Why won't my garage door open with the remote?

The most common reason a garage door remote stops working is a dead battery. Most garage door remotes use a 9V or 23A battery. Replace the battery first before assuming anything else is wrong.

What battery does a garage door remote use?

Most garage door remotes use either a 9V battery or a 23A (12V) battery. The 23A is a small cylindrical battery about the size of a AAA but shorter. Check inside the remote for the battery type.

How do I open my garage door if the remote is not working?

Most garage doors have a manual release cord — usually a red handle hanging from the opener unit. Pull this cord to disconnect the door from the motor and open it manually. Replace the remote battery before reconnecting.

🏠

Why won't my garage door open?

Most common cause = dead remote battery.
Replace it and it should work immediately.

If your garage door remote has stopped working, the battery is almost always the reason. Most garage door remotes use a 9V or 23A battery — both are cheap and easy to replace.

🛒 Buy 23A battery on Amazon Buy 9V battery

Affiliate links · Check inside your remote for the correct battery type

🚗 Can't get in right now? Do this first

Most garage doors have a manual release cord

Look for a red handle or cord hanging from the opener motor unit on the ceiling. Pull it firmly — this disconnects the door from the electric motor so you can open it manually by hand.

Once you have replaced the remote battery, pull the cord again or use the wall button to reconnect the door to the motor.

Which battery does my garage door remote use?

Battery	Common in
23A (12V)	Most modern garage door remotes — Hormann, Marantec, Sommer, Chamberlain, LiftMaster
9V	Some older garage door remotes and some gate remotes
CR2032	Some slim or card-style garage door remotes
27A (12V)	Some older remotes — similar size to 23A but not interchangeable

The battery type is printed inside the remote or on the old battery. The 23A is a small cylindrical battery, about half the length of a AAA battery.

How to replace the remote battery

Find the seam on the edge of your remote. Most open by pressing a tab or using a coin in a slot.
Note the battery type printed on the old battery — usually 23A, 9V, or CR2032.
Insert the new battery in the same orientation as the old one.
Clip the remote back together and test from your normal distance.

Test from different distances. If it only works very close to the door, the battery is still weak or the antenna wire on the opener unit has come loose. The antenna wire should hang down freely from the motor unit.

If a new battery doesn't fix it

📡

Works sometimes but not others

Remote needs reprogramming

Garage door remotes can lose their pairing. Check your opener manual for the programming button — usually on the motor unit on the ceiling. Press and hold it until the light flashes, then press your remote button to re-pair.

🔌

Nothing works — remote and wall button

Power cut or blown fuse

If neither the remote nor the wall button works, check that the opener unit is powered. Check the mains socket and your fuse box. Use the manual release cord to open the door while you investigate.

⚙️

Motor runs but door doesn't move

Mechanical fault

If you can hear the motor running but the door isn't moving, a spring, cable or drive mechanism may have broken. Do not force the door. Contact a garage door engineer.

Need to find a battery for another device?

Search all devices on myBatteryFinder →