Garage door opener blink codes by brand

Updated November 2, 2026. Every manufacturer code and safety rule on this page links to its source below.

Short answer

A blinking opener is reporting a fault. Count the flashes (or the UP and DOWN arrow flashes), find your brand below, and match the pattern. Most codes point to one of three things: the safety sensors cannot see each other, the door is meeting resistance, or the travel limits are not set. Every chart here is paraphrased from the manufacturer's own support page or manual, linked under each table.

Step 1: find your model number

Codes are model-specific. Chamberlain says the model number is on a label on the side or back of the motor unit, and that using it helps you pick the right chart. Light and sound patterns also vary by model and software version, so treat the tables below as a starting point and your owner's manual as the final word.

Safety first

If a code points to door balance, a broken spring or a loose cable, stop using the opener and call a technician. Chamberlain's own chart says not to adjust springs yourself, and DASMA, the door industry association, says spring repairs and adjustments belong to a trained door systems technician. See our torsion spring guide for why.

LiftMaster and Chamberlain: UP and DOWN arrow codes

Security+ 2.0 and 3.0 openers with UP and DOWN arrows on the motor unit show a two-part code: a number of UP arrow flashes, then a number of DOWN arrow flashes. Code 1-5 below means 1 UP flash followed by 5 DOWN flashes.

Chamberlain Group support, Garage Door Opener Diagnostic Codes (paraphrased)
Code (UP-DOWN)	What it means	What to do
1-1	Safety sensors blocked, misaligned, disconnected or a wire is broken. Door closes then reverses, or will not close.	Clear the beam, check both sensor lights are steady, realign and reconnect the sensors.
1-2	Sensor wires reversed or shorted. Door may move an inch or two and go back up.	Match wire colors at both ends (white to white, striped to striped). Look for pinched or damaged wire.
1-5	No RPM detected. Opener hums or clicks; door moves less than 6 to 8 inches or not at all.	Follow Chamberlain's linked hum or low-travel article. On a wall-mount (jackshaft) unit, reconnect the door if the release was pulled.
1-6	Unexpected door movement. Door opens fully, then drifts down on its own.	Do a balance test. On a jackshaft unit, reconnect a pulled emergency release.
2-1 to 2-5	Logic board component failure.	Unplug the opener (and battery backup) for 5 seconds. If the code returns, the logic board may need replacing.
3-5	Cable tension monitor (wall-mount models 8500W/RJO70, 98022/RJO101, 98032).	Check the monitor's connection and wire. If a cable looks loose, stop using the door and call a professional.
4-1	Resistance while closing. Door reverses, stops or struggles.	Remove obstructions, check rollers and hinges, reprogram travel if the door keeps going after it reaches the floor.
4-2	Resistance while opening. Door stops before fully open.	Clear obstructions and retest, then do a balance test. Do not adjust springs yourself.
4-3	RPM lost while closing. Door stops and reverses just before the floor.	Clear the tracks, check rollers and hinges. If it persists, have a professional inspect the travel module.
4-4	RPM lost while opening. Door stops before fully open.	Do a balance test and look for a broken torsion spring. Call a professional if one is broken.
4-5	Unrecognized travel module, usually after a part swap.	Confirm the replacement travel module matches your model number.
5-5	Remote light required for unattended operation (same wall-mount models as 3-5).	Install or reprogram a myQ-compatible remote light, or turn off app schedules and Timer-to-Close.

Chamberlain also notes that if the opener's main lights flash 10 times and the door will not close, the safety reversing sensors are the problem. A wall control with its LOCK feature on will also ignore remotes. Our won't-close guide walks through both.

LiftMaster and Chamberlain: Learn button LED flashes

Openers without arrows report codes with the small LED next to the Learn button. It flashes a number of times, pauses, and repeats. Chamberlain says the 1, 2 and 4 flash sensor codes are not present on openers or replacement logic boards made after 2022.

