Python 2 will Open but Not Close

[DavidJ]

I have a Python 2 garage door opener. The door will not close using either the remote or wall control. The door will open back up after traveling a short distance.
Holding the control button does not force the door to close. It bucks after a short distance and goes back to the open position.

I am not sure what else in order to repair the door closing. Here is what I have found out:

1. The door opens without an issue whether via the remote or wall control.
2. When the door closes, the sensor lights DO NOT blink or indicate that the door is not closing due to the sensors detecting an obstruction. (The sensors appear to be functioning as expected in terms of their lights not indicating any problems at any time.)
3. I replaced the door close control and wires.
4. I replaced the logic board.
5. I reset the location of the door open and door close stops.
6. The door's balance seems fine based on how it closed in the manual mode from a short height.
7. There do not appear to be anything on the tracks that would cause a problem, and the door opens normally.
8. The force close setting has been adjusted even to its highest setting without

I would certainly appreciate any ideas on what else to try.

Thanks.

[TJR]

Will the opener go to close position without the door connected?
When you test the door for balance, is there any where it would like to "take off" by itself?
How fare does it go down before it reverse? Same place or different?
It is a Genie/OverHead product and if it is the safety sensor out of adjustment for a second, it is hard to see.
Is there any sag in your door? As it drops in on the center as it come up. If so, look for cracks in you door.

[DavidJ]

Answers to Questions and "New" Information

Thanks for the reply. I have answered your questions, and I have another piece of information.

Will the opener go to close position without the door connected? Yes.

When you test the door for balance, is there any where it would like to "take off" by itself? That does not seem to be the case.

How far does it go down before it reverse? Same place or different? It does not go down far at all maybe a foot, and yes it is about the same place each time.

It is a Genie/OverHead product and if it is the safety sensor out of adjustment for a second, it is hard to see. I have adjusted the sensors numerous times; it does not seem to be the issue.

Is there any sag in your door? No.

As it drops in on the center as it come up. If so, look for cracks in you door. There do not seem to be any cracks.

*************

The "new" piece of information is that when the door is attached and the button is pushed to close the door, loud popping sounds come apparently from the unit. I would imagine that there is some issue there although no such popping sound occurs when the door is opened.

Any suggestions on what that might mean or what else I should check is appreciated. Thanks.

[TJR]

Not sure what more to look for unless it's some inside the motor head. Look and see if the bottom section digs into hitting the frame as you closing the door where you say it reverse.

[DavidJ]

I opened up the gear section to check on the popping sounds. On this type there is drive gear that is horizontal and is driven by a worm gear from the motor. The teeth on the drive gear appear to be fine, and the threads on the worm gear appear to be fine. At the bottom of the drive gear cover I found two metal pieces which fit together and seem like a part of something else. I removed them and put everything back together. However the symptoms are the same. However, I figure that the broken pieces must be at least part of the problem. I have no idea what they are , but I have attached a picture of the two pieces. The only other clue was that there were two washers on the worm gear between the gear and the motor, and I thought it was odd that they seemed to just "float" freely between the worm gear and the motor. The pieces could have come off of the worm gear's rod and slipped into the case that sits under the main gear. Perhaps they are broken from the glide bushing for the worm gear.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[TJR]

Not sure where it goes, but it is missing somewhere to keep things in place and it don't show as a part number in the manual. So you will have a hard time to find that piece.

[San Jose Garage Experts]

That's interesting. Thanks for sharing!

[NickP]

That's interesting. Thanks for sharing!

There is a plastic channel that the chain threads through when extending and retracting. It might be cracked and causing the chain to bind when extending "under load". That's my guess, so long as the circuit board and the gear ate definitely good. One thing additional. The Genie operators of this style (legacy python etc) the gear can have hairline splits in them that are not obvious. I have pulled a few that looked OK until I pulled it out and inspected them very closely. Best of luck!

[DavidJ]

Not sure where it goes, but it is missing somewhere to keep things in place and it don't show as a part number in the manual. So you will have a hard time to find that piece.

The part that was broken which was broken turned out to be the bushing for the worm gear (I think it is listed as the motor shaft bushing). I have replaced it, and I added some lubricant. Now without the door attached, the chain will only go a few inches either down or up. Previously, without the door attached, it would run its entire course both down and up.

Any thoughts on what that might be?

My only thought now is to replace the drive gear with the possibility that it has a small crack and possibly try the circuit board replacement again. What about the capacitor? Could that be an issue?

I am persistent on this because I do not believe I need a new opener.

[NickP]

The part that was broken which was broken turned out to be the bushing for the worm gear (I think it is listed as the motor shaft bushing). I have replaced it, and I added some lubricant. Now without the door attached, the chain will only go a few inches either down or up. Previously, without the door attached, it would run its entire course both down and up.

Any thoughts on what that might be?

My only thought now is to replace the drive gear with the possibility that it has a small crack and possibly try the circuit board replacement again. What about the capacitor? Could that be an issue?

I am persistent on this because I do not believe I need a new opener.

If the capacitor were bad, the motor would not run. It would hum for a second and stop. So far as circuit board re-replacement goes, unless you are getting an exchange for the one you already changed, I wouldn't bother. Especially if you plan on changing the gear too. You can go buy a 1/2 HP Chamberlain at Lowes, home depot, menatds etc for $150 - 200 and everything would be new. Plus, you get security 2.0+ and MyQ in case you want the smartphone comparability. It's just my $.02. BUT, your symptoms sound like a faulty board. That is, assuming the door is balanced when disengaged from the operator.

[DavidJ]

Closing Out this Thread

If the capacitor were bad, the motor would not run. It would hum for a second and stop. So far as circuit board re-replacement goes, unless you are getting an exchange for the one you already changed, I wouldn't bother. Especially if you plan on changing the gear too. You can go buy a 1/2 HP Chamberlain at Lowes, home depot, menatds etc for $150 - 200 and everything would be new. Plus, you get security 2.0+ and MyQ in case you want the smartphone comparability. It's just my $.02. BUT, your symptoms sound like a faulty board. That is, assuming the door is balanced when disengaged from the operator.

Thanks again for the advice. I can close out this thread because I took your advice and simply replaced the garage door opener. I was able to get a good price on a basic unit that meets our needs. Given that it was only about $60 more than a new board, it made sense. I certainly had already put in far more than $60 my time on the old opener. Also, I was able to use the old wiring for the wall unit and the sensors which made the installation that much easier. My lesson to myself after this experience for any DIY repair like this is to check the replacement cost before putting in too much time trying to fix anything, especially an older unit.