Garage Door Remote Problems

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03-10-2017, 20:00
sroz

Garage Door Remote Problems

Having intermittent problem with our lift master garage door opener remotes. Works for a few days, then decides not to. We have replaced the remote bateries and tried all the online interference remedies with no luck. Works with the hard-wired buttons and if you get out of the vehicle and walk around, you can find a spot where it works. Will likely have to call someone out.
Could be something next door, but no way to tell. We have a LEO across the street and was wondering if he may have any law enforcement gear that could cause interference. Maybe someone knows a way to check for interference?

Thanks.
03-10-2017, 20:05
Wulf202

I have over 120 lift masters I maintain. You need to replace the remote. There should be a code on the back like 371LM. Get on amazon and order a new one. Reprogram the opener.
03-10-2017, 20:40
Grant H.

Did you put LED's in the garage?

Mine screw with the garage door remotes frequently.
03-10-2017, 20:56
sroz

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wulf202

I have over 120 lift masters I maintain. You need to replace the remote. There should be a code on the back like 371LM. Get on amazon and order a new one. Reprogram the opener.

Thanks, Wulf. My wife and daughter both have a remote, we have the remote outside the garage door and my and my other daughter's vehicles have it programmed in. I would think that would rule out the remotes. I'll have to look into the reprogramming.
03-10-2017, 21:00
sroz

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grant H.

Did you put LED's in the garage?

Mine screw with the garage door remotes frequently.

Haha. Yeah, tell me about it. Checked for and removed all LEDs in the garage. The outdoor lights are LEDs. We turned them off, but the only way to remove them is to remove the fixtures. Those have been installed since last October and the problem just started a couple weeks ago.
03-10-2017, 21:00
funkymonkey1111

on a related note, my outside mounted keypad craps out in the cold (i'm not sure of the age, but i know it's at least 9 years old). is that something that can be replaced? (it's also a liftmaster)
03-10-2017, 21:05
sroz

We just picked one up at Home Depot for the new lift master on our second garage door, but I'm sure Wulf will know.
03-10-2017, 21:07
sroz

I guess it may be worth mentioning we have a second lift master on our single garage door and it works fine. If it was interference, would it also affect the second opener? I am guessing not, but I obviously know jack about garage door openers.
03-10-2017, 21:14
Wulf202

If reprogramming doesn't work. 90% chance of main board failure.

Sometimes they'll do sscrewy shit with aircraft radios. Are you in a flight path?
03-10-2017, 21:15
Wulf202

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkymonkey1111

on a related note, my outside mounted keypad craps out in the cold (i'm not sure of the age, but i know it's at least 9 years old). is that something that can be replaced? (it's also a liftmaster)

Yes but clean the battery contacts and make sure it's got a lithium
03-10-2017, 22:25
To Bear Arms

Also check the "eyes" at the bottom for spider webs.
03-10-2017, 23:11
newracer

Does it happen when he sun is shining on the sensors?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
03-11-2017, 10:25
Ramsker

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grant H.

Did you put LED's in the garage?

Mine screw with the garage door remotes frequently.

I had never imagined that LED's would be an issue, but we found out the hard way. Last year, I put LED bulbs in the openers themselves thinking that was smart . . . then one day all the remotes quit and the keypad stopped working. Did some online searches and sure enough, people were reporting the same thing. Replaced the bulbs with regular tough duty incandescents and got back to normal.

Was at the neighbor's the other day and he was showing me the new LED fixtures he just put in his garage . . . I laughed and told him to keep an eye out for random weirdness with his openers. He looked at me like I had 3 heads. Mine didn't act up for several months when I used the LED bulbs--then one day it all went screwy and that was that.
03-12-2017, 02:46
Fentonite

Mine has been real finicky lately too. Thanks to this thread, I bet it's due to an LED bulb in the opener. I'll change it out and see. Another possibility is a couple Arlo cameras on the outside of the garage... I hope it's the bulb.

Are there any openers that are less susceptible to this interference?
03-12-2017, 02:55
brutal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fentonite

Mine has been real finicky lately too. Thanks to this thread, I bet it's due to an LED bulb in the opener. I'll change it out and see. Another possibility is a couple Arlo cameras on the outside of the garage... I hope it's the bulb.

Are there any openers that are less susceptible to this interference?

I've had LED lamps in my opener and LED shop lights in the garage for around 6 months or so now without issue. Chamberlain belt drive. Not new enough to have the built in MyQ, but new enough to work with the add on MyQ kit and Wink.

