I have a Genie Excelertor garage door opener that, when it gets cold, all the power goes out on it, i.e.. The wall pad does not operate and the Safe t beam lights go out. Once it warms up above 40 - 45 degrees, the power comes back on and the opener operates but is a labored state with the light on the unit flickering as the door rises. Any suggestions?

Symptoms of this nature can be sometimes traced back to a crack in a solder joint on the control board. Openers vibrate, the solder cracks and when it gets cold, the crack gets bigger and no contact. When it heats back up, the crack closes and contact restored. This was fairly common with older cars when PC boards were starting to be used. Happened a lot in MN, AK etc.

The main cause of this problem is that the government has required the use of lead-free solder. Lead-free solder does not melt as easily as the regular solder and bad solder joints are common. My solution has been to remove the circuit board and examine it carefully for bad solder joints-they usually look dull. Then heat a small toaster oven to 450°F, cover any plastic parts with aluminum foil, and put in the oven for 9 minutes, then remove and allow to cool slowly. I use aluminum foil to raise it up from the pan I place it on. Look on YouTube and you will see how it's done. I have repaired my HP laser printer and many laptop circuit boards this way.