Garage Door Won't Open? Get Your Car Out Today
Most stuck-closed doors are a broken spring or dead opener. Here's how to tell — and how to manually release the door so you can leave for work.
60-second diagnostic — spring or opener?
Listen, look, and test in this order:
Press the wall button — what happens?
Motor hums but door doesn't move → broken spring. Motor totally silent → power or board issue. Motor clicks → capacitor or logic.
Look at the spring above the door
A 2–3 inch visible gap in the coil = the spring is snapped. Do not try to lift the door — it weighs 130–180 lbs without spring assist.
Check the breaker and outlet
Cold snaps trip GFCI outlets. Reset both and try again.
Try a different remote or the wall button
Isolates whether the issue is the remote, receiver, or motor.
Identified a broken spring? Use the manual release below to get your car out, then call us — never operate the motor with a broken spring.
Do NOT try to lift a door with a broken spring
A residential garage door weighs 130–180 lbs without spring counterbalance. Serious injuries happen every winter in Montreal. Use the manual release and call us.
Why your door won't open — most likely causes
From our Montreal service log, ranked by frequency in winter months:
Broken torsion spring
highThe #1 cause in January–February. Cold steel + thousands of cycles = sudden snap, usually overnight.
Dead opener motor or capacitor
highHumming with no movement = capacitor. Total silence = power, board, or burnt motor.
Tripped GFCI outlet
lowCold weather trips outlets. Free fix — but worth checking first.
Snapped cable
highOften happens with a broken spring. Door may sit tilted.
Frozen to the ground
mediumRubber bottom seal bonds to ice. See our frozen door page for safe thaw methods.
Disengaged trolley
lowSomeone may have pulled the red emergency cord. Re-engage by running the motor with door closed.
How we get you back on the road — same day
Phone diagnosis so the truck arrives with the right springs and cables
30–90 minute arrival across Greater Montreal
Spring tension safely released and replaced in pairs
Cables, drums, and bearings inspected (cascade failures are common)
Full balance test and 5 open/close cycles
12-month warranty on parts and workmanship
Montreal repair cost ranges
| Service | Montreal price |
|---|---|
Torsion spring (single) | $240–$360 |
Torsion springs (pair, recommended) Replacing both prevents repeat call-out | $360–$560 |
Cable + spring combo | $420–$640 |
Opener capacitor replacement | $160–$240 |
Logic board replacement | $280–$440 |
New opener (mid-range LiftMaster) | $540–$880 |
All quotes confirmed on-site before work begins. We never start without your approval.
Why Montreal springs fail in January
Cold steel becomes brittle. A spring rated for 10,000 cycles in Vancouver lasts noticeably fewer in Montreal. We use cold-rated coated springs and dispatch from depots in Saint-Laurent, Longueuil, and downtown for fast winter response.
Why Montreal homeowners call us
5.0★ Google Rating from Montreal homeowners
Local Montreal service with warranty support
Cold-rated parts in every truck
Bilingual EN/FR dispatch 24/7
12-month warranty on every repair
Recent 5-star reviews
Read all reviews on Google"-22°C morning, spring snapped, car trapped. They arrived in an hour with the right springs and had me out by 10:30. Lifesaver."
"Walked me through three options at three price points. No pressure. Chose mid-range, installed in 90 minutes."
"Honest about replacing both springs even though only one snapped. Explained why. Door runs like new."