Hoping you could help me solve problem I am having with Genie 1/2 HP Screw Drive. Looks just like this one inside. Will go up by remote and wired control inside garage. However remote would not lower door, but could open it. I had sensors with blinking red light no matter how I positioned and thought it was as simple as replacing sensors which I did with new ones. New Sensors installed and sensor light on transmitter solid red (as should be) and receiver (solid green). If I put foot in the way sensor red light blinks. So it is registering obstacles. However it still is behaving exactly the same. I confirmed both limit switches working. I adjusted down limit switch to make sure it enganged before door hits ground to double check. I then disengaged screw drive with cord to see if it is motor is stopping due to force required (although I would expect this more on raises door) and same problem door will go up by remote but will not go down. In all examples pre sensor post sensor fix using remote the door does not even begin to go down. The remote uses a single button for up and down and since the remote works for up I know the remote works (sends a signal) and the genie head unit receiver gets the signal. If I use the house wired control I can hold button down to override safety to make door go down. If I just press it and let go it the garage door goes down a bit and then backup. Noted above with remote to close door and door does not even budge, but lights on head unit turn on. I have also removed the lights bulbs even though they are not LED, which I have read can interfer with signal, and issue persists. I am stumped. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike
I would lean towards circuit board. take the case off and tap on the three relays on the board. maybe flick em with your finger and see if the machine starts to activate.
Although I like his technical tear-down videos, my favorite video of his is the one-piece wood tilt garage door build (built from scratch) project! He did an awesome job duplicating the original design and install of the worn out door!
I replaced the leaking capacitor on my Genie Pro 88 thinking it would fix the problem I have where the door starts but stops immediately. That didn't fix it. Turns out the capacitor had begun leaking onto the circuit board and was shorting it out. After cleaning the goop off of the contacts on the board, my 29 yr old opener is still running strong. Thanks for posting these videos.
Wow, I think this is the only place on earth where such detailed information exists for this antique piece. Well done! I have the same model in one of my garages that serves as my workshop. The safety sensors were never installed by previous owner, so I just hold down the wall button to close it. Lately, I got hold of a set of Genie Safe-T-Beam sensors and wired them up. Unfortunately, I still have to hold the button to close it. I tested a few things and eventually found that terminal 3 and 4 shows voltage drop from 18v to 4v as soon as I made the connection with the sensors, and the red/green LEDs are barely lit. So, I guess the control board has bad component?
Thanks for the tips with the connector cleaning. I bought a (new in box) 2007 Genie Directlift Plus screwdrive opener on Craigslist (was originally sold exclusively at Lowe's only) and the connectors on the board plugs seem to be tarnished after sitting for 17 years in the original box and it is not activating. Im going to do an install video soon as this was the very last model of the old-school genie screwdrive openers made. It also has a really cool futuristic housing and lens cover which I've never seen before. There's not one video of this unit anywhere on the web (that I can find) so I'm excited to share with the public soon. Love your videos man and thanks for all the great tips!
what a joy to watch someone who knows and loves what he is doing, makes for a great diagnostician & entertaining education! Thank you! As a reward, got a question for you :) Have a Blue Max looks just like the one in the video (can't find a serial #, but build in '92)... anyway, the drive runs to close, but will not reverse. Have checked continuity on the rail limit switches. Attempting to operate, can hear solenoids click, but motor only will rotate one way... whad'y think?
That's a tough one since you already know that the up limit isn't stuck I would take the case off and with the handle of a small screwdriver tap on the three square relays on the circuit board and see if by knocking some of the carbon off of the relays inside it will free u a stuck up cycle relay and go up... if not then i'd follow the up limit wires into the wiring harness and pull the wires out inspect them then put em back, it's gotta be in the relay or limit switch.
Thank you for this series of videos. I replaced both the capacitor and transformer on my unit. And had previously replaced the logic board. Now, the door will go up, but not down. It appears that the screw drive will only run in one direction. The system does NOT have eye sensors, and I believe both limit switches are working. What else could cause this / should I test?
Update on the Genie Blue max fix. Got the mother board from E-bay. Plugged it in and it did the same as the old board---rats. Then put a trickle voltage with a flashlight battery and a voltmeter on the other end with all the wires off the sensors. Found one from the mother board to the sensor that wouldn't carry the juice. Tweaked the wire the full length and found a small break in that wire. Wire nutted the break back together, Hard soldered the connectors that plug into each sensor and stood nervously by the door switch. Dang if it didn't work just like new. The landfill will have to wait a few more years. Thank you again for all your help and suggestions --- in the end, it turned out to be just a wire break. I told my wife that I was on call again for the next thing that should go out any day now. Have a good one.
Great Video. I have had this one for 21 years and just now showing signs of breakdown. Fantastic in detail views and descriptions. Thanks! I started watching #1 then #2 then this one. Thanks again.
Great videos, I appreciate you staying on task and moving along while still taking enough time to be clear. I have a similar Genie, I think it's even older. It's a screw drive. Red case. Can't find a model number on it anywhere, though there is a tag on the bar that says SD5050. Aside from minor details it appears to have the same components. I'm having a problem with it. A few weeks ago it started to occasionally hum for a few seconds rather than turn, then shut off. Sometimes with the door down, sometimes up. Usually repeatedly hitting the clicker would get it to go, then it would work fine for a few days, but suddenly it's gotten worse. Now 1 in 3 times or so, it refused to go. Hums for a second, shuts off. If I turn the screw by hand, it starts working. Capacitor looks okay, no swelling, no leaking. Aside from a little dust, everything is clean inside the case, no burnt smells, no apparent wire issues. If I disconnect the door, seems to make no difference so I don't think it is load related. I'm considering pulling the motor apart to see if the armature is grimey and sticking, or if the bearings have run dry and are binding. Seems you've fixed a million of these, so it may be something obvious to you from the symptoms I've described. Any suggestions about where I should look for my problem? Thanks!
After reading the symptoms my first thoughts were capacitor but if it looks ok then I'd lean toward the armature. Strip it down and look for flat spots and clean it up. Capacitors "almost" always show signs of fatigue with corrosion or liquid leaking or something.
Blue maxes are very simple machines...(I wish I could say the same for this google+ thing) ...the Blue max series of video's pretty much covers everything that could be wrong. start by running the machine without it connected to the door and see if it does the same thing. Then move on to tightening the clutch or even roughing up the clutch pad first.
Thanks for posting these! I've got a Genie Blue that I believe needs the clutch scuffed up. I'd have been lost without your videos! You're a great teacher!
At that point you have nothing to lose...start taking it apart. A lot of times the armature can be cleaned and put back but don't miss anything simple, look it all over as you take it apart ck for cracks in the end bell, crusty starting capacitor missing front E-clip etc...etc.
Great video!! Do you have access to the cork/fiber?? clutch disk? I cleaned it, scuffed it, had to turn adjustment all the way in, barely grabbing now.
So garage stopped working found ur videos very helpfully, I changed the capacitor it was blown but now the garage moves very slowly and it's stop half way doesn't fully open or closes. Thanks
Thanks for the great videos. As you mentioned as a common issue, the e-clip on the rail side had cracked in half on my Blue Max. I was able to get a e-clip variety pack at Harbor Freights for $8 which had the size I needed. It took some time to figure out but would have probably called the repairman if it wasn't for your videos. Thanks a lot!
