We have a older craftsman door opener and we now need to hold the button to close the door and the car remote dose not work.

Clear any obstruction from between the safety sensors. Loose leaves, trash, and dirt on the lens of the sensor itself are all examples of things that can obstruct the sensor's signal.

1. Check each sensor for a steady glowing indicator light. If both indicator lights are on, or if one indicator light is flickering, the sensors may be slightly misaligned. To check for misalignment; obstruct the beam of the sensors so that they cannot see each other. When the beam is blocked, the indicator light on one of the two sensors will temporarily go out. This is the receiving sensor. Remove the obstruction and loosen the wing nut on the back of the receiving sensor. Adjust the receiving sensor until the green indicator light goes out, if not already out, then realign until the green light is bright and steady, then retighten the wing nut. This usually takes a couple of attempts before it is back in alignment.
   

2. If an indicator light is out on one or both sensors, check for a possible loose or shorted wire. Sensor wires are attached to the white and black terminals on the back or side panel of the overhead motor unit. Check that they are securely connected to each terminal. Also check the wires for any breaks, especially anywhere they are spliced together.