Here’s What You Can Safely Check
When your garage door remote and keypad suddenly stop working, it can feel like you’re completely locked out. You know the code. You’re pressing the buttons. Nothing happens. At the same time, you’re aware the garage door is heavy and you’re right not to try forcing it open.
This is a common situation for homeowners near the Central Coast, and in most cases, the cause is something simple. In others, it’s a built-in safety feature doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.
The good news is this is usually something straightforward. A few quick checks can tell you what’s going on and whether it’s something you can handle or something better left to a professional.
First, What It Means When Both the Remote and Keypad Stop Working
When both devices fail at the same time, it usually points to the garage door opener, not the door itself.
Garage door systems work as a network:
-
The keypad sends a wireless signal
-
The remote sends a wireless signal
-
The opener receives and responds
-
The springs and tracks physically move the door
If the opener isn’t receiving or responding to signals, the keypad and remote can appear “dead,” even if they’re technically fine.
This distinction matters because it helps narrow the problem safely.
Safe Things You Can Check From Outside the Garage
If you don’t have interior access, here’s what’s reasonable and safe to look at.
1. Look for an Exterior Emergency Release
Some garage doors have a small keyed lock on the outside.
If yours does:
-
Insert the key and turn it
-
This manually disengages the opener from the door
-
You may then lift the door slowly and evenly
If the door feels extremely heavy or won’t stay open, stop immediately. That’s a sign the springs are not supporting the door’s weight.
If you do not have this lock, do not attempt to force the door open.
2. Check for Power Issues
Garage door openers need consistent power, even if they have a backup battery.
From outside, you can:
-
Check nearby GFCI outlets and reset them if tripped
-
Look for any signs of a recent power outage
If the opener lost power, the keypad and remote won’t work even though the door itself is fine.
3. Watch the Keypad Carefully
When you press the keypad buttons:
-
Do the numbers light up?
-
Does the backlight flash or stay dark?
A keypad with no response at all may have:
-
Dead batteries
-
Internal failure
-
Lost communication with the opener
However, a keypad lighting up but doing nothing often means the opener is in lock or vacation mode, which can only be disabled from inside.
Why You Should Not Try to Lift the Door Manually (Yet)
Garage doors weigh anywhere from 150 to 300 pounds. The springs, not the opener, carry that weight.
If:
-
A cable is off
-
Or the door is unbalanced
Lifting it manually can be dangerous.
A properly balanced door should lift smoothly with minimal effort. If it doesn’t, forcing it can cause the door to drop suddenly.
Your instinct to avoid lifting it blindly is exactly right.
Common Reasons This Happens to Homeowners
Here’s what garage door professionals most often find in situations like this:
-
Lock or vacation mode enabled on the wall control
-
Dead opener backup battery
-
Failed logic board inside the opener
-
Lost programming between opener and keypad
-
Power interruption affecting the opener
-
Worn internal components from age or heat
Notice that most of these are control-system issues, not door failures.
When a Professional Is the Right Call
If:
-
You can’t access the interior wall control
-
There’s no exterior emergency release
-
The door feels heavy or unsafe
-
Both the remote and keypad are unresponsive
Calling a garage door professional is the safest and fastest solution.
This is a routine service call. A trained technician can:
-
Safely disengage the opener
-
Open the door without damage
-
Restore keypad and remote function
-
Identify whether the issue is electrical, mechanical, or programming-related
Locked out of your garage? Don’t Force the Door
If your remote and keypad aren’t working, our trained garage door technicians can safely get you back in and fix the issue the right way. Call Aaron Overhead Doors at 831-219-8648 for fast, professional service and peace of mind or contact us online to schedule service. We provide free estimates on all our services.
The Bottom Line for Homeowners
- When your garage door won’t open and none of the controls respond, it’s not a failure on your part and it’s rarely something you should “muscle through.”
- Garage door systems are designed with safety redundancies, and when something stops working, it’s often to prevent a more serious problem.
- Checking what you can safely see is smart. Knowing when to stop is smarter.
- If you’re stuck outside and unsure what’s happening, a professional garage door technician can get you back in safely without putting you or your property at risk.