+Virginia Klapwijk Not sure of the size but you will have to separate the rail slightly from the motorhead so you can push an e-clip up into the notch in the rail. which means you will have to take the components of the clutch apart in the rear of the machine. As Shooting Kites said the e-clips are avail in a multipack for 8 bucks at harbor freight, the e-clip in the rear is the same as the one up front, take the rear one off and you can size it using that one.
+Virginia Klapwijk I was able to replace the e-clip in the front without knocking the rail out. In fact, I didn't take the rail or motor down from the garage. There's little gap between the rail and the rubber stopper where I was able to place the e-clip in and then I took a small flathead screwdriver and gently knocked it in. You can see the gap at 0:21. Once the e-clip was in the gap, I gently tapped the end of the rod with a hammer and the e-clip snapped into the notch on the rod. I may have just got lucky but it's worth a try if you have a few e-clips before you decide to remove everything off the ceiling.
Great video series. I have a very old cm7500 that started having a very loud grading or grinding noise continuously while opening and closing. I disconnected the door from the carriage and that didn't help. Suspecting I needed a new carriage, I removed the carriage, hit the button and it's still making a loud grinding noise! Is there any for the screw or track or maybe a bushing the needs to be replaced? Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated.
Success! Thank you for the reply. I ended up removing the motor and track assembly, separated the track from the drive screw and thoroughly cleaned all of the years of grease and dirt that had accumulated inside the track and on the screw, along with the carriage. After applying a fresh coating of white lithium grease and reinstalling the unit, it's as quiet as a mouse. Had I not watched your videos I would have never attempted this repair. Thanks for your inspiration.
Hey there, I have the same genie blue max and I’m having problems with it not wanting to close. It open fine without any problem but it doesn’t close. I checked the sensors and they are fine. Can you please help
Hello sir, I have the same motor and want to use the motor for other purpose. How do I wire and run it with the power from the strip surge protector. Thanks
I have no idea, i’m just a garage door guy, but what i can tell you is that these motors are designed to run for about 30 seconds before they get hot and shut down.
rico gatbunton if the capacitor is burned out it wouldn’t run at all. The only thing that would make it sound like its running too fast would be if you had it plugged into a higher voltage than a normal 110 outlet.
All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. At first it wont go down then i use wd40 on all the moving parts..it went up and down for a few times then the capacitor smoke/burnt...i really appreciate your reply..your videos re garage door openers are really helpfull to all of us who are trying to save a few bucks..thank you very much
No problem Rico, starting capacitors are not that expensive, check the part number on the cap it will either be 19988A or 18004B. Then wipe all the WD-40 off the screw and rail, it’s too thin and will run down the screw and into the motor. You need a white lithium grease... that grease is not too thick and not too thin. Then let me know what it does.
learn buttons didn't really come into existence until the mid 90s but if you had one it would be next to the left light bulb socket. Otherwise you might have a 9 or 12 digit code strip... in the same location.
@@ALLProGarageDoors I see, thanks for clarifying that. I do have the 9 to 12 digit strip. I guess that means I can't pair it with the unit I bought for my door to use it with the phone. I appreciate your time. Thanks again
What are terminals three and four for? I tried to hook up a "smart" opener to them, but no dice. I hooked it up to one and two, and it worked fine, but that means no wall switch. Tried to stack the wires, no dice with that either. Thanks!
I think three and four were for an external receiver if you ever needed one. I'm not sure what a smart opener is but if you could describe it for me I might be able to tell you how to get the wall switch back to working.
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. thanks for the quick reply! The smart opener connects to my home network through a hub. when it's hooked up, I can open/close the door from my phone, or check to make sure I remembered to close it.
Maybe just maybe if you switched your wallbutton to a contact only wall button it might work, if your current wallbutton has a small circuit board on it then it draws power. take the wallbutton off the wire and touch the two wires together...if the door works then a contact button will work.
No, wallbutton should be one and two, and the smart wires should be the same. Now if the wallbutton doesn't work the take the button off the wires...at the button, then touch the wires and see if it operates, the button might look like a doorbell button but does it have a circ brd?
hi. we had a power outage and after the power came back on everything for the house, the Genie 7500-s has absolutely no power. it's as if a fuse blew, but i can't find the fuse. any tips? thanks.
check the outlet that it’s plugged into, otherwise it’s gonna need a circuit board. Take the case off and look on the circ brd… some DC model machines had fuses.
I have this and it won't start....it hums and if you turn the shaft it will run and then it will run normally for a few tries. I will be going back there to see if it's the capacitor but in this video you mentioned flat spots on the armature as an issue. How do you address that? just curious and thank you in advance for any responses.
Thanks so much for these informative videos. I haven't found anyone that knows as much about these Blue Max machines as you, but haven't found the answer to my dilemma . I am trying to program a remote to it, but I don't see any reset/code learn button. My remote, which has since disappeared, was programed many years ago to my car....son took that car to college. I bought a genie remote and programmed my husband's genie intellicode, but am at a loss for the Max. I wondered about trying car to car.....when my car comes home from college.....and the snow is gone. :)
+kristi erickson Most Blue Max machines had dipswitch codes 1 thru 12 numbers, it's not to say you don't have one of the later models that had a program button but whether you have codes or a button either one is located in the same place on the machine. which if you watch this video ua-cam.com/video/zteGFm8UNhE/v-deo.html and skip to 1:30 this shows you where and what the program button looks like, it's the same location if you have dipswitch coding.
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. Yes, I had found the code #s and matched them to the remotes #s. Nothing happened when I tried the button on the remote. Is there a number of times that I have to press the remote, or should it work by just matching the codes and point and press the remote button? Oh I should mention that the Genie remote did not have the Code #s, so I am trying to use a universal(?) Liftmaster remote. Reply ·
Ok the Liftmaster Universal is a good remote. here's what you do... slide the cover down and make sure your dipswitches match, then push the small black recessed button on the left and hold it until the light comes on and let it go...then press one of the two upper buttons (whichever one you want to have programmed, HERE'S THE CATCH... as you press the button you have to let the flickering light on the remote stop flickering before you can press again but keep pressing it (one press at a time) till it activates the genie, once it does that you have to lock it in by pressing the recessed button that originally put the remote into program mode in the first place, if you don't lock it in... the remote will move on to the next frequency and it won't work. Try that.
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. Thanks so much for your patience! So program mode is all in the remote? I matched the codes, pressed little black button on remote til light was solid, pressed and held button 1 and light flashed for over a minute....never stopped flickering. Tried it 3 times, from start to finish. ugh.
Yes, if you have a fixed code machine with 12 dipswitches then programming is all in the remote. when you push the #1 button in the upper left hand of the remote you should push it once and let go...it should flash for about 2 seconds and if the machine doesn't respond then push the button again and again and again for up to like 13 times until the machine responds then lock it in with the recessed button.
I need your help. Same machine, like working on my garage but it is not working properly. I don't if I install the wires correctly. The door closes & opens by only pressing the button. It doesn't reverse back. Can you help me by providing the wire diagram if you have it. I will appreciate the help.
