Garage Door Safety Sensor Repair
Those two little eyes near the floor of your door tracks are the safety sensors — and when they're dirty, bumped, or wired wrong, the door refuses to close or reverses the moment it starts down. It's one of the most common 'broken door' calls we get, and often one of the cheapest to fix.
Straightforward pricing
From the $85 service call
Alignment and minor fixes are often covered by the service call itself. If parts are needed, you'll get an exact quote first.
Signs you need this
- Door starts closing, then immediately reverses
- Door won't close at all from the remote (but closes if you hold the wall button)
- Opener light flashes when you try to close
- Sensor light is off, dim, or blinking on one side
How we handle it
- Clean and align both sensors and verify the indicator lights
- Check wiring from sensors to the opener
- Replace sensors if cracked, sun-damaged, or failed
- Test the full safety reversal so the door stops for obstructions
Common questions
Why does my door only close if I hold the wall button?
That's the opener's bypass mode — it's telling you the safety sensors aren't talking to each other. Usually it's alignment or a blocked lens, sometimes wiring.
Can direct sunlight affect the sensors?
Yes — low sun shining straight into one sensor can blind it, which is common on west-facing garages in the afternoon. There are simple fixes, from sun shields to swapping sensor sides.
How do I know if my sensors are the problem?
Look at the little lights on each sensor near the floor. Both solid: sensors are probably fine. One off, dim, or blinking: that's your culprit — misalignment, a dirty lens, or a wiring issue. The opener light flashing when you try to close is the same message.
Can I just bypass the safety sensors?
Holding the wall button will close the door, but as a permanent 'fix' — no. The sensors are what stop the door from closing on a kid, a pet, or your car bumper, and they've been federally required on openers since 1993. The real fix is usually cheap; do that instead.
Need sensor repair? Let's get it done.
Same-day service in most of Ventura County. Upfront pricing, honest diagnosis, no overselling — that's the whole deal.