Genie not working? Call now and tell us what the door is doing.
✆ Call 845-535-1141Genie openers are built differently from most others, and their faults show up differently. Many use a screw drive instead of a chain or belt, and their safety sensors use their own colours. This page covers what is specific to Genie. For symptoms common to every brand, see garage door opener repair, or call 845-535-1141.
Genie Safe-T-Beam Sensor Lights
Genie calls its safety sensors Safe-T-Beam. One has a red light and the other a green light.
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Red and green both steady | Sensors are aligned and working | Look elsewhere for the fault |
| Red blinking, green steady | The beam is blocked or the sensors are out of line | Clear the doorway, clean the lenses, straighten the brackets |
| One light off | That sensor has no power: loose or broken wire | Check the wire at the sensor; if it looks sound, call |
| Both lights off | No power to the sensors, or a fault at the motor unit | Check the opener has power; then call |
With the sensors blocked or faulty, a Genie will normally close only while you hold the wall button down. That is a way to secure the house, not a fix.
Screw-Drive Problems
On a screw-drive Genie, a long threaded rod turns inside the rail and a carriage rides along it. It has few moving parts, but it is sensitive to two things:
- Lubrication. A dry screw grinds, slows in cold weather and wears the carriage. It needs the low-temperature lubricant made for screw drives; ordinary grease stiffens in winter and makes it worse.
- Carriage wear. When the carriage's internal threads wear out, the motor and screw turn but the door stays put, or the door moves in jerks. The carriage is replaceable.
A coupler joins the motor to the screw. If the motor runs and the screw does not turn at all, the coupler has failed, usually because the door was too heavy for the opener to move.
Safe Checks on a Genie
- Vacation lock. Genie wall consoles have a lock switch (often labelled Sure-Lock or with a padlock symbol). When it is on, remotes do nothing. Slide or press it off.
- Lights on the motor unit. Newer Genie units flash their LEDs in patterns when there is a fault. Note the colours and pattern before you call.
- Remote range. Some LED bulbs interfere with the receiver. Try with the opener's bulbs removed.
- Aladdin Connect offline. As with other brands, the opener needs a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi signal that reaches the garage.
Leave the travel and force programming alone. On a Genie these are set with buttons on the motor unit, and a wrong setting stops the safety reverse working.
Common Genie Repairs
- Carriage and coupler replacement on screw-drive units.
- Cleaning and correct lubrication of the screw and rail.
- Safe-T-Beam sensors and wiring.
- Circuit boards, capacitors and limit systems.
- Belt and chain repairs on belt-drive and chain-drive Genie models.
- Remotes, keypads, wall consoles and Aladdin Connect setup.
Repair or Replace?
Recent Genie units are well worth repairing. Some older screw-drive models have parts that are getting hard to find, and units made before safety sensors were required should be replaced. See garage door opener installation for the options.
Related Pages
- Garage door opener repair: symptoms for every brand
- LiftMaster opener repair • Chamberlain opener repair
- Why is my garage door making noise?
- Garage door repair
Frequently Asked Questions
Where and When We Work
We are open Sunday to Thursday 7 AM to 11 PM, and Friday 7 AM to 1 PM (closed Saturday). In Rockland County that includes Monsey, Spring Valley, Suffern, New City, Nanuet and the surrounding communities, and we also serve Orange, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster and Sullivan counties. Call 845-535-1141 to confirm availability for your address.