Well it's not so much of what went bad as how hard it was to fix.I believe in 86 or 87 they had a ton of bad boards, then as you pointed out they would have the cracked gear cases...I believe they called them "transmissions" what a pain, the there was the plug that fit in the end of the rail that dimpled when you tightened the chain and then the chain would slack, the problems we had in Cali were always magnified by the type of doors that we have...these huge one piece monstrosities, only the
Thanks for making these helpfully videos. My identical opener has this issue where it's not opening or closing with the car s opener. I've put new batteries in . I've checked over the connections in the button . Sometimes works at the end of the drive way sometimes it won't even work standing right under the opener. I don't hear any clicking or motor running. Just some other info. The button that's hard wired to the garage works just fine . I'm leaning on receiver but not sure how to test this. (( I did how ever taped on the out side of the plastic case and it's worked a few times but not always. )) Lose connection?? Thanks Steve
Steve R yea possibly loose connection or more likely a loose solder joint on the receiver board. Maybe pull the receiver board and take a close up look with a magnifying glass at the solder joints with the three prongs that the plug goes on and also the antenna. Make sure when you put the board back on that you install the grounding screw.
Hello all-pro! Great detailed info! Thank you for sharing! I have one trouble with my genie blue max garage opener! I have same model! It’s just buzzing twice but no action! What would you suggest! Thank you!
I would probably take a look at the starting capacitor and look around the wiring for corrosion or leaking. There is a chance that the motor has flat spots but you could determine that by spinning the screw by a hand a few rotations then try it again with the remote, if it works then maybe the armature is worn but most likely its the starting cap.
@@ALLProGarageDoors i tried that and still its just making 2 click noise and no action. i will check the cables again and the see. but i really appreciate your response very quick. A big thank you!
very efficient at which is the Genie "Trac-Drive" man I loved those machines!!! Not because they were good...they weren't, they might even be the biggest disaster in genie's history but they were so damm hard to repair that once you mastered them, you cornered the market because no one else would touch em. When it cools off I will try to post 2-3 video tear downs a week till my pile is gone... no duplications.
jbteehee There is a rubber bumper and a coupler where the rail goes into the motor head, if it is the bumper then don't worry about it, if the coupler is broke then they can be replaced very cheap, just take a picture of the part and email it to me at Mike@allproqgd.com and I can confirm the part that you need.
Well thanks for watching, Back in the late 80s or early 90s we used to do a ton of these machines and for the most part they were pretty reliable, and I still see them out there and still working.
Or turn the force control dial up, also the limit switches on the Genies tend to relax since they are spring loaded which means your door goes down slightly more and eventually the sensitivity kicks it back up. Try this...for the next week, close your door and wait 1minute and if it doesn't open back up by itself then drive away. If you come home and it's open then adjust the force control and try it again.If it still opens on it's own I would suspect the wallbutton or wire.
I have this same machine. It works great, except for two things. #1 is that the lights no longer turn on. The bulbs work in other sockets. No current getting to sockets. #2 is the remote quit working, and the battery is good. Do the circuit boards on the remotes go bad? It worked yesterday. However, a month ago it stopped working for a few days, too. Would the circuit board on the machine be bad, preventing the lights to work?
+David Knorr Both problems "might" be fixable. Unplug the machine and follow the light socket wires into wiring harness and find the corresponding pins once you pull the harness off, usually one of those pins will have a loose solder joint, re-heat both solder joints and it might work. Same thing for the remote problem...pull the receiver board...(not the main circ board) but the board that I show at 1:27 in this video and there is a three prong wiring harness check it with a magnifying glass and see if there isn't a bad joint there as well, if you don't see one re-heat them anyway. I have encountered and fixed both of these problems before with success. If by chance it doesn't work watch the video I have on fixing wiring harness problems...ua-cam.com/video/sh0AwTKBwGk/v-deo.html It's very rare for the boards to just flat out be bad, not impossible but rare usually when the boards go bad multiple things go out at the exact same time and the opener just stops working. Try those things and let me know how it pans out!!
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. , I followed your instructions as per your videos and got the lights to work. Yay! However, the remote still does not work. Should I try buying a replacement remote for it? Do you have any recommendations where to buy one?
Try a "Universal remote" made by chamberlain and probably sold at home depot or lowes it will program to many machines...genie included but I say to go with this one because if your machine konks out in a yr or two whatever machine you buy this universal remote will work, with the exception of a few off brands like merantec or guardian but they are both junk anyway. But if you buy a genie remote then your stuck with genie only. www.chamberlain.com/clicker-and-accessories/universal-clicker-products/clicker-black-universal-garage-door-remote
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. , thank you so much for your help. Before I got your response, I had already ordered a Genie Universal Remote, and I am so pleased that it worked! So it was a defective remote, after all. I will keep this in the house. But I also took your advice and ordered today the Chaimberlain Clickr, like you suggested. That way I will also have one in my car. I really appreciate your taking the time to advise me on my opener problem. Thanks again. David
Great video, But I need to know something and I hope you can help me. I've came home on a couple occasions to find my garage door wide open, I suspect maybe another nearby neighbor may be triggering the door with their opener. For security reasons, can I unplug the receiver and just run a key switch or hardwired keypad to the existing door switch wires? With all these programmable remotes out there today, I would feel a lot safer leaving my valuables in the garage if I could do this.
I just bought a house that has the Genie Blue Max CM 7500 garage door opener. I do NOT see any safety sensors installed. Can I install a new safety sensor to this one? What parts do I need and where can I get them? Would you by chance have a user manual for this old model? Thank you for putting up these helpful videos.
Valmiki Raghunathan The machine should have a sticker with the date of mfg on it near the left light bulb... if its 93 or newer then it is required to have beams, if older then you’ll find it harder to bring it up to date. I don’t have any older genie manuals but you might find something online.
Thank you so much for your prompt response. I checked and it has a 1992 sticker. I have a question - even if the Safe-T-Beam feature is not available in this model, would the unit still have the safe-t-reverse and safe-t-stop? Will it stop/reverse if it encounters an obstruction and does not close fully?
Again, thank you for your informative and quick response. I found the manual online at www.geniecompany.com/data/products/retail/screwdrive-install_G-GX-GXL.pdf.
My Genie Blue max from 1994 just started closing about a foot and then returns to the upper position. Infrared eyes are functioning and I tried all of your suggestions with the clutch and reluctor gaps but with no change. I found a used mother board on E-bay that is coming in the mail but just wondering if a bad transformer could cause a board to blow and malfunction and if I should try the new board without thinking about a bad transformer? I love these openers and hate to add to the landfill without trying to fix this old gal. I also pulled all the wires out of the harnesses but that didn't help either. Really frustrated. Thanks for any other suggestions.
By your description I would not suspect the transformer, and the circ board would be a possibility but last on my list, I would check for a crack in the end bell first because that's fairly easy then I would suspect...and inspect the starting capacitor. Work the door by hand that first foot and see how it feels compared to the rest of the distance down because if it's too hard for whatever reason that could cause a malfunction, did you have any work done on the door recently? I would check the terminal posts on the board for a loose or broken solder joint. when it starts to go down that first foot does it go exceptionally slow? or is it full speed as usual? My first suspect would be start capacitor because that's what usually goes out first. grease the screw and see if anything changes, don't use a grease that's too thick or it will bog down the screw and reverse.
+Everything home repair It's unfortunate that I had to toss all my good stuff when we moved last Nov, my new shop is in a better location but is roughly 1/2 the size so all my extra stuff had to go. Find your nearest garage door company and swing by after they close...more than likely they leave the old machines out back
I have power to the outlet but it's like I have no power to the unit. would you say it is the capacitor? I was looking for a fuse but can't find one. it went back up after hitting something and then button wouldn't work (nothing happened when it was pressed). I'm thinking capacitor but wanted your expertise
Ok do they make one still compatible? Yes it's completely dead. I tested the outlet and has good power. When I hit the button absolutely nothing happens. I closed the gap on the reluctor like you said in your videa. Still nothing. So I guess I will try to find one of those
Jeff kinzie try one more test. Un plug it then plug it back in and with your fingers flick the three relay boxes on the circuit brd and watch to see if the motor turns slighly everytime you flying flick the relays. If not then yea prolly transformer, not sure anyone would have any but wouldn't hurt to look around.
