Pro Handyman Blog

Garage door remotes break and sometimes get lost. At some point you will have to replace it and reprogram the remote. This isn’t difficult to do, but there are some differences depending upon which style of garage door opener you have.

The old style garage door openers use dip switches. These are tiny levers in succession that provide communication between the garage door opener and the remote control unit. These switches are located in two areas and the positions of the switches must match in both the garage door opener unit and the remote. Look for the switches on the back on the garage door opener. You will probably have to remove a cover, and usually they are located under the light cover. On the remote, remove the battery cover and you will see the switches. Move the switches to either the up or down position in whatever configuration you like. A pen or pencil is good for this as the switches are too small to move with your finger. The only rule is that the configuration of each switch must match at both the garage door opener and the remote control unit.

On the back of newer style openers is a “smart” button. To reprogram this type of opener, clear the old memory by depressing and holding the smart button. The light next to the button will typically have a fast blink to it, but it may stay illuminated (different manufacturers have slightly different sequences). Press the remote button and it the light should turn off. The remote should be programmed.