Trouble with garage door remote

[stavros]

Hi,

We have a LiftMaster 3280 that was installed about 4 years ago. It came with a remote that worked fine until at least six months ago. We hardly ever use this remote because our car has built-in buttons that we were able to program to operate the opener. We use the in-car button frequently, and it still opens and closes the door with no trouble. The LiftMaster button mounted on the garage wall also works flawlessly.

I use the LiftMaster remote when I ride my bike; the last time I used it was in the fall. Now the thing appears to be dead. Replacing the battery made no difference. I attempted to re-teach the remote via the instructions in the manual, but that also made no difference.

The remote could be completely dead, but I find that hard to believe since it's just been sitting dormant on a shelf for six months. Is there anything else I can do to troubleshoot this thing? I have a multimeter and some really basic appliance repair knowledge. Can I somehow confirm that the electronics are fine, and this is just a code "learning" problem? Or do I just need to give it up and buy a replacement?

TIA, Stavros

[James]

frequently, there is an led light on the receiver of the door opener. Put the remote very near the receiver, and press the remote button and see if the receiver led lights. If it does, then you have confirmed that your replacement battery is ok, and that the remote sends out a signal of some sort. Then you would have the hint that it is indeed a programming glitch.

If the receiver led does not light with the remote activated, I would first check the battery contacts, to make sure they are shiny clean, and double check the polarity. If this doesn't work, then I think I would run to ebay real fast and see if you can find a replacment remote. Of course, you can always contact the manufactuer for a replacement.

Can't think of much else right now.....

Let us know if you get it solved...

James

[hrhofmann]

If the remote is infrared, if you have a video camera, hook it up to a tv set and then point the remote directly at the camera. Most cameras will show some reaction to the infrared output of the remote. That will at least tell you that something is coming out of the remote. Have you checked for dirt, cobwebs, etc on the infrared receiver. If this is a wireless radio-controlled remote system, you need to find someone with a similar receiver and see if you can program your remote to work on the other system. Do you only have one remote, most systems come with two remotes these days?

[stavros]

Thanks for the suggestions. I found that there is indeed an led light on the motor housing. And to my surprise, when I got up on a ladder to watch the led light while I pressed the remote button, I found that it worked to raise and lower the door. Essentially, it seems to be a distance problem. If I hold the remote within a couple feet of the receiver, it works. Any further away than that, and I get no response from the receiver or led light.

Any new ideas? When/why would a remote only work at such a short distance? I'll try cleaning the contacts inside the remote, but they look pretty good. Maybe the replacement battery I purchased was old and near-dead? Hmmm...

[mm]

That solves your problem. Just get an additional ladder you can leave in the middle of the garage.

Maybe. I've tried using 10 or 20 year old batteries that came new with my new old stock remote relay device, and the range is just 3 feet less than what I need. 25 feet instead of 28. Maybe in the fridge I have something better.