All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. no go this morning. I found a transformer that should work. so I'll probably go that route. don't have the money to buy a whole new unit so if I can buy some time then I'll do that.
Hey All-Pro. I watched all three videos and have tried several fixes with my Blue Max 1/3 HP Screw Drive opener that didn't work. My issue is that the garage door will open fine, but will not close. When I click the wall button (or remote) there is a clicking noise in the opener but nothing happens. The problem started when I double clicked the wall switch causing the door to start and stop real fast. The door doesn't move period, not even a few inches. I’ve tried unplugging an replugging in the unit. I've checked to make sure the garage door isn't held up on something and that there isn't anything interfering with the screw drive / carriage. I've also made sure both the up and down limiter switches were working properly and had a good ground connection. I’ve tried tightening the plastic reluctor bolt to increase the down force. The reluctor also appears fine with a very small (credit card width space between it and the reader). I’ve loosened and re-tightened all the green grounding connections inside the unit and even unplugged the 20 wire plug from the board and re-plugged it in. The capacitor looks fine and I don’t think that’s the problem as the garage will open just fine, it just won’t close. I would appreciate any feedback you might have.
MrShoebop I would try and trace the down limit wire all the way to the wire harness and then disconnect the harness and pull the circuit board off and find the corresponding down limit post that the harness plugs in to and check the solder joint, I had an incident that was similar and it turned out that the solder joints on the board were old and broken around the post, very hard to spot a "cold solder joint" but if you re heat and remelt the solder around the post it works like new. Look the board over with a magnifying glass. The other thing it could be is a hairline crack in the end-bell, if you disconnect the door from the trolly and with no door weight connected it still wont go down then it's probably board related. Tap on the three relay boxes on the board and that knocks the carbon off the contacts inside and it could very well be one of those relays is stuck.
Followed your advice and still couldn't find the issue. The limit wire has a good connection. The opener still opens, but won't close. I checked every wire with a multi-meter and visually inspected the joints with a magnifying glass. I also disconnected the door and the motor won't reverse and go down. I think your right it's a relay that is stuck but after removing each wire and increasing the gap in the V to make a better contact it still wasn't working. I will continue the fight but after being in the middle of Hurricane Harvey down hear in Houston, Texas my priorities shifted somewhat, lol. Thank you again for the help and if and when I fix it I will report back. Cheers!
I agree...take care of other priorities first, when you get back to this stubborn B-Max we'll try a few more things starting with tapping on the relays on the circ board with the butt end of a small screwdriver to try and unstick the relay...if it's stuck.
sms, I know I have a buttload of em, but I will have to check on Tuesday and see exactly which ones, I'd like to find an old one that still has the steel worm gear in it so I can swap that out.
There should be a black button above and to the left of the left light socket. If not then yours might just have dipswitches instead of a learn button.
Not sure when 3280... I have a tight schedule for the next 6-8 weeks, a guy in AZ sent me a product that he wants a video done on, and it's freekin brutal, so I got my hands full until atleast April but I promise it's on my short list.
I have Genie Blue max it stop almost half way when I open it I keep pressing the switch(when I press the switch its like no powers) and it wont open and I have to wait a couple of minutes to get it work again. Doing same thing when I close the garage door. Any Idea why is doing that?
First and foremost make sure your garage door doesn't have a broken spring, next thing you can try is to tighten the nylon nut coming out the back of the machine...that gives it more power.
Well Chevelle, There are easier ways to do this, your opener should have either Intellicode or dipswitch remotes and you can re-set both types. People always call me with that same problem and it's always the same thing and they never believe me but I have to play the odds, and the odds are slim that there is someone with your code, most of the time it's your door coming down then popping back up after you have driven off, check the force control tighten it.
I now have 3 of em in stock! I attempted to take one of them apart for practice and it was brutal, but since they are obsolete anyway maybe I'll just break what wont come apart for the video's sake. I have the biggest pile of openers to be filmed and stripped that even I am shocked, but it's been so damm hot here lately the wharehouse is a cooker, but I do believe it's supposed to start cooling off maybe next week I will start thinning out the pile, but I think I will start with one I am....
The ones that came with the one piece tube were much better than the ones where you had to put together multiple tubes, and your right Nick...installation has alot to do with how long ANY machine will last, too high and they buck, too low and they rub.
Wow, that just told me things about Genie's that I didn't know. For instance, I thought the drive screw was a permanent part of the motor, as tho the armature was attached to it. It really is a simple design. In theory, if I tore down my 850, could I install the first generation of screw that could be detached from the head? (they had a coupler like my Excellerator has in it.) Seeing this, I need to pull that 850 down and see what's going on with it. Now I know what to look for. :-D
I think the worst machine for working on as well as being junk was a Stanley, I would love to get my hands on a working genie trac drive...I've fixed hundreds of them, very,very hard machine and it scared the shit out of most repair techs, they were crap but fun to work on.
Funny you ask that, I started to take one apart last week and was so mind boggled but yet fascinated by this piece of crap, nothing seamed to come apart easily, so yea I can try to disassemble one but I don't know how far I'll get with it. I currently have three in stock.
the best of the best would stay trouble free working that kind of door year after year, it was a great testing ground for openers but I never liked working on the stanleys...just not a repair tech friendly machine.
Oh, and my vote for your next video, we know what you like working on now, so show us the machine that you always hate getting calls on, because in your opinion, it's the worst possible thing that could be installed on a garage door. :-)
new spring turn up thank very much
Hoping you could help me solve problem I am having with Genie 1/2 HP Screw Drive. Looks just like this one inside. Will go up by remote and wired control inside garage. However remote would not lower door, but could open it. I had sensors with blinking red light no matter how I positioned and thought it was as simple as replacing sensors which I did with new ones. New Sensors installed and sensor light on transmitter solid red (as should be) and receiver (solid green). If I put foot in the way sensor red light blinks. So it is registering obstacles. However it still is behaving exactly the same. I confirmed both limit switches working. I adjusted down limit switch to make sure it enganged before door hits ground to double check. I then disengaged screw drive with cord to see if it is motor is stopping due to force required (although I would expect this more on raises door) and same problem door will go up by remote but will not go down. In all examples pre sensor post sensor fix using remote the door does not even begin to go down. The remote uses a single button for up and down and since the remote works for up I know the remote works (sends a signal) and the genie head unit receiver gets the signal. If I use the house wired control I can hold button down to override safety to make door go down. If I just press it and let go it the garage door goes down a bit and then backup. Noted above with remote to close door and door does not even budge, but lights on head unit turn on. I have also removed the lights bulbs even though they are not LED, which I have read can interfer with signal, and issue persists. I am stumped. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike
I would lean towards circuit board. take the case off and tap on the three relays on the board. maybe flick em with your finger and see if the machine starts to activate.
Although I like his technical tear-down videos, my favorite video of his is the one-piece wood tilt garage door build (built from scratch) project! He did an awesome job duplicating the original design and install of the worn out door!
I replaced the leaking capacitor on my Genie Pro 88 thinking it would fix the problem I have where the door starts but stops immediately. That didn't fix it. Turns out the capacitor had begun leaking onto the circuit board and was shorting it out. After cleaning the goop off of the contacts on the board, my 29 yr old opener is still running strong. Thanks for posting these videos.
