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mmiddeke

Sears Craftman Garage Door Opener Problem

mmiddeke
15 years ago

I have a sears Craftsman 1/2HP Garage Door Opener that is 13 yrs. old. It had been working fine. Now when I push the button to close the door (from any of the remote transmitters or wall unit) it starts, but stops immediately (similar to when the sensors are not properly aligned).

I checked the sensors and they appear to work fine. I even by-passed the sensors by disconnecting them from terminal 2 & 3 and putting in a jumper wire. No change.

I adjusted the downward force becasue I thought the garage door may be binding. No change.

I disconnected the garage door from the trolley just in case it was binding. No change.

So, I think i have iosolated the unit itself as the problem, but don't know where to go from here. If you hold the transmit button down on the wall unit the door will go all the way down. It also opens fine when you push the remote or wall unit button.

Any suggestions?

thanks!

Comments (7)

  • don_1_2006
    15 years ago

    Number one you have a sensor problem. Number two you cannot bypass the sensors.

  • zzclg0
    15 years ago

    I am having the same problem right now with my garage door opener. I hit the remote on the wall and it goes down and comes back up immediately. Don 1 2006 says it's a sensor problem. Don't know what I should do? What can I do to fix the sensor problem?

  • profile341
    15 years ago

    Cold weather affects the receive unit of older Craftsman garage door sensors. You've tried tweaking the alignment. You've checked the connections. Everthing is as it was when it worked but now the weather is cold and the garage door won't close. The green light on the receiver is off. You've tried warming the sensor with a hair drier and it miraculously woke up after a few minutes of gentle heat. Well, are you ready to fix this thing or replace it? Let's fix it. Remove the clip on wire and unscrew the sensor from the bracket so you can hold it in your hand. Notice the seam that runs lengthwise along the unit. Using a sturdy blade such as a carpet cutting knife, score the seam several times being careful not to apply too much pressure or cut yourself. Carefully pry the shell into two parts. Be careful not to lose the lens when separating the pieces. Gently lift out the printed circuit board. On this board are two electrolytic capacitors. One is 470uf at 10 volts. The other is 1uf at 50 volts. (Probably only the 470uf part is bad but I replaced both capacitors because I don't like doing the same job twice). Go to Radio Shack or your favorite parts supplier and buy replacements. Solder them in observing the correct polarity. The board has a plus sign near the hole through which the positive side of the capacitor goes through. If you are unsure how to solder the parts in, find the nearest geek on the block and pay him a few bucks to do it for you. Put the two halves back together and use black electrical tape or whatever you've got (no duct tape pleeez!) to hold it together. Plug in the cord and mount it back on the bracket and tilt up and down until the light comes on.
    You are in business again for about 5 bucks worth of parts and a little of your time. Alternatively, you can buy a new set of sensors for about 30 bucks.

    RE: Craftsman Garage door opener
    One last post: I took the old capacitors to work with me and put them on a cap checker. My suspicion was correct. The 1uf capacitor was still good and the 470uf capacitor was bad. So you don't need to replace both unless you really want to. Just replace the 470uf capacitor and your repair cost has now dropped to about 2 bucks worth of a part and your time.
    PS: When you tape the two halves together, run the tape lengthwise along the seam, one piece on the top and and another on the bottom. The mounting screw will keep the halves together. You just want to keep the dust out.

  • tenringx_comcast_net
    13 years ago

    My 1/2 HP opener, the lights have stopped working on it. It is the model with one light on each side of the opener. Model 41A-5483-2B, where can I order a board for it.

  • don_1_2006
    13 years ago

    Don't order a board. Unplug the opener and remove the bulbs. Use a small screwdriver and pry out on the center contact in the light socket. Replace the bulbs and plug the opener in.

  • w_zwarych_sympatico_ca
    12 years ago

    I HAVE REPLACED MY GEAR ASSEMBLY, BUT WITHUIN ONE MONTH THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED,THE GEAR WORE DOWN. SHOULD I REPLACED THE BUSHING THEY SENT WITH THE NEW GEAR.

  • don_1_2006
    12 years ago

    Replace all the parts for your model. Shortcuts will only have you doing the job all over.