Chamberlain Group support, flashing LED next to the Learn button (paraphrased)
Flashes	What it means	What to do
1	A safety sensor wire is broken or disconnected.	Find the break or loose connection and repair or reattach it.
2	A sensor wire is shorted, or the black and white wires are reversed.	White wires to terminal 2, white/black wires to terminal 3; look for shorts.
3	The door control's light or screen is not lit.	Look for a short in the door control wire, such as a staple. Not applicable to Security+ 2.0 openers.
4	Sending sensor is steady but the receiving light is dim or flashing.	Realign the sensors, clean the lenses, tighten the brackets.
5	No motor RPM in the first second.	Unplug for 5 seconds. If it hums and stops, Chamberlain lists door balance, a broken spring, a manual lock, gears or the motor. Let an overheated motor cool 45 minutes.
6	Motor circuit failure.	Chamberlain says to replace the receiver logic board, since the motor rarely fails.

Genie

Genie uses red and green LEDs on the powerhead. On the models below, both LEDs off means normal operation.

Genie 1022, 1024, 1042, 2022, 2024, 2027 and 2042

ChainLift 600 and 800, ReliaG 600 and 800, BeltLift 600, ChainLift 700, QuietLift 800. The indicator is on the bottom of the powerhead, facing the floor.

The Genie Company, troubleshooting guide for models 1022 to 2042 (paraphrased)
LED pattern	What it means	What to do
Red, solid	Programming is incomplete.	Finish setting the limits and adding remotes per the owner's manual.
Red, 1 blink	The remote has not been learned.	Program the remote.
Green, 1 blink	Limits not fully programmed, the Safe-T-Beam was blocked while closing, or the door is obstructed or hard to move.	Program the limits, clear the beam, and check the door spring (owner's manual section 10).
Green, 2 blinks	UP limit may be unset, a bad wire or connection at the powerhead, misaligned sensors, or a constant beam obstruction.	Set the UP limit, check wiring, realign and clear the sensors.
Green, 3 blinks	Limits are set backwards.	Clear and reprogram the limits (owner's manual section 6).
Green, 4 blinks	Wall button wire shorted or reversed.	Check for staples cutting the wire; repair, replace the wall control, or reverse the wires at the powerhead.
Green, 5 blinks	Chain or belt too tight, or a control system failure.	Adjust tension (owner's manual section 1) or contact Genie for service.

Genie Excelerator screw drive (H8000, H8000-07, H8000D, ISD990, ISD995, ISD1000, PRO99, PRO99-21C, PRO99FN, CMD9900)

The status light is under the lens cover. Genie says the green LED turns on then off when power is applied; if it stays on, contact Genie.

The Genie Company, Excelerator self-diagnostic chart (paraphrased)
Blinks	What it means	What to do
1	Motor drive board interrupt. Genie notes an unbalanced door, worn spring or binding hardware can also trigger it.	Unplug 5 seconds and plug back in. If it recurs, check the door's condition.
2	Controller board interrupt.	Reset the same way and check the ribbon cable between boards.
3	Opener overheated or over-cycled.	Do not unplug it. Wait; Genie says cycles return at about 5 per 10 minutes of rest.
4	Force settings incorrect (not preset at the factory).	Check force settings and the door's condition.
5	Safe-T-Beam malfunction. The door will not close without working sensors.	Check the Safe-T-Beam system.
6	Wall console does not work.	Look for shorts, tight staples or pinched wires.
7	Limit switches not working.	Check limit switch wire connections and pinched wires.
8	Wall console is locked (vacation switch).	Unlock the switch on the wall console.

Linear

Linear openers report through light flashes and an audible alarm once the door stops. This chart is from the LDCO850 manual; other Linear models may use a different chart, so check yours.

Linear LDCO850 Homeowner's Manual, Door Operation Troubleshooting (paraphrased)
Flashes / beeps	What it means	What to do
1	No problem: a remote was added to memory.	Add any other remotes.
2	Door will not operate: shorted wall station wires.	Check both wires at the terminal screws; remove staples; look for frayed wire.
3	Door will not close: safety beam obstacle.	Remove obstacles and align the safety beams.
4	Door reverses or will not open or close: force exceeded.	Check for obstruction or binding; adjust force if needed; field reset if needed.
5	Remote ignored: vacation mode is on.	Turn off vacation mode at the wall station.
6	Limit error: up and down limits set too close together.	Reset the limits. If it repeats, call a qualified garage door professional.
7	Encoder detected an error.	Check for obstruction or binding. If it repeats, call a professional.