Wow, I think this is the only place on earth where such detailed information exists for this antique piece. Well done! I have the same model in one of my garages that serves as my workshop. The safety sensors were never installed by previous owner, so I just hold down the wall button to close it. Lately, I got hold of a set of Genie Safe-T-Beam sensors and wired them up. Unfortunately, I still have to hold the button to close it. I tested a few things and eventually found that terminal 3 and 4 shows voltage drop from 18v to 4v as soon as I made the connection with the sensors, and the red/green LEDs are barely lit. So, I guess the control board has bad component?
or the transformer is going bad and can no longer power up the add ons.
Thanks for the tips with the connector cleaning. I bought a (new in box) 2007 Genie Directlift Plus screwdrive opener on Craigslist (was originally sold exclusively at Lowe's only) and the connectors on the board plugs seem to be tarnished after sitting for 17 years in the original box and it is not activating. Im going to do an install video soon as this was the very last model of the old-school genie screwdrive openers made. It also has a really cool futuristic housing and lens cover which I've never seen before. There's not one video of this unit anywhere on the web (that I can find) so I'm excited to share with the public soon. Love your videos man and thanks for all the great tips!
what a joy to watch someone who knows and loves what he is doing, makes for a great diagnostician & entertaining education! Thank you!
As a reward, got a question for you :) Have a Blue Max looks just like the one in the video (can't find a serial #, but build in '92)... anyway, the drive runs to close, but will not reverse. Have checked continuity on the rail limit switches. Attempting to operate, can hear solenoids click, but motor only will rotate one way... whad'y think?
That's a tough one since you already know that the up limit isn't stuck I would take the case off and with the handle of a small screwdriver tap on the three square relays on the circuit board and see if by knocking some of the carbon off of the relays inside it will free u a stuck up cycle relay and go up... if not then i'd follow the up limit wires into the wiring harness and pull the wires out inspect them then put em back, it's gotta be in the relay or limit switch.
here's a vid on how to inspect the up limit wiring harness.
ua-cam.com/video/sh0AwTKBwGk/v-deo.html
Thank you for this series of videos. I replaced both the capacitor and transformer on my unit. And had previously replaced the logic board. Now, the door will go up, but not down. It appears that the screw drive will only run in one direction. The system does NOT have eye sensors, and I believe both limit switches are working. What else could cause this / should I test?
I’d take a good look at the front E-clip it might be broken allowing the screw to pull back and take it out of range for the rpm sensor to read.
Update on the Genie Blue max fix. Got the mother board from E-bay. Plugged it in and it did the same as the old board---rats. Then put a trickle voltage with a flashlight battery and a voltmeter on the other end with all the wires off the sensors. Found one from the mother board to the sensor that wouldn't carry the juice. Tweaked the wire the full length and found a small break in that wire. Wire nutted the break back together, Hard soldered the connectors that plug into each sensor and stood nervously by the door switch. Dang if it didn't work just like new. The landfill will have to wait a few more years. Thank you again for all your help and suggestions --- in the end, it turned out to be just a wire break. I told my wife that I was on call again for the next thing that should go out any day now. Have a good one.
Glad to see you were patient enough to track it down!!
Great Video. I have had this one for 21 years and just now showing signs of breakdown. Fantastic in detail views and descriptions. Thanks! I started watching #1 then #2 then this one. Thanks again.
+windsurfed1 Hopefully with a slight tune up you can get it running top notch again!
Great videos, I appreciate you staying on task and moving along while still taking enough time to be clear. I have a similar Genie, I think it's even older. It's a screw drive. Red case. Can't find a model number on it anywhere, though there is a tag on the bar that says SD5050. Aside from minor details it appears to have the same components. I'm having a problem with it. A few weeks ago it started to occasionally hum for a few seconds rather than turn, then shut off. Sometimes with the door down, sometimes up. Usually repeatedly hitting the clicker would get it to go, then it would work fine for a few days, but suddenly it's gotten worse. Now 1 in 3 times or so, it refused to go. Hums for a second, shuts off. If I turn the screw by hand, it starts working. Capacitor looks okay, no swelling, no leaking. Aside from a little dust, everything is clean inside the case, no burnt smells, no apparent wire issues. If I disconnect the door, seems to make no difference so I don't think it is load related. I'm considering pulling the motor apart to see if the armature is grimey and sticking, or if the bearings have run dry and are binding. Seems you've fixed a million of these, so it may be something obvious to you from the symptoms I've described. Any suggestions about where I should look for my problem? Thanks!
After reading the symptoms my first thoughts were capacitor but if it looks ok then I'd lean toward the armature. Strip it down and look for flat spots and clean it up. Capacitors "almost" always show signs of fatigue with corrosion or liquid leaking or something.
Roger that. If I get it working again, I'll let you know what I found. Thx agin.
Is a genie blue max
Blue maxes are very simple machines...(I wish I could say the same for this google+ thing) ...the Blue max series of video's pretty much covers everything that could be wrong. start by running the machine without it connected to the door and see if it does the same thing. Then move on to tightening the clutch or even roughing up the clutch pad first.
Thanks for posting these! I've got a Genie Blue that I believe needs the clutch scuffed up. I'd have been lost without your videos! You're a great teacher!
I did not see a coupler?
No this machine was before couplers...the screw goes right thru the motor and out the back.
My motor locks up when try to operate. Genie said coupler after your video maybe its the armature.
At that point you have nothing to lose...start taking it apart. A lot of times the armature can be cleaned and put back but don't miss anything simple, look it all over as you take it apart ck for cracks in the end bell, crusty starting capacitor missing front E-clip etc...etc.
that's real good
Great video!! Do you have access to the cork/fiber?? clutch disk? I cleaned it, scuffed it, had to turn adjustment all the way in, barely grabbing now.
nah they quit making those parts yrs ago, stop by any garage door company and see if they have some old machines lying around… you never know.
So garage stopped working found ur videos very helpfully, I changed the capacitor it was blown but now the garage moves very slowly and it's stop half way doesn't fully open or closes. Thanks
What opener do you have?
Appreciate you taking the time to do this detailed series. Well done!
Thanks Tim, we try to help where we can.
I push the button and get an electric hum like everything is frozen. Any ideas?
@@33jrp Probably starting capacitor.
How common were receiver failures on these?
About as common as most parts on a genie...often.
Thanks for the great videos. As you mentioned as a common issue, the e-clip on the rail side had cracked in half on my Blue Max. I was able to get a e-clip variety pack at Harbor Freights for $8 which had the size I needed. It took some time to figure out but would have probably called the repairman if it wasn't for your videos. Thanks a lot!
+Shooting Kites what size are the eclips?
+Shooting Kites what is the easiest way to replace the e-clip in front, do you need to knock the rail out?
+Virginia Klapwijk Not sure of the size but you will have to separate the rail slightly from the motorhead so you can push an e-clip up into the notch in the rail. which means you will have to take the components of the clutch apart in the rear of the machine. As Shooting Kites said the e-clips are avail in a multipack for 8 bucks at harbor freight, the e-clip in the rear is the same as the one up front, take the rear one off and you can size it using that one.
