Posted: 4/6/2026 11:17:40 PM EDT
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This opener is the older of the two that we have, in the house we bought about 3-1/2 years ago. A Genie IS550/A screw drive. It was working fine until a week ago. I used the wall switch to open it; it went about halfway and stopped. Wall switch again and it closed. Wall switch a third time and it fully opened. I checked the optical sensors and cleaned off some cobwebs, in case that was the issue. Used the remote to close it, and it closed normally. didn't use it the rest of the week. Today, used the wall switch; it opened about halfway and then reversed and closed. Did the same thing at least two more times, and then it opened fully. Used the remote to close and it went halfway and stopped. Had to toggle the remote a couple of times to get it to fully close. When I got home, used the remote and it only opened halfway and stopped. All of this time I'm thinking a physical overtravel switch in the drive track may be the culprit. So I got a ladder and removed the light cover to see where that switch was and where it connected. The screwed wiring connections didn't look too great, bringing up the possibility of maybe one being shorted across to another. So I redid all the screw connections. This included the connections to the optical sensors as well. Went to the wall switch; the door went about a foot down, then reversed back to its original position, half-closed. Tried the remote and got the same behavior. Disconnected the drive manually and closed the door by hand. Looked at a manual online and there are some open and close screw-type limit switches in the main drive case, which I did not adjust. Any ideas? |
| Mine has done that a few times over the years. I would reset the opener and reestablish the close points, seemed to help. One day the opener bracket ripped off the door and I had to bandage and splint the stiffening rib to reattach. Door would make a racket sometimes opening and closing. Finally last week the spring broke and door crashed down, luckily it was most of the way down. Door guy came and replaced the spring. While trying to push it back up by hand, something kept catching the door. They finally found a nail that had backed out of the wood frame enough the rollers were hitting it. So looking back, I think that nail was the original culprit. All this in the 5.5 years we've been in this house. |
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Originally Posted By seek2: The doors usually have a current limit sensor that stops them if it takes too much force. I'd check the door with the manual movement and see if it needs to be lubed/adjusted. This, make sure it moves properly by hand before messing with any limits on the opener. |
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OP here. Thanks for the replies. I try to keep the rollers and pins lubed with garage door lube that I got at Lowe's. The springs and pulleys on either side look okay, but I'll re-check. I'll check manual operation when I get home. If that checks out, I think I'll disconnect the optical sensors and test, to see if they are at fault. |
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Originally Posted By Glynn863: Looked at a manual online and there are some open and close screw-type limit switches in the main drive case, which I did not adjust. The gears on mine were apparently pretty standard, kits of replacement gears were around $25 on amazon. |
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Originally Posted By Morgan321: Have two like this, one started acting similar to what you describe. The plastic gear that turned the limit switch screw shaft were worn and allowed teeth to randomly skip, so the up or down position switch would get activated mid-travel. The gears on mine were apparently pretty standard, kits of replacement gears were around $25 on amazon. Ya, could be the gears. The gears in our Chamberlin chain drive lasted 10 years. Replaced them for $12 or so back then. I lubricated them with white lithium grease heavily, and they lasted another 20 years. Still were working when we replaced the whole unit with a Genie jackshaft model. It's so quiet now that you can stand in the garage and not know the door is opening. |
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OP here. Got home and checked the tracks, pulleys, springs, cables, and manually worked the door full open and full close. Didn't notice any binding / funny noises. Then I got on a stepladder and looked at all the wiring to and from the optical sensors, checking and moving a couple that were close to the tracks. I didn't notice any breaks in insulation anywhere. Then I noticed then the end of the drive track (the door end) was almost off the wall, because it was suspended by a few threads of a bolt passing through a bracket, and had no nut on it. So, I got a nut from the nut & bolt drawer on my workbench and tightened it down. Tried the door using the remote. Same as before, a few inches in one direction, and then a reverse. Didn't matter if it was full open or full close, or in-between. So I removed the cover over the motor and circuit boards, which was a little adventure, since the supporting straps wrapped around it. Finally got it loose and visually inspected what I could, using a light. The screw drive on this opener is not a typical 90 degree worm and pinion screw drive. The drive screw is axially mounted within and integral with the motor, and extends to the outer wall, and the door disconnect assembly is threaded and acts as a shuttle along the drive screw. I was able to turn the motor shaft and screw manually, without any binding or funny noises. Hmm. Then I was about to put the motor cover on and noticed this: Attached File A soot smudge inside. I touched it with my finger to see if any plastic was melted, but it doesn't look like it. I looked at the circuit board on the corresponding side, and noticed a slight discoloration on it, but not what I would call a burn. The opposite side didn't have any components that the marks seemed to be attached to. So now I don't know if I'm fooked or not. The date code on the motor housing seems to be around mid-October 2003. |
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One of my openers was doing similar a while back. Repair details here. I would say you need to open it up to see what component(s) need to be replaced. |
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OP here. Looked at Genie's website for a manual. Found a webpage, that had a manual, parts list, and a few other things. Also had a chat function. They advised to adjust the open and close forces, which I'll do when I get home. I think the issue might be a bad sequencer board, so I'll reconnect with the chat later. Update: I adjusted the open and close force pots, but only got one good cycle of open / close until the start / stop issues resumed last night. Online chat is worthless, at least today. I called the "Help' line, but they won't talk with me regarding any diagnosis unless I'm physically there in the garage. |
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Still working on this OP? Personally, I'd probably replace it, but I am negatively biased against Genie screw drive operators in particular. When adjustments to the force limits are needed, it's usually a sign that mechanical wear and tear has accumulated to the point of failure (this is a universal rule irregardless of brand and model operator). Even if the adjustment works, it usually just allows the motor to run to the point of mechanical failure vs. fixing the issue. It's basically a band-aid to allow you time to replace. The one thing you might try, and I'm hesitant that it will work in this case, is to clean the screw. Cover the floor with cardboard, tarp, etc. under the rail. Get a can of brake/parts cleaner. Use the straw and hose the piss out of the rail around the screw, down the entire length of the rail. If you have an old toothbrush, use it to help scrub while flushing the oil, grease, and crud out from around the screw. Disconnect the door arm from the traveler, and re-engage the traveler to the screw. Try running the operator and see if the traveler works and stops at the limits. If it does, use some light oil or your garage door lube and squirt it in ahead of the traveler while it is moving. Wipe off excess with a rag. If everything is good, reattach the door and see if it works. Usually this symptom develops in the late fall or winter, the oil/grease.dirt build up thickens with the cold and creates excessive force. |
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OP here. I haven't used it much lately, but the open function seems to work okay. But the close function still stops about halfway and reverses. I just keep pushing the wall button until it finally gets all the way down. I am going to play with the down force adjustment a little more. I will probably replace it maybe later this year, with a belt drive model identical to the one on the other garage door. |