Garage door close problem - ONLY in cold weather!!

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Honest_Nigerian

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We have a Sears Craftsman garage door opener. Most of the year it works. In cold weather (i.e., below 60 degrees….we are in florida) it won't close properly. If I press the button to close it will start the trip down and after about 3 inches of travel it will make that bucking motion, the lights will flash, and the door will reverse.
We discovered that if the button in the garage is held down the door will close all the way. If the button is not held down the entire time until door closes it will reverse.
This hold-button-until-closed trick won't work with the remote. Only with the hard-wired switch. Like I said, only happens when temp outside is below about 60 degrees. Some winter days we have temperature fluctuations and it will work in the a.m., but not the p.m.; or the other way around. 60 to 65 degrees seems to be the dividing point.
Any ideas?
Of course, I won't be able to test out your suggestions for 6 or 7 months.
Thanks for any help.
 
It's the little light that runs acroos just above the floor from one side to the other. If it is not lined up, the controller thinks there is an obstical and reverses the door.
 
thanks for the suggestion. but that is not the problem. I have used my laser level and checked that. The brackets are firmly attached, etc. Besides, it works in the a.m. somedays, and then it turns cool and won't work in the evening, etc.
Any other ideas.
 
Mine has been occasionally doing this recently. It will go all the way down, stop briefly and then open. I think the problem is the downward force adjustment or possibly the stop location. I need to did into mine soon, of course it mainly does it when you're in a hurry to get somewhere.

So I think Neal's link is spot on. I think Chamberlain makes Craftsman GDOs.
 
@nealtw
that looks like a good resource. thanks
In the course of my diagnostics I disconnected the drive mechanism from the door. Of course, this would remove the weight of the door from the equation. The problem did not go away.
 
Holding the button overrides the auto reverse feature. If it is acting the same without the door attached to the drive I'd check to make sure nothing is binding and also check the door sensors at the bottom of the track.

You say the problem only occurs when it is cool outside, is it temperature or more a time of day issue? If it works in the dark but not during certain times of day it could be your sensor is in direct sunlight when you're trying to close it. If you reverse the two sensors, that is put the right unit on the left and the left on the right it might fix your problem. If the pick up unit is in direct sunlight the sun can override the pickup. Otherwise I'd look at adjusting the down force setting.
 
it is not a time of day issue. And I ruled out the down-force issue.
Only happens a few months of the year when outside temp is about 60 degrees or less. I know about metal being thermal sensitive and moving in the cold but these galvanized steel tracks aren't going to distort in the 40* to 70* range. I mean, even water is the same consistency in that range.

thanks for your suggestions
 
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