If you have only two wires to the pushbutton (i.e., you only have the door button, no provision for turning the light, etc...), the button is just a button. Doesn't matter what wire goes to which terminals.

If I recall properly, most of the openers use a small DC voltage (9V) or so.

If you take the wires from the opener that would connect to the button, try touching them together briefly (the bare parts). It should operate the door. If so, you do need a new button.

Next test is get a ladder and go up to the opener itself, use a short piece of wire or something to momentarily connect the two screws the button wires go to. If it works the door, then you've got a problem in the wiring between the two places.

It's possible the button fails (they just get internally tarnished over the years) or the wire breaks (vibration probably near the owner end itself).

thanks for your reply. I did both the two wire touching for the button and the garage opener.... None of them works. I guess it's beyond my ability to try to fix the wiring problem. Now..just use the remote then.. Thanks again

One cheap solution is to get a wireless button (they make these either with just a button (for interior use) or with a combination keypad (for mourning exterior, though you can put it interior). The opener just thinks it's another remote in your car. The one I have (Chamberlain/Liftmaster) even has an option to allow you to CLOSE the door with a single button press (though you do need the code to open the door obviously).

My new Chamberlain's wall unit only uses the wire to get power DC power. It actually communicates with the opener wirelessly.

good suggestions. Thanks