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Garage door opener · Repair Copilot

Garage door sensor blinking

A blinking garage-door safety sensor (or the opener light flashing) means the two photo-eyes near the floor can't see each other — misaligned, dirty, or a wire knocked loose — so the opener refuses to close on purpose. It's a safe, five-minute fix. Show SightLine the sensors and a friendly handyman persona walks you through realigning them, well clear of the springs.

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Steps to fix garage door sensor blinking

  1. Find the two small sensors mounted near the floor on each side of the door — a blinking light on one means the beam is broken or misaligned.
  2. Clear the beam path: remove anything between them (trash can, leaves, cobwebs) and wipe each lens clean of dust and spider silk.
  3. Gently nudge one sensor until both show a STEADY (not blinking) light — that means they're aimed at each other and 'seeing' each other; tighten the wing nut so they hold position.
  4. If a light is completely OFF, check the sensor wires at the sensor and up at the opener for a staple pinch, a loose terminal, or reversed wires.
  5. The opener light flashing a set number of times is a code — many openers blink to signal a sensor fault; a quick manual check tells you which sensor.
  6. If the sensors are clean, aligned, wired, and both steady but it still won't close, the sensors or logic board may be failing — an opener-repair call. Never touch the torsion spring or lift cables at any point.

Safety first: if a step calls for gas, a main water or sewer line, a service panel or main breaker, or a sealed refrigerant system, stop and call a licensed pro — Repair Copilot will tell you when you're there.