Outdoor panel always works, Homelink in car and other full size openers always work. I never could get the mini keyring openers to work reliably even when new years ago. The Wink/MyQ stuff talks to the wall control so that's not remote related.
03-12-2017, 03:20
Fentonite

You lost me with MyQ and Wink. I've got some googling to do...
03-12-2017, 07:52
Irving

I've had LED shop lights for a while and haven't had any issues with my opener. My opener is a pretty old one though.
03-12-2017, 13:21
Erni

Sounds like it has more to do with the bulb in the opener then other lights in and around the garage. But it is possible to have a bargain bulb throw out random emmisions right in the garage opener rf band. Change to a regular bulb, or even try a different brand of LED.
03-13-2017, 03:26
Fentonite

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erni

Sounds like it has more to do with the bulb in the opener then other lights in and around the garage. But it is possible to have a bargain bulb throw out random emmisions right in the garage opener rf band. Change to a regular bulb, or even try a different brand of LED.

I think you're right. I removed the LED bulb from the opener, and wa-la, the remote seems to works again. Before, the remote and even the external keypad (which is really just a remote, not hard-wired) worked only sporadically. I still have two LED floods on a motion detector just above the garage door, as well as a wireless Arlo camera on each corner of the garage, but I think just the LED bulb in the opener itself was causing the problem. I'll test it more to be sure that today wasn't just a lucky day, but encouraging so far.
03-13-2017, 21:20
sroz

Fentonite - Let us know if your luck lasts. Ours started working again on Saturday. Only thing we did was change the code on the outside keypad. Been that way since this all started. Changes every couple days. Hope it holds this time.

It's great that the forum members are all offering up good advise.
03-14-2017, 20:43
Fentonite

Quote:

Originally Posted by sroz

Fentonite - Let us know if your luck lasts. Ours started working again on Saturday. Only thing we did was change the code on the outside keypad. Been that way since this all started. Changes every couple days. Hope it holds this time.

It's great that the forum members are all offering up good advise.

Luck didn't last. After removing the LED from the opener, things worked fine, during the day. But after dark, if the motion-activated LED floods are activated before hitting the remote (and they usually are), they interfere with the opener. I really like the immediate bright light of the LED's, but will need to change them out to incandesants so that my remote works.
03-14-2017, 21:47
Irving

What brand opener does everyone who is having problems own?

Mine is a Genie Pro Max and I've got no issues.
03-14-2017, 23:14
brutal

1 Attachment(s)

What brand LED's?

Lots of Googley info and then there's this: http://www.liftmaster.com/catalogres...ity_011714.pdf

FWIW, all my bulbs are one of the following:

Smart bulbs: GE Link and Cree
Regular LED: GE and Phillips. I might have a few Sylvania sprinkled around too.

The garage overhead lights are a name brand that HD sells (cheap) can't recall the name ATM. (ETA: Commercial Electric)

Nothing off-brand.

Although I have Wink setup to turn on some house lights when dark, including garage shop lights (through a smart switch), I may just get one of these and slave a 4' LED off the opener instead.

Attachment 69622

FWIW, I prefer the cree smart bulbs over the GE link bulbs, but the Cree bulbs are not suitable for exterior use - even inside a fixture. However, I can't speak to anything other than the standard A19 type bulbs.
03-14-2017, 23:31
Irving

I've got the Commercial Electric from Home Depot, as well as the brand that Costco sells (ETA: Feit Electric).

ETA: After I read Erni's post I went out and checked. The three LED shop lights are plugged into outlets, and the only remaining florescent is hardwired. All are controlled by the same switch.

I recently installed some LED's into my dad's garage. I'll have to ask him if he's been having any problems with the opener.
03-14-2017, 23:32
Erni

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fentonite

Luck didn't last. After removing the LED from the opener, things worked fine, during the day. But after dark, if the motion-activated LED floods are activated before hitting the remote (and they usually are), they interfere with the opener. I really like the immediate bright light of the LED's, but will need to change them out to incandesants so that my remote works.

Is the mition light fixture an LED fixture or was it a light bulb fixture you put some LED light into? I ask because the way led light and incandescents or even flourescents load the switches is different. You will need a seitch that is les rated. I found this out when I switched my garage from 4ft flourescents to costco feit 4ft fixtures. I hit the switch and the old motion activated switch caused the leds to turn on and off really fast disco style. New led switch fixed that.
03-15-2017, 00:17
brutal

Time to kill and OCD getting the better of me.

Interesting read. FWIW, FEIT globe lamps were reported to have terrible RF emissions.

http://www.ledbenchmark.com/faq/LED-...ce-issues.html
03-15-2017, 00:26
brutal

Cool LED info site, lots of measurement data, etc.

http://www.olino.org/advice/us
03-15-2017, 00:42
Fentonite

Quote:

Originally Posted by brutal

Time to kill and OCD getting the better of me.

Interesting read. FWIW, FEIT globe lamps were reported to have terrible RF emissions.

http://www.ledbenchmark.com/faq/LED-...ce-issues.html

Interesting. My motion-activated floods are indeed FEIT bulbs... And the fixture is just a regular motion-activated floodlight, old enough it's probably not specifically rated for LED's. Good info, thanks!

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