Problem with garage door opener

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scott_l

Member
Last week my key pad (to open and close the garage door) stopped working. I thought no big deal the battery just died, so I put in a new battery (it’s a wireless device). Still does not work. Ok I pull the manual out and do some reading, it says to re teach it, so I do but still not working properly. So I went and purchased a new one, I got the key pad to close the door, but it does not open the door. So I completely wiped out the garage door opener memory and re taught the key pad and the remote door openers that go in the cars. Now I am having problems with everything.

If I stand in the garage both of the garage door openers work just fine all day long (open and close the door no problem). But when I stand in the drive way they do not work (can’t open or close the door), it’s like they lose their distance or power. Before I wiped out the memory the remotes worked at the end of the driveway. All batteries are new.

Any ideas what happed or how I can fix it.
 
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anonomoose

New member
Just because the batteries are "new out of the package" doesn't mean that they have the POWER to do the job.

First go buy another package of batteries and make very certain that it is not the batteries, as what you describe sure sounds like weak signal.

Next check the "antenna" on the unit itself...making sure that it is attached and has good wire connections and is not loose. A loose antenna lead will limit the range...assuming it has an external antenna wire.

Lastly, for $100 bucks, you can change out the whole unit get two new remotes and have fresh everything and still have time to go fishing...rather than play with this for a week or two and never finding the issue. (it is possible that something on the circuit board when kafloowie....)
 
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wags

New member
My inlaws had the same problem, try this, there is a wire antenna on the opener itself make sure it is clean and connected. My inlaws was full of dust and a simple wipe worked.

Sound silly but remember it is wireless and the signals do go thru the air to the opener.

Good Luck
 
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yamahauler

Active member
#1. Make sure where wires are striped and put into back of opener are no loose. Give a little tug on them to make sure they are in there. The new openers have the push in connects and sometimes they come out or are barely in there. If it is the screw down type, make sure the screws are tight.

#2. Make sure the antenna is hanging out on the opener

#3. I assume you have the eyes so if you break the beam, the door will go back up. If so, clean them off and make sure nothing is in the way of them. Stand back and look at them. Each one should have a light and if only one does then they are no seeing each other or a wire is damage on that eye. Just grab the one with no light and move it still they see each other and both lights are on.

#4. When you push the button, does it sound like the opener is working but nothing happens?

#5. Check the spring to make sure it isn't broke...if broke DO NOT attempt to fix it or replace it unless you know what you are doing.

#6. Also, spring could be wore and use a few turns...it being wore can cause the door to be to heavy for opener to lift but #5 & #6 don't seem to be your issue if the door is going up and down.

One more things...if you have the button on the wall where you go into the house and it has the lockout option activated, it will lockout the keypad and it doesn't matter what you enter it will not open. You just need to hold down that button to unlock it. A lot of times you can tell with how the lights blink on the button or opener if it has been activated. If you can't tell, just hold the button down. If it then unactivates it great, if not, hold button down again to unactivate it.

Let us know if any of that works.
 
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snow_monkey

New member
x'2 on the lockout option try to bypass the wall switch and see if that works. When you program all those remotes it can be tricky.
 
S

scott_l

Member
anonomoose

yup already checked the batteries, the ones in the remotes where actually good (checked them with the meter) but I still purchased new ones (and checked them) any ways. No Luck

Also checked the Antenna... stripped a little off the end that hangs down from the opener and did a continuity test to the circuit board and that worked.

yamahauler

#1 tried that actually pulled them all out and reinserted them.
#2 yup and is attached to circuit board
#3 door works with the remotes (if I am in the garage) or if I use the push button on the wall
#4 again opener works just fine, it's the remotes that do not work from a distance or out side the garage
#5 #6 no problem with springs (I actually replaced them last fall, not all that bad of a job but you have to be careful)

button on the wall is not in the lock out position

I also called the manufacture yesterday, they gave me a few things to try but no luck either.

I think I am running out of options...........might just have to break down and go get a new one, about $175.00. The part that makes me mad is it worked just fine last week up until I went to reteach it and now the distance with the remotes has diminished to almost nothing!

thanks for all the ideas
 
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yamahauler

Active member
How old is it?

Just a thought, did you ever unplug it and let it sit a few minutes, plug it back in and then clear all codes and reteach?

Or maybe if you got a storm lately it got zapped a little.

That is a weird issue you have.
 
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anonomoose

New member
Been thinkin on this one....maybe the reprograming took the frequency up the line so far that has become a signal that needs to be closer.

Before you lay the bread out on a new one....try resetting the code a bunch of times to find a frequency that has a better reception....just reset and reset til one does a better job.

Dat's all I can think of....
 
