the door up and down to check that the springs are operating properly.^[1]

A properly operating garage door will be "balanced."^[1] This means that the door will stay in place when stopped in any partially‐open position.^[1] A door that is fine glides up with moderate effort and stays where you leave it. A door that is very heavy, drops, or sticks has a problem that the opener was masking.

The danger is real. A severely unbalanced garage door could unexpectedly crash to the floor possibly striking someone under the open door.^[1] LiftMaster's monthly list says the same thing in fewer words: manually operate the door, and if it is unbalanced or binding, call a trained door systems technician.^[2]

Look for the obvious

If the door moves easily by hand, look over what you can see without touching the springs, cables or bottom brackets. The CPSC tells owners to check the springs, hardware and fittings,^[1] and says hardware and fittings should be checked to keep the door on track at all times.^[1] A door that has jumped its track, a hinge that is bent, or a loose arm between the trolley and the door can all stop the door from following the trolley.

Do not grease the tracks to free a door. LiftMaster's maintenance list says: "Do not grease the doors tracks."^[2]

Test it after you reconnect

Once the door follows the opener again, run it through a full open and close. Then confirm that the safety reversal still works: LiftMaster's monthly list includes the line "Test the safety reversal system."^[2] The CPSC's 2x4 test is described in how to align garage door safety sensors. The door must reverse when it meets the board.

Stop and call a pro if

• The door is heavy, drops or sticks when you lift it by hand. If doors are not "balanced," or if they bind or stick, they should be serviced by a professional.^[1] Springs and cables are under high tension and are not a homeowner repair.
• The trolley does not move when you press the button. The fault is inside the opener: the motor, gear, circuit board or power supply. Leave that to a technician.
• The door is off its track or a cable has come loose. Read what to do if a garage door comes off its track and keep clear of it.
• You see broken plastic, stripped metal bits or a burning smell in or under the opener.
• The door will not reverse on the 2x4 test. The CPSC says the opener should be disengaged until it is adjusted, repaired or replaced.^[1]

Getting help in Virginia

For other opener faults, read why a garage door opener only works sometimes, or work out whether to repair or replace an opener. More guides are in garage door repair answers, and you can find local pros at Loclis garage door repair.

If you hire, remember the licence rule. DPOR says that if the work you are considering is valued at $1,000 or more, a valid Virginia Contractor’s License is required for the license category in which the contractor is to work.^[3] Smaller service calls are common for openers, but ask for the business's licence number anyway.

When you are ready, describe the opener problem and local garage door pros will quote the repair. Ask what the quote covers, such as parts, labour and a reversal test.