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. thank you so much
+Virginia Klapwijk I was able to replace the e-clip in the front without knocking the rail out. In fact, I didn't take the rail or motor down from the garage. There's little gap between the rail and the rubber stopper where I was able to place the e-clip in and then I took a small flathead screwdriver and gently knocked it in. You can see the gap at 0:21. Once the e-clip was in the gap, I gently tapped the end of the rod with a hammer and the e-clip snapped into the notch on the rod. I may have just got lucky but it's worth a try if you have a few e-clips before you decide to remove everything off the ceiling.
Great video series. I have a very old cm7500 that started having a very loud grading or grinding noise continuously while opening and closing. I disconnected the door from the carriage and that didn't help. Suspecting I needed a new carriage, I removed the carriage, hit the button and it's still making a loud grinding noise! Is there any for the screw or track or maybe a bushing the needs to be replaced? Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated.
I would take the back cover off and see if you can narrow the location of the noise down.
Success! Thank you for the reply. I ended up removing the motor and track assembly, separated the track from the drive screw and thoroughly cleaned all of the years of grease and dirt that had accumulated inside the track and on the screw, along with the carriage. After applying a fresh coating of white lithium grease and reinstalling the unit, it's as quiet as a mouse. Had I not watched your videos I would have never attempted this repair. Thanks for your inspiration.
Hey there, I have the same genie blue max and I’m having problems with it not wanting to close. It open fine without any problem but it doesn’t close. I checked the sensors and they are fine. Can you please help
@@KrustyTuerkas check the up and also the down limit switches, they can get stuck.
Hello sir, I have the same motor and want to use the motor for other purpose. How do I wire and run it with the power from the strip surge protector. Thanks
I have no idea, i’m just a garage door guy, but what i can tell you is that these motors are designed to run for about 30 seconds before they get hot and shut down.
Thanks for quick response. Have a great day!
Model 7500 S burn capacitor..it sounds like its running to fast..and how to adjust going up and down..appreciate any help
rico gatbunton if the capacitor is burned out it wouldn’t run at all. The only thing that would make it sound like its running too fast would be if you had it plugged into a higher voltage than a normal 110 outlet.
All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. At first it wont go down then i use wd40 on all the moving parts..it went up and down for a few times then the capacitor smoke/burnt...i really appreciate your reply..your videos re garage door openers are really helpfull to all of us who are trying to save a few bucks..thank you very much
No problem Rico, starting capacitors are not that expensive, check the part number on the cap it will either be 19988A or 18004B. Then wipe all the WD-40 off the screw and rail, it’s too thin and will run down the screw and into the motor. You need a white lithium grease... that grease is not too thick and not too thin. Then let me know what it does.
All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. Ok i'll do that...thanks!
This guy is amazing!
I saw your videos. Pretty interesting, I didn't see what I was looking for though
The learn botton. Any assistance.
Please
learn buttons didn't really come into existence until the mid 90s but if you had one it would be next to the left light bulb socket. Otherwise you might have a 9 or 12 digit code strip... in the same location.
@@ALLProGarageDoors I see, thanks for clarifying that. I do have the 9 to 12 digit strip. I guess that means I can't pair it with the unit I bought for my door to use it with the phone. I appreciate your time. Thanks again
What are terminals three and four for? I tried to hook up a "smart" opener to them, but no dice. I hooked it up to one and two, and it worked fine, but that means no wall switch. Tried to stack the wires, no dice with that either. Thanks!
I think three and four were for an external receiver if you ever needed one. I'm not sure what a smart opener is but if you could describe it for me I might be able to tell you how to get the wall switch back to working.
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. thanks for the quick reply! The smart opener connects to my home network through a hub. when it's hooked up, I can open/close the door from my phone, or check to make sure I remembered to close it.
Maybe just maybe if you switched your wallbutton to a contact only wall button it might work, if your current wallbutton has a small circuit board on it then it draws power. take the wallbutton off the wire and touch the two wires together...if the door works then a contact button will work.
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. Wall button looks like a doorbell button. so put both WB wires on terminal one, and both smart wires on term two?
No, wallbutton should be one and two, and the smart wires should be the same. Now if the wallbutton doesn't work the take the button off the wires...at the button, then touch the wires and see if it operates, the button might look like a doorbell button but does it have a circ brd?
hi. we had a power outage and after the power came back on everything for the house, the Genie 7500-s has absolutely no power. it's as if a fuse blew, but i can't find the fuse. any tips? thanks.
check the outlet that it’s plugged into, otherwise it’s gonna need a circuit board. Take the case off and look on the circ brd… some DC model machines had fuses.
I have this and it won't start....it hums and if you turn the shaft it will run and then it will run normally for a few tries. I will be going back there to see if it's the capacitor but in this video you mentioned flat spots on the armature as an issue. How do you address that? just curious and thank you in advance for any responses.
If the motor has flat spots it's not usually repairable. just gotta hope its a capacitor.
@@ALLProGarageDoors thank you
Thanks so much for these informative videos. I haven't found anyone that knows as much about these Blue Max machines as you, but haven't found the answer to my dilemma . I am trying to program a remote to it, but I don't see any reset/code learn button. My remote, which has since disappeared, was programed many years ago to my car....son took that car to college. I bought a genie remote and programmed my husband's genie intellicode, but am at a loss for the Max. I wondered about trying car to car.....when my car comes home from college.....and the snow is gone. :)
+kristi erickson Most Blue Max machines had dipswitch codes 1 thru 12 numbers, it's not to say you don't have one of the later models that had a program button but whether you have codes or a button either one is located in the same place on the machine. which if you watch this video ua-cam.com/video/zteGFm8UNhE/v-deo.html and skip to 1:30 this shows you where and what the program button looks like, it's the same location if you have dipswitch coding.
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. Yes, I had found the code #s and matched them to the remotes #s. Nothing happened when I tried the button on the remote. Is there a number of times that I have to press the remote, or should it work by just matching the codes and point and press the remote button? Oh I should mention that the Genie remote did not have the Code #s, so I am trying to use a universal(?) Liftmaster remote.
Reply ·
Ok the Liftmaster Universal is a good remote. here's what you do... slide the cover down and make sure your dipswitches match, then push the small black recessed button on the left and hold it until the light comes on and let it go...then press one of the two upper buttons (whichever one you want to have programmed, HERE'S THE CATCH... as you press the button you have to let the flickering light on the remote stop flickering before you can press again but keep pressing it (one press at a time) till it activates the genie, once it does that you have to lock it in by pressing the recessed button that originally put the remote into program mode in the first place, if you don't lock it in... the remote will move on to the next frequency and it won't work. Try that.
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. Thanks so much for your patience! So program mode is all in the remote? I matched the codes, pressed little black button on remote til light was solid, pressed and held button 1 and light flashed for over a minute....never stopped flickering. Tried it 3 times, from start to finish. ugh.
Yes, if you have a fixed code machine with 12 dipswitches then programming is all in the remote. when you push the #1 button in the upper left hand of the remote you should push it once and let go...it should flash for about 2 seconds and if the machine doesn't respond then push the button again and again and again for up to like 13 times until the machine responds then lock it in with the recessed button.
Thanks for the info, it was very helpful.
I need your help. Same machine, like working on my garage but it is not working properly. I don't if I install the wires correctly. The door closes & opens by only pressing the button. It doesn't reverse back. Can you help me by providing the wire diagram if you have it. I will appreciate the help.
Genie has never provided a wiring diagram, only basic wiring connections.