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scott_l

Member
Went home on Wed. and tried a few more things that the manufacturer suggested (a couple of them sounded strange to me, like flipping the breaker in my garage to kill all power and then run a extension cord inside and try to reteach it, but what the heck worth a try). Any ways called the manufacture back yesterday afternoon to ask if they had any more ideas and of course this time I got a different person and she said yup it sounds like your unit is bad, time to go purchase another. I tried to ask a few more questions but she kept saying sorry your unit is out or warranty you have to purchase a new one. So I hung up and then called back and asked for the same person I originally talked to (it's amassing how one person just wants to get you off the line and another is willing to try and help you all they can). Got ahold of her and she was surprised that every thing she previously suggested did not work. She asked if she could call me back after she talked to a couple other people. So she called me back and we chatted for a little bit. She actually suggested to try and get my current unit to work properly because the new units traditionally have more problems with their range. My unit (8 years old) has a 390 hertz frequency and the new units only run on 315 (going off of memory on those numbers). So after a little more chatting she is sending me a new circuit board (my total cost less then $40.00). Well what else is there a circuit board and motor. She said it should take me about 10-15 min. to install it. I should get it early next week, so will see what happens. She is even guessing that my old touch pad might work with the new circuit board.

will see

thanks for all the ideas and help.
 
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anonomoose

New member
Not scoffing at this process, but like most production trouble shooters, they begin the --pick and replace-- process, which clearly works, and in this situation it is very likely to be the problem, but don't be surprised if this doesn't fix it either.

Seems strange to me that the system works, at close range indicating that the components are working properly, but at longer ranges it won't.

From my very sketchy knowledge of radio signals, I think that a lower frequency has a LONGER range, so can't understand why she says the new lower frequency units are worse than the older units with higher frequency, at least as it relates to this problem.

Ah well, it will be interesting to see how this works out.

One thing is for sure here, and that is the time you have invested in this will exceed the full replacement of a new unit. Having had similar dilemmas myself with said openers, I can tell yah that a full replacement WILL get you where you want to go, and will give a baseline that is higher because sure as God made little kittens, that son of a gun....will have a motor crap out within 3 days of fixin the transmission problem.

Oh, and one more thing...I have an old opener on my house with NO door opening sensors (still running fine...just a bit noisy) and one remote opens this thing from far away (a replaced universal unit I bought to replace a lost one) compared to the factory unit which needs to be much closer to open it even with brand new battery installed. What's that all about???

Hummm....wonder if this has anything to do with GLOBAL WARMING???
 
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scott_l

Member
anonomoose I agree with ya.............heck just the amount of beer I have consumed with this darn opener (every time I go out to fiddle with it I grab at least one cold one out of the fridge). But the gal said if I install the new circuit board and I still have the same problem I can return the board and get a full refund (so I will only be out my time and a few more cold ones). Then it will be time to go get the new opener. But if you look inside a garage door opener there is nothing in there besides the motor and circuit board. So I hope my odds are in my favor!

Like you also mentioned why/how did it work just fine one minute and not the next when I went to reteach it! This has almost become a personal thing just to get it to work again :) Heck any one could have ran to the store picked up a new one and replaced the old one with in a hour or so :).
 
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98panther

New member
If it's an 8 yo unit, another 2-3 years those nylon gears will start to go.
They are easy enough to replace too & cost about 40, but seem to go out pretty regular once they start.

3-4 years you'll have 80-100 into it and will be getting a new one anyway.

Mine was 12 years old and just replaced it, after 2 sets of gears. FIL's is 30 years old all metal gears inside and will work forever, but none of the safety stuff.
 
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Canoepaddler

New member
Since you have some time on your hands while waiting for the circuit board, and like a challenge, have you tried flipping any of the frequency settings on the unit? Maybe a different frequency or just flipping the switches will help. The new board will probably fix it too.
 
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anonomoose

New member
scott_l said:
anonomoose I agree with ya.............heck just the amount of beer I have consumed with this darn opener (every time I go out to fiddle with it I grab at least one cold one out of the fridge). ...This has almost become a personal thing just to get it to work again :) Heck any one could have ran to the store picked up a new one and replaced the old one with in a hour or so :).
Click to expand...


Ah yes...the old obsessive complusive disorder, sett'n in, and disrupting your life to the point, you lay awake at night thinkin this and thinkin that...even gett'n up and writ'n stuff down so you don't forget what it was you were thinkin about but now can't remember....not that I KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SUCH BEHAVIOR...DON'T YAH KNOW!!!:) If I could have back all the time I have spent work'n the "challenge", I would be a rich man with years of extra time on my hands. I would be a "time-millionare".

Heck...I AM a time millionare...dats why I'm writt'n dis stuff and procrastinatin on cleanin that garage up.

One little word of advise tho....maybe yah ought to leave off dah beers until after yah get off'n dah ladder....either that or put mattresses around below yah...ah...naw....dis ain't worth (drum roll please....) GOIN TO THE MATTRESSES for! (Nash is gunna get me for that one!!!)
 
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