How to Adjust a Garage Door to Close Completely

Limit Switches on Rail (Genie)

• 1

  Operate the garage door opener with the wall push button or remote control until the door is fully open. Pull down on the emergency release rope to disengage the carriage from the opener rail. The emergency rope hangs below the carriage slide, and the door arm secures to the slide. This places the door in manual operation.

• 2

  Close the door manually. The bottom of the door should rest on top of the floor with no gap. If the door rises slightly, ask a friend to hold the door down while you adjust the limit switch.

• 3

  Loosen the hex head screw on the “Close” limit switch, using the nut driver. The “Close” limit switch is the piece of rectangular metal over the top of the rail with a white wire.

• 4

  Slide the “Close” limit switch along the rail until the front edge of the limit switch aligns with the back edge of the carriage slide. Tighten the limit switch securing bolt.

• 5

  Flip up the emergency release lever that the rope connects to on the carriage slide. Open the door manually until it engages the opener rail. Operate the door opener until the door closes. Verify that the door is against the floor. If necessary, continue making small adjustments until the bottom of the door rests firmly on the floor.

Limit Screws (Most Openers)

• 6

  Set a stepladder underneath the door opener head and look for the limit adjustment screws. Most openers have up and down limits and up and down force adjustment screws. The limit screws are usually on the side or rear of the opener head.

• 7

  Turn the “Close” or “Down” limit screw one-quarter turn with the flat-head screwdriver. Each full turn of the screw amounts to 2 inches of door travel.

• 8

  Operate the door opener with a remote or the wall push button. Allow the door to cycle through an open and close process. Check the bottom of the door to ensure it rests on the floor. If the door reverses once it hits the floor, turn the limit screw clockwise slightly.

• 9

  Continue making adjustments to the down limit until the door rest firmly on the floor.