With a battery backup installed and the door stopped open, the LDCO850 beeps 2 times for a low battery (it takes about 10 hours to charge), 4 times when the battery no longer holds a charge, and 5 times for a shorted battery or battery leads.

Craftsman

We could not find a diagnostic chart published by Craftsman itself, so we do not reproduce one here. Code lists for Craftsman openers that circulate online are mostly on third-party manual mirror sites, and we only publish codes we can trace to the manufacturer. Find the model number on the motor unit label and request the owner's manual through Craftsman customer support. Until then, the sensor and limit checks in our won't-close and reverses guides apply to any brand.

What the codes have in common

Sensor codes (LiftMaster 1-1 and 1-2, Genie green 1 and 2, Genie Excelerator 5, Linear 3): start with alignment and wiring. See the won't-close flow.
Resistance and force codes (LiftMaster 4-1 to 4-4, Genie Excelerator 4, Linear 4): look at the door, not the opener. A binding roller or an unbalanced door is often the cause. See closes then reverses.
Limit codes (Genie green 3, Genie Excelerator 7, Linear 6): the opener does not know where open and closed are. Reprogram limits per the manual.
Board codes (LiftMaster 2-1 to 2-5, Learn LED 6, Genie Excelerator 1 and 2): power-cycle first, then a technician or a replacement board. Compare against our repair vs replace notes.

Frequently asked questions

What does code 1-1 mean on a LiftMaster or Chamberlain opener?

On Security+ 2.0 and 3.0 openers with UP and DOWN arrows, 1 UP flash and 1 DOWN flash means the safety sensors are blocked, misaligned, disconnected or have a broken wire. The door closes then reverses, or will not close. Clear the beam, make sure both sensor lights are steady, and realign or reconnect the sensors.

Why does my Genie opener blink green twice?

On Genie models 1022, 1024, 1042, 2022, 2024, 2027 and 2042, two green blinks then a pause points to an unset UP limit, a bad wire or connection at the powerhead, misaligned Safe-T-Beam sensors, or something continuously blocking the beam. Genie's guide says to set the UP limit, check the wiring, and realign or clear the sensors.

What do 3 flashes mean on a Linear garage door opener?

In the Linear LDCO850 manual, 3 flashes or beeps means the door will not close because something is blocking the safety beam. Check for obstacles and align the safety beams.

Are garage door blink codes the same for every brand?

No. A 4-flash code means a sensor alignment problem on LiftMaster and Chamberlain openers that use the Learn button LED, wall button wiring on several Genie models, force settings on Genie Excelerator models, and force exceeded on the Linear LDCO850. Always match the code to your brand and model number.

Can I clear a blink code myself?

Some codes, yes. Realigning safety sensors, removing an obstruction, fixing a stapled wall-control wire or turning off lock or vacation mode are homeowner jobs. Codes that point to door balance, a broken spring or a loose cable are not. The manufacturers send those to a trained technician, and spring adjustment should never be done by a homeowner.

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Sources

Codes and rules are paraphrased from these documents. Charts vary by model and software version, so your owner's manual wins if it disagrees with this page.

Garage Door Opener Diagnostic Codes (UP and DOWN arrows), Chamberlain Group support (LiftMaster, Chamberlain), as of 2026.
What does the flashing LED next to the Learn button mean, Chamberlain Group support (LiftMaster, Chamberlain), as of 2026.
Diagnostic codes for garage door openers (which chart fits which model), Chamberlain Group support, as of 2026.
Why do the lights on my garage door opener flash and my door will not close, Chamberlain Group support, as of 2026.
Genie Garage Door Opener Troubleshooting Guide for models 1022, 1024, 1042, 2022, 2024, 2042, 2027, The Genie Company, as of 2026.
Genie Excelerator Series Garage Door Opener Self-Diagnostic Troubleshooting, The Genie Company, as of 2026.
Linear LDCO850 Homeowner's Manual (Troubleshooting, page 13), Nortek Security & Control (Linear), manual rev. E, 2019, as of 2026.