Garage Door Safety Sensors | How to Wire to Opener

Safety sensors (also called safety reversing sensors) are located on each side of the garage door, mounted no higher than 6 inches above the floor. They prevent the door from closing if something is in the way.

Each sensor has two wires:

• Solid white
• White with black stripe

Depending on your garage:

• Pre-wired garages: Wires run behind the drywall and exit near the garage door tracks and ceiling by the opener.
  • Note: If your garage is pre-wired, the short wires coming out of the wall near the bottom of the garage door are called pre-wired leads. You will connect the sensor wires to these leads, then run the other end into the opener terminals.
• Standard installations: Wires run visibly from the sensors along the wall and ceiling to the opener.

At the opener, look for the terminal block on the motor head, located next to the LEARN button. This is where the sensor wires connect.

Example of sensor placement in a garage. Your sensors may not look exactly like this.

Step 1: Identify Your Terminal Type

Before wiring, determine what type of terminals your opener uses:

• Quick connect plug-in terminals
• Quick connect plug-in terminals using pre-existing wires
• Openers with Screw terminals
• Screw terminals using pre-existing wires

Quick Connect Plug-In Terminals

1. Strip 7/16-inch of insulation from each of the two wires on each sensor—each sensor has two wires, a solid white one and one white with a black stripe, for a total of four wires.
2. Twist together the two white-with-black-stripe wires from both sensors.
3. Twist together the two white solid wires from both sensors.
4. Insert the two white-with-black-stripe wires in the gray terminal on the motor unit.
5. Insert the two white solid wires in the white terminal next to the gray on the motor unit.

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Quick Connect Plug-In Terminals Using Pre-Existing Wires

1. Strip 7/16-inch of insulation from each solid-white and white-with-black-stripe wire on both sensors.
2. Join the white-with-black-stripe sensor wire to the pre-wired lead that will go into the gray terminal.
3. Join the solid white sensor wire to the pre-wired lead that will go into the white terminal.

NOTE: To release or insert wires into the quick connect terminals, push in the tab below the terminal with the tip of a screwdriver.

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Openers with Screw Terminals

1. Strip 7/16-inch of insulation from each solid-white and white-with-black-stripe wire on both sensors.
2. Twist together the two white-with-black-stripe wires from both sensors.
3. Twist together the two solid-white wires from both sensors.
4. Connect the two white-with-black-stripe wires to screw terminal 3 on the motor unit.
5. Connect the two solid-white wires to screw terminal 2 on the motor unit.

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Screw Terminals Using Pre-Existing Wires

1. Strip 7/16-inch of insulation from each solid-white and white-with-black-stripe wire on both sensors.
2. Whatever color wire you are splicing to the white-with-black-stripe wire connects to screw terminal 3 on the motor unit.
3. Whatever color wire you are splicing to the solid-white wire connects to screw terminal 2 on the motor unit.
4. Insulate each wire splice using electrical tape or a wire cap.

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Verify the Connection

• Check that both sensor LEDs are glowing steadily (amber on sending sensor, green on receiving sensor).
• If LEDs are off or flickering, see: 
  • How to Align Safey Reversing Sensors
  • Troubleshooting Safety Sensors
  • Safety Reversing Sensors Installation Instructions