How to Reset Your Garage Door Remote

Driving into your home’s garage without leaving the car to open it manually is not just convenient — it’s one of the simple luxuries in life. It’s only possible thanks to the garage door opener and its remote control.

A garage door opener also provides an extra layer of security to your home by preventing unauthorized access. That’s why it’s vital to reset your garage door remote when you move into a new home, lose or damage the remote, or experience remote malfunctions.

Luckily, resetting garage door opener remotes is no rocket science. If it’s a task you’ve never handled before, you can easily do it by following this expert guide from Legacy Door Service Co garage door experts.

How Do Garage Door Opener Remotes Work?

Although drive mechanisms vary from one system to another, all garage door openers come with a remote control to automatically open or close the garage door.

In modern garage door openers, the remotes rely on wireless technology to operate the garage door. Older models use DIP switches to control the opening and closing mechanisms.

How you reset your garage door opener and remote depends on whether you have an older or newer model opener system.

Modern garage openers feature a reset button labeled “learn” or “home” inside the control panel, while the older models spot a series of switches. Also, note that to reset any remote for your garage door, whether modern or older, you’ll need first to clear the opener’s memory.

Resetting Your Garage Door Opener Remote when Moving into Your New Home

If you’ve recently moved to a new home, you’ll need to reset the garage door opener remote to prevent unauthorized access by anyone who might still have the older remotes. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the process:

1. Erase the Old Codes on the Garage Door Opener

How you erase the old codes on the garage door opener depends on the model.

Find the “learn” or “home” button inside the door opener’s motor housing on your garage’s ceiling for modern models. It might be black, red, or purple and is often next to an LED. The LEDs’ colors may vary from one brand to another.

Once you find the button, press and hold it for about 15 seconds or until the LED goes off to erase the old codes. This is all it takes to reset the opener, but with some newer models, you may have to press the button again immediately after the LED goes off for a successful reset.

Garage door openers with a DIP system have a series of switches inside the central unit and the remote controller. There may be nine to twelve switches depending on the door opener model. DIP switches inside the main unit on the garage door opener and those on the remote must have an identical pattern for the remote to work.

So, to clear the old codes on an older garage door opener model, find and toggle the DIP switches inside the main unit to either the on or off position. Do the same for the switches on the handheld remote as well. Note that this is usually enough to reprogram your new controller to operate the door with the old garage door opener models.

2. Reprogram the New Controller

Once you clear the old codes on a modern garage door opener, press and release the learn button again until the LED turns on and glows steadily for a few seconds. This will reprogram your new controller. If it’s a shared garage, repeat this step to reprogram any additional remote controls you may have to allow other household members seamless garage access.

3. Program Your Vehicles if Needed

For vehicles with a Homelink system, opening and closing the garage door becomes even more convenient as all you need to do is press a designated button inside the car. Here’s how to program your garage door opener to your car’s Homelink system:

• Press the learn button on the garage door opener control unit (don’t hold it down to avoid reprogramming)

• Press and hold the Homelink buttons on your remote and have someone else simultaneously press the built-in Homelink button in your car

• Hold until you hear a click to complete the process

Count on Pennsylvania’s Top Garage Door Experts

Although garage door openers are great, the handheld garage door remotes may sometimes malfunction, calling for a reset. In some instances, they malfunction due to easily-resolvable issues like dead batteries or signal interference.

In other instances, a garage door remote malfunction may be due to advanced issues that require professional assistance, such as a door wiring malfunction or faulty photo-eyes. If your garage door remote doesn’t work even after resetting, our experts at Legacy Door Co. will be more than happy to diagnose and fix the underlying issues.

We also service garage door and garage door openers from various brands, and If need be, we’ll order garage door opener products with the latest safety technology on your behalf. Get in touch with Legacy Door Co. today to learn more about our services.