How to Program Your Garage Door Opener

A remote that suddenly stops working or a new car with a built-in remote usually means some programming. It is often a job you can do yourself in a few minutes. The videos below walk through it for current and recent Overhead Door™ garage door openers, including the Odyssey™, Destiny™, Legacy® 800 and Standard Drive models.

Overhead Door Company of Albany has been installing and repairing garage door openers across the Capital Region for more than 20 years. We are locally owned and based in Clifton Park, and our technicians repair garage door openers of any brand. If the videos don’t solve it, call (518) 348-0444 and we will help.

• Find your model. The model number is usually printed on a label on the garage door opener’s motor unit, the part mounted on the ceiling, and on some models it is under the light cover. Match it to the video titles below.
• Put a fresh battery in the remote or keypad before you program it. A weak battery can keep programming from working.
• Check the wall control. Many wall controls have a lock or vacation button that turns the remotes off. Make sure it isn’t switched on.
• Keep the garage door’s path clear while you work, and keep children away from the garage door and the remotes. Stand where you can see the garage door when you test it.

Many cars have a built-in garage door remote, often a set of buttons on the visor or overhead console.

The most widely used system is HomeLink®. Your car’s owner’s manual explains how to program it, and the HomeLink® video above covers Odyssey™ and Destiny™ garage door openers.

• If a remote only works when you are close to the garage, check that the antenna wire on the garage door opener’s motor unit hangs down freely. Some LED bulbs in the garage door opener can also interfere with the remote’s signal, so try the remote with the bulbs removed.
• If the wall button works but no remote does, the lock or vacation button may be on. If nothing works, including the wall button, check that the garage door opener is plugged in and the breaker hasn’t tripped.
• If the garage door opener hums without lifting the garage door, or the garage door reverses before it closes, that isn’t a programming problem. Our repair page explains the likely causes and what you can safely check yourself.

If a remote is lost or stolen, or you have just moved in, erase all the codes stored in the garage door opener and reprogram the remotes and keypads you still have. That stops any old remote from opening your garage. Your garage door opener’s owner’s manual explains how to erase the codes on your model.