Conveniently, a garage door remote allows you to open or close the door without having to get out of your car. You may need to know how to program your garage door remote if you change it, it breaks, or if it's ever lost or stolen. How Does the Garage Door Remote Work? In an older garage door remote, you will find small code switches that turn on or off. The same set of code switches is present in the garage door opener controlling the door. Newer remotes use a rolling code technology. This type of garage door remote functions by changing the code each time the remote is pressed. A radio frequency allows the remote to send a signal to the opener to go up or down. Garage Door Remote Frequencies Radio frequencies are measured in megahertz (MHz). The most common garage door remote frequencies are 300 MHz, 310 MHz, 315 MHz, 318 MHz, or 390 MHz. The frequency for a garage door remote or motor is usually printed on them. Step 1 - Choose a Remote Match your garage door remote to your garage door opener by using the same manufacturer.
The following are some of the companies that sell garage door remotes: Liftmaster, Genie, Allstar, Linear, and Stanley. Step 2 - Locate the Learn Button Programming your garage door remote and clearing the current garage door remotes from the opener varies slightly according to the model of your system. All openers have a learn button. To find the learn button you may have to remove the light cover on the opener. Step 3 - Program the Remote To program a new remote into the system, hold the learn button until the indicator light blinks on the opener. While the indicator light is blinking, press the button on your remote. Test the new garage door remote by pressing once to see if the door moves. A garage door opener can only maintain five remotes or four remotes and one keyless entry, so if a remote is lost, you might have to erase all codes from your opener before you can add a new one. In most cases, erasing remotes from the garage door system is accomplished by pressing the learn button until the indicator light stops blinking.
This will usually erase all remote codes and from there, you will have to follow the previous instructions to reprogram all of them. Programming Remotes That Have Code Switches Code switches in your garage door remote and opener have to match. This means that the code switches are placed in the same position.Press and release the LEARN button on the overhead garage door opener unit. The learn indicator light will glow steadily for 30 seconds. Within this 30 second time period, press and hold the button on the hand-held remote. Next, release the button when the overhead opener unit's lights blink. If light bulbs are not installed on your opener, then two clicks will be heard. To erase all codes from motor unit memory: Press and hold the LEARN button on motor unit until the learn indicator light goes out (approximately 6 seconds). All previous codes are now erased. Reprogram each remote or keyless entry you wish to use. Press and hold the ENTER button. Next, release the button when the overhead opener unit's lights blink.
If your garage door opener is compatible with the HomeLink® system, follow these easy steps to set it up.You have a shiny new car and want to program your garage door opener to it. So you get out your garage door remote control and your new car's owner's manual for the instructions from the manufacturer to be able to program the remote control to the car. Then, after following the instructions from the manual, you press the button for the garage door to go up . . . and nothing happens. Did you miss a step? Read on to learn about what most instruction manuals leave out: the step of programming the car/truck/van to the garage door machine itself. The Logic BoardOn the back side of your garage door opener is a panel called the logic board (see the photo above). The logic board is the computer or brain of the machine. Most new garage door openers are multi-code machines. That means that they use several signals each time you press the button on your remote control. This is for security, so your code can't be stolen by a code-grabber.
Programming a Vehicle to the Garage Door OpenerOnce you have followed the instructions on programing your machine, you now have to "teach" the garage door opener to connect to the remote device in your car. First, press the "learn" button on the back of your garage door opener mounted on the ceiling. (The learn button, located on the back of your machine, will be square if using a Liftmaster machine. Craftsman, Liftmaster, Chamberlain are all the same. Their learn buttons are square and usually yellow, red/orange, or purple. If using a Genie, the button says "learn button.") The single press of this button should be brief and firm. Do not hold this button down. If you do, it erases all of the programming in the machine and you'll have to re-program all the remote controls that you have, and that's not a fun process. Quickly press the button on the remote control and hold it down a moment. If your car has a built-in button, then you'll need to have someone help you by pressing that button now.
Programing the remote to the machine only takes a second. When the machine accepts the code, the light on the machine might flash for a brief moment, and you should hear an audible click. Yep, it's that easy! I don't know why the auto makers leave this step out, but that's really it. I hope this helps, and if you have any questions, leave them in the comments below and I will try to walk you through it. Don't Hold the Learn Button DownIf you do, it erases all of the programming and you'll have to re-program all the remote controls you have. How To Program Your Garage Door Opener Odyssey® 1000 Model 7030® Odyssey® and Destiny® - Program Speed®® Odyssey® and Destiny® - Program a CodeDodger® 1 Remote®®® Odyssey® and Destiny® - Program a Wireless Keypad®®® Odyssey® and Destiny® - Program to HomeLink®®®® Standard Drive and Legacy®®How do I program my remote control? Your remote control can be programmed to activate many devices including: garage door openers (GDO), gate operators, commercial door openers and external wired-in receivers.
To program using the learn button Locate the Learn button. Garage door opener: Located on the same side the antenna hangs from, you may have to remove the light lens. The Learn button may be green, orange, red, purple, or yellow with a small LED next to it. Gate operator or commercial door opener: Located on the control or logic board, with a small LED next to it. MyQ Control Panel: Lift the push bar and locate the learn button. Press and release the learn button. If you have a MyQ Control Panel, press the Learn button twice. The 8500/8500C has a MyQ Control Panel. Within 30 seconds, press and hold the desired button on the remote control for three seconds. The LED indicator light will turn off or the operator lights will blink indicating programming was completed successfully. Press the remote control again to test out. The operator or opener should activate. If not, repeat steps 2 and 3. To program to an external wired-in receiver
Once you have located the receiver, follow these steps for programming. Remove the cover of the receiver. Depending on the model, the cover may wrap around the receiver or the face plate may need to be removed using a flat head screw driver. We recommend downloading the instruction manual for better assistance on how to remove the cover to access the program button. Locate the learn button. This is usually a small radio button with an LED next to the button. Press and release the learn button.The receiver will click indicating the programming was completed successfully.If not, repeat steps 3 and 4. Please see your local LiftMaster Dealer for assistance programming your remote to a commercial door opener or gate operator. Click here to see a video about how to program a remote control. To check for compatible remote controls see Chamberlain Remote Compatibility or LiftMaster Remote Compatibility. Answers others found helpful Video: Programming LiftMaster MAX Garage Door Remote Control