Well it's not so much of what went bad as how hard it was to fix.I believe in 86 or 87 they had a ton of bad boards, then as you pointed out they would have the cracked gear cases...I believe they called them "transmissions" what a pain, the there was the plug that fit in the end of the rail that dimpled when you tightened the chain and then the chain would slack, the problems we had in Cali were always magnified by the type of doors that we have...these huge one piece monstrosities, only the
Thanks for making these helpfully videos. My identical opener has this issue where it's not opening or closing with the car s opener. I've put new batteries in . I've checked over the connections in the button . Sometimes works at the end of the drive way sometimes it won't even work standing right under the opener. I don't hear any clicking or motor running. Just some other info. The button that's hard wired to the garage works just fine . I'm leaning on receiver but not sure how to test this. (( I did how ever taped on the out side of the plastic case and it's worked a few times but not always. )) Lose connection?? Thanks Steve
Steve R yea possibly loose connection or more likely a loose solder joint on the receiver board. Maybe pull the receiver board and take a close up look with a magnifying glass at the solder joints with the three prongs that the plug goes on and also the antenna. Make sure when you put the board back on that you install the grounding screw.
Do you have an armature for sell, model 12a
no, probably obsolete.
This video along w parts I & II is amazingly helpful! Thanks for your clear descriptions.
Hello all-pro! Great detailed info! Thank you for sharing! I have one trouble with my genie blue max garage opener! I have same model! It’s just buzzing twice but no action! What would you suggest! Thank you!
I would probably take a look at the starting capacitor and look around the wiring for corrosion or leaking. There is a chance that the motor has flat spots but you could determine that by spinning the screw by a hand a few rotations then try it again with the remote, if it works then maybe the armature is worn but most likely its the starting cap.
@@ALLProGarageDoors i tried that and still its just making 2 click noise and no action. i will check the cables again and the see. but i really appreciate your response very quick. A big thank you!
very efficient at which is the Genie "Trac-Drive" man I loved those machines!!! Not because they were good...they weren't, they might even be the biggest disaster in genie's history but they were so damm hard to repair that once you mastered them, you cornered the market because no one else would touch em. When it cools off I will try to post 2-3 video tear downs a week till my pile is gone... no duplications.
TracDrives also sound HORRIBLE.
What about the outside motor rubber where rail goes in? Mine's in 2 pieces! Thanks for video, Janis woman of all traits
jbteehee There is a rubber bumper and a coupler where the rail goes into the motor head, if it is the bumper then don't worry about it, if the coupler is broke then they can be replaced very cheap, just take a picture of the part and email it to me at Mike@allproqgd.com and I can confirm the part that you need.
thank you
Well thanks for watching, Back in the late 80s or early 90s we used to do a ton of these machines and for the most part they were pretty reliable, and I still see them out there and still working.
Or turn the force control dial up, also the limit switches on the Genies tend to relax since they are spring loaded which means your door goes down slightly more and eventually the sensitivity kicks it back up. Try this...for the next week, close your door and wait 1minute and if it doesn't open back up by itself then drive away. If you come home and it's open then adjust the force control and try it again.If it still opens on it's own I would suspect the wallbutton or wire.
Thanks Jeff !! That's what we're here for.
Dipswitch with sensors?
Yes, some dip switch units had sensors.
Does this model 12A opener have a Learn Button?
Greg Martinez some did, some had codes
I have this same machine. It works great, except for two things. #1 is that the lights no longer turn on. The bulbs work in other sockets. No current getting to sockets. #2 is the remote quit working, and the battery is good. Do the circuit boards on the remotes go bad? It worked yesterday. However, a month ago it stopped working for a few days, too. Would the circuit board on the machine be bad, preventing the lights to work?
+David Knorr Both problems "might" be fixable. Unplug the machine and follow the light socket wires into wiring harness and find the corresponding pins once you pull the harness off, usually one of those pins will have a loose solder joint, re-heat both solder joints and it might work. Same thing for the remote problem...pull the receiver board...(not the main circ board) but the board that I show at 1:27 in this video and there is a three prong wiring harness check it with a magnifying glass and see if there isn't a bad joint there as well, if you don't see one re-heat them anyway. I have encountered and fixed both of these problems before with success. If by chance it doesn't work watch the video I have on fixing wiring harness problems...ua-cam.com/video/sh0AwTKBwGk/v-deo.html It's very rare for the boards to just flat out be bad, not impossible but rare usually when the boards go bad multiple things go out at the exact same time and the opener just stops working. Try those things and let me know how it pans out!!
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. , I followed your instructions as per your videos and got the lights to work. Yay! However, the remote still does not work. Should I try buying a replacement remote for it? Do you have any recommendations where to buy one?
Try a "Universal remote" made by chamberlain and probably sold at home depot or lowes it will program to many machines...genie included but I say to go with this one because if your machine konks out in a yr or two whatever machine you buy this universal remote will work, with the exception of a few off brands like merantec or guardian but they are both junk anyway. But if you buy a genie remote then your stuck with genie only.
www.chamberlain.com/clicker-and-accessories/universal-clicker-products/clicker-black-universal-garage-door-remote
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. , thank you so much for your help. Before I got your response, I had already ordered a Genie Universal Remote, and I am so pleased that it worked! So it was a defective remote, after all. I will keep this in the house. But I also took your advice and ordered today the Chaimberlain Clickr, like you suggested. That way I will also have one in my car. I really appreciate your taking the time to advise me on my opener problem. Thanks again. David
No problem David, glad it all worked out for you!
Great video, But I need to know something and I hope you can help me. I've came home on a couple occasions to find my garage door wide open, I suspect maybe another nearby neighbor may be triggering the door with their opener. For security reasons, can I unplug the receiver and just run a key switch or hardwired keypad to the existing door switch wires? With all these programmable remotes out there today, I would feel a lot safer leaving my valuables in the garage if I could do this.
I just bought a house that has the Genie Blue Max CM 7500 garage door opener. I do NOT see any safety sensors installed. Can I install a new safety sensor to this one? What parts do I need and where can I get them? Would you by chance have a user manual for this old model? Thank you for putting up these helpful videos.
Valmiki Raghunathan The machine should have a sticker with the date of mfg on it near the left light bulb... if its 93 or newer then it is required to have beams, if older then you’ll find it harder to bring it up to date. I don’t have any older genie manuals but you might find something online.
Thank you so much for your prompt response. I checked and it has a 1992 sticker. I have a question - even if the Safe-T-Beam feature is not available in this model, would the unit still have the safe-t-reverse and safe-t-stop? Will it stop/reverse if it encounters an obstruction and does not close fully?
Valmiki Raghunathan yes it will but you have to make sure its not set too strong,
Again, thank you for your informative and quick response. I found the manual online at www.geniecompany.com/data/products/retail/screwdrive-install_G-GX-GXL.pdf.
My Genie Blue max from 1994 just started closing about a foot and then returns to the upper position. Infrared eyes are functioning and I tried all of your suggestions with the clutch and reluctor gaps but with no change. I found a used mother board on E-bay that is coming in the mail but just wondering if a bad transformer could cause a board to blow and malfunction and if I should try the new board without thinking about a bad transformer? I love these openers and hate to add to the landfill without trying to fix this old gal. I also pulled all the wires out of the harnesses but that didn't help either. Really frustrated.
Thanks for any other suggestions.
By your description I would not suspect the transformer, and the circ board would be a possibility but last on my list, I would check for a crack in the end bell first because that's fairly easy then I would suspect...and inspect the starting capacitor. Work the door by hand that first foot and see how it feels compared to the rest of the distance down because if it's too hard for whatever reason that could cause a malfunction, did you have any work done on the door recently? I would check the terminal posts on the board for a loose or broken solder joint. when it starts to go down that first foot does it go exceptionally slow? or is it full speed as usual?
