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How to Reprogram Your Garage Door Opener

If you use your garage as the main entrance to your home, you likely use it frequently. With such frequent use, scheduling services and repairs is crucial to keep your garage door system in working condition. But, if your automatic opener system stops functioning or you lose your remote, you might be able to fix it by resetting it. Reprogramming garage door openers is usually straightforward, but it depends on your opener type.

Table of Contents:

How Do Garage Door Systems Work?
Reasons to Reset Your Garage Door Opener System
What to Consider Before You Start
How to Reset Your Garage Door Opener System
How to Reset an Older Dual-in Line Package (DIP) System
How to Reset a Newer System
How to Reset Your Garage Door Remote
How to Reset Your Keypad Code

How Do Garage Door Systems Work?

Your garage door opens when you press a button on your remote or inside your garage. These buttons transmit a code to the receiver in your opener that tells your opener to raise or close your door. 

Modern receivers generate a new code each time you press the button. It’s a security measure to prevent thieves from opening your garage with a code. The code is always different, and only your remote knows the next one.

Reasons to Reset Your Garage Door Opener System

Many new garage door systems have a keypad that allows you to enter your garage without your remote. If you’re the only one with the remotes, you can give trusted friends and family members the code so they can enter your garage. 

Sometimes, you need to reset your remote or the code on your keypad. Some of the reasons you may want to reset your opener system include:

  • You lost your remote and have to reprogram the new one.
  • You just moved into the residence.
  • You forgot your old code.
  • Your remote disengaged from the opener.
  • You gave the old code to someone outside your household.
  • You suspect someone has tried to enter your garage.
  • There has been suspicious activity in your neighborhood.

Before You Start

Before you reset your garage opener system, you need to determine if it is experiencing electrical issues that require professional repair services. Reprogramming a garage door opener can be dangerous. Here are some electrical problems your system can encounter:

  • A blown fuse
  • A failed transformer from a power surge
  • A burned or loose wire
  • A defective circuit board
  • A faulty capacitor
  • A broken electrical cord
  • An electrical cord that’s detached from the opener

When your opener system is experiencing electrical problems, you might notice the following: 

  • Lights or electrical outlets in your garage that aren’t functioning.
  • The circuit breaker or ground fault circuit interrupter (GCFI) outlet trips frequently.
  • The warning light flashes or stays on.
  • The garage door opener is plugged in but doesn’t have any power.
  • Your keypad and remote aren’t working.
  • The photo eyes aren’t receiving power even though they’re plugged in.
  • The opener is operating unusually — for example, your door opens halfway.
  • The LEDs on the photo-eye sensors aren’t lit or blinking.
  • Your door is opening on its own.

If you suspect an electrical issue with your opener, contact a professional. Garage door technicians have the necessary knowledge and tools to fix your opener system.

How to Reset Your Garage Door Opener System

After you inspect your garage door for damage or have a service technician come out, you’re ready to reset your opener system. The first step is to find out whether you have an older or newer opener system.

You can determine if your system is an old or new model by looking at the main unit. The unit will either have switches or a button that reads “home” or “learn.” If your system has a button, it’s likely a newer model. Switches indicate that you have an older model.

How to Reset an Older Dual-in Line Package (DIP) System

Learning how to reset your older garage opener is extremely helpful when you’re trying to get in or out of your garage and the system stops working. An older garage door opener will have somewhere between nine and twelve switches inside the main unit and the handheld remote. 

For the remote to connect with the garage door opener, the switches must be in the same positions on the garage remote and the main unit. Take the outer covers off both products and check if the switch positions match. If they don’t match, take something narrow, like a pen or pencil, and slide the switches on the remote control so they’re identical to the ones on the main unit. After you complete this step, put the covers back on and test to see if your remote works.

How to Reset a Newer System

You’ll first have to find the button that says “home” or “learn.” You’ll notice the button might be next to an LED light or the garage door opener’s antenna. The light will show a different color depending on the type of garage door opener you have.

After you find the reset button, you can begin to reset your garage door opener. While the exact process varies, most models with a button will have you push the button for around five seconds. Another common process requires you to hold the button down until the LED light begins to blink. For many garage door opener systems, that’s all you’ll have to do when reprogramming.

A quick online search of the make and model of your garage door and opener should help you figure out which process will reset it.

How to Reset Your Garage Door Remote

You can research the brand of your remote and opener to find specific instructions, but here are the general steps to reprogram your garage door remote:

  1. Verify the brand: Ensure your remote and opener are the same brand. Otherwise, the remote may not work.
  2. Find the “learn” or “home” button: The “learn” or “home” button is typically on the opener. You may find it on the wall unit or the main unit.
  3. Press the “learn” or “home” button: Press the “learn” or “home” button on your unit until it begins to flash. You’ll have to do this twice if you have a LiftMaster MyQ control panel. Once the system is ready, press the “open” button on your garage remote.
  4. Test the “open” button: Let your system finish resetting, then press the “open” button on your remote and see if your garage door will open.

Resetting Your Keypad Code

When you want to use a new PIN to access your garage, follow these steps to reprogram your keypad:

  1. Locate the “learn” button: The “learn” button is either on your main unit or the wall control panel.
  2. Press the “learn” button: Quickly press and release the “learn” button. Repeat this step if you have a LiftMaster MyQ control panel.
  3. Enter a new PIN: Create a new PIN code using the keypad, then hit enter.
  4. Watch the light on the opener: The LED light on your opener should blink or slowly go out to indicate your PIN has changed.
  5. Test your PIN: Close your garage and enter your PIN on the keypad to see if it works.

Choose a PIN that’s simple but secretive. Avoid sensitive information that’s simple for others to find out, like birthdays, addresses or phone numbers. A good garage code is easy for you and your family to remember but difficult for strangers to guess.

If you need or want to clear the memory on your garage door opener and reset the keypad code simultaneously, especially if the storage is full. To reset the memory on your opener you: 

  1. Find the “learn” button: This button will be on your main unit or the wall control panel.
  2. Press the “learn” button: Press and hold the “learn” button for six seconds.
  3. Watch the LED light: The LED light on your opener should blink or go out. 
  4. Enter a new PIN: Press the numbers for your new PIN, then push “enter.”
  5. Test your PIN: Close your garage door and enter your PIN to see if it’ll open. 

Trust AE Door & Window for Your Garage Door Repair Needs

Whether you need help reprogramming your opener system or you suspect your opener needs repairs, you can trust AE Door & Window to solve your garage door problems. For over 40 years, AE Door & Window has supplied residential and commercial clients with high-quality, name-brand garage doors. We sell, install and service garage doors of many makes and models. Our team can help you keep your garage door in top shape. Schedule service today or request an estimate.

 

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