Garage door will only open a foot

Hello, 

I am new here and hope you all can help me. I have an old Sears garage door opener that is only opening the door around a foot or so. When I went to take the dogs for a walk this morning the door opened fine with the wall remote but when I tried to close it with the mobile remote it would not close. The light would just blink on the unit. I went inside and tried closing the door with the wall remote and the only way it would close is if I held on to the button. The floor sensors are aligned so I am not sure what might be going on.

I would appreciate any help I can get.

Thanks

Glenn

Hi Glenn welcome to the forum.

It sounds like you may have more than one issue. As far as the door opening have you tried pulling the red emergency cord (while the door is closed) and then try lifting it manually? The door springs may need adjusted (or even be broke) causing the opener to feel resistance & not opening the door. If the door opens easily manually then there could be an issue with the gear assembly inside the opener being worn or broke. They usually last 10-12 years before wearing out. You can inspect the gear by taking the cover off of the operator.

As far as the door closing it's definitely an issue with the sensors. If you have to hold your finger on the wall button then that is an indication that there's a sensor problem. Clean off both sensors with a cloth, double check their alignment and make sure both are lit.

Hope this helps.