My first suspect would be start capacitor because that's what usually goes out first. grease the screw and see if anything changes, don't use a grease that's too thick or it will bog down the screw and reverse.
Ok I don't have a button or the old remote so how do I start over with a new Chamberlain klik3u universal remote
Dustin Simonis does the universal remote have dipswitches?
Do you still have the termal block mine is cracked in half?
+Everything home repair It's unfortunate that I had to toss all my good stuff when we moved last Nov, my new shop is in a better location but is roughly 1/2 the size so all my extra stuff had to go. Find your nearest garage door company and swing by after they close...more than likely they leave the old machines out back
I have power to the outlet but it's like I have no power to the unit. would you say it is the capacitor? I was looking for a fuse but can't find one. it went back up after hitting something and then button wouldn't work (nothing happened when it was pressed). I'm thinking capacitor but wanted your expertise
Jeff kinzie when capacitors go they usually have abit left in em after they cool off. So i would say maybe transformer if it appears totally dead.
Ok do they make one still compatible? Yes it's completely dead. I tested the outlet and has good power. When I hit the button absolutely nothing happens. I closed the gap on the reluctor like you said in your videa. Still nothing. So I guess I will try to find one of those
Jeff kinzie try one more test. Un plug it then plug it back in and with your fingers flick the three relay boxes on the circuit brd and watch to see if the motor turns slighly everytime you flying flick the relays. If not then yea prolly transformer, not sure anyone would have any but wouldn't hurt to look around.
Ok thanks I'll try in the morning.
All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. no go this morning. I found a transformer that should work. so I'll probably go that route. don't have the money to buy a whole new unit so if I can buy some time then I'll do that.
Hey All-Pro. I watched all three videos and have tried
several fixes with my Blue Max 1/3 HP Screw Drive opener that didn't work. My
issue is that the garage door will open fine, but will not close. When I click
the wall button (or remote) there is a clicking noise in the opener but nothing
happens. The problem started when I double clicked the wall switch causing the
door to start and stop real fast. The
door doesn't move period, not even a few inches. I’ve tried unplugging an
replugging in the unit. I've checked to
make sure the garage door isn't held up on something and that there isn't
anything interfering with the screw drive / carriage. I've also made sure both
the up and down limiter switches were working properly and had a good ground
connection. I’ve tried tightening the plastic reluctor bolt to increase the
down force. The reluctor also appears fine with a very small (credit card width
space between it and the reader). I’ve loosened and re-tightened all the green
grounding connections inside the unit and even unplugged the 20 wire plug from
the board and re-plugged it in. The capacitor looks fine and I don’t think that’s
the problem as the garage will open just fine, it just won’t close. I would
appreciate any feedback you might have.
MrShoebop I would try and trace the down limit wire all the way to the wire harness and then disconnect the harness and pull the circuit board off and find the corresponding down limit post that the harness plugs in to and check the solder joint, I had an incident that was similar and it turned out that the solder joints on the board were old and broken around the post, very hard to spot a "cold solder joint" but if you re heat and remelt the solder around the post it works like new. Look the board over with a magnifying glass. The other thing it could be is a hairline crack in the end-bell, if you disconnect the door from the trolly and with no door weight connected it still wont go down then it's probably board related. Tap on the three relay boxes on the board and that knocks the carbon off the contacts inside and it could very well be one of those relays is stuck.
Followed your advice and still couldn't find the issue. The limit wire has a good connection. The opener still opens, but won't close. I checked every wire with a multi-meter and visually inspected the joints with a magnifying glass. I also disconnected the door and the motor won't reverse and go down. I think your right it's a relay that is stuck but after removing each wire and increasing the gap in the V to make a better contact it still wasn't working. I will continue the fight but after being in the middle of Hurricane Harvey down hear in Houston, Texas my priorities shifted somewhat, lol. Thank you again for the help and if and when I fix it I will report back. Cheers!
I agree...take care of other priorities first, when you get back to this stubborn B-Max we'll try a few more things starting with tapping on the relays on the circ board with the butt end of a small screwdriver to try and unstick the relay...if it's stuck.
sms, I know I have a buttload of em, but I will have to check on Tuesday and see exactly which ones, I'd like to find an old one that still has the steel worm gear in it so I can swap that out.
how do you put this unit into learn more?
There should be a black button above and to the left of the left light socket. If not then yours might just have dipswitches instead of a learn button.
Can you do the Idrive next.
How do you know what year the unit is from based on the serial number.
Everything home repair on the white tag it will say wk for week and have number under it and then a yr for year and have a number under it.
Thank you I found out my unit was made in 1992.
Everything home repair thats 1 yr before the I-beam law came into effect. Quite old.
Not sure when 3280... I have a tight schedule for the next 6-8 weeks, a guy in AZ sent me a product that he wants a video done on, and it's freekin brutal, so I got my hands full until atleast April but I promise it's on my short list.
I have Genie Blue max it stop almost half way when I open it I keep pressing the switch(when I press the switch its like no powers) and it wont open and I have to wait a couple of minutes to get it work again. Doing same thing when I close the garage door. Any Idea why is doing that?
First and foremost make sure your garage door doesn't have a broken spring, next thing you can try is to tighten the nylon nut coming out the back of the machine...that gives it more power.
Well Chevelle, There are easier ways to do this, your opener should have either Intellicode or dipswitch remotes and you can re-set both types. People always call me with that same problem and it's always the same thing and they never believe me but I have to play the odds, and the odds are slim that there is someone with your code, most of the time it's your door coming down then popping back up after you have driven off, check the force control tighten it.
I now have 3 of em in stock! I attempted to take one of them apart for practice and it was brutal, but since they are obsolete anyway maybe I'll just break what wont come apart for the video's sake. I have the biggest pile of openers to be filmed and stripped that even I am shocked, but it's been so damm hot here lately the wharehouse is a cooker, but I do believe it's supposed to start cooling off maybe next week I will start thinning out the pile, but I think I will start with one I am....
The ones that came with the one piece tube were much better than the ones where you had to put together multiple tubes, and your right Nick...installation has alot to do with how long ANY machine will last, too high and they buck, too low and they rub.
Wow, that just told me things about Genie's that I didn't know. For instance, I thought the drive screw was a permanent part of the motor, as tho the armature was attached to it. It really is a simple design. In theory, if I tore down my 850, could I install the first generation of screw that could be detached from the head? (they had a coupler like my Excellerator has in it.)
Seeing this, I need to pull that 850 down and see what's going on with it. Now I know what to look for. :-D
I think the worst machine for working on as well as being junk was a Stanley, I would love to get my hands on a working genie trac drive...I've fixed hundreds of them, very,very hard machine and it scared the shit out of most repair techs, they were crap but fun to work on.
Funny you ask that, I started to take one apart last week and was so mind boggled but yet fascinated by this piece of crap, nothing seamed to come apart easily, so yea I can try to disassemble one but I don't know how far I'll get with it. I currently have three in stock.
the best of the best would stay trouble free working that kind of door year after year, it was a great testing ground for openers but I never liked working on the stanleys...just not a repair tech friendly machine.
Oh, and my vote for your next video, we know what you like working on now, so show us the machine that you always hate getting calls on, because in your opinion, it's the worst possible thing that could be installed on a garage door. :-)