Encountering issues programming your car’s built-in garage door opener, especially with an older system? You’re not alone. Many homeowners face the challenge of integrating modern car features with older garage door openers, particularly when there’s no “learn” button readily available. This guide offers a straightforward solution using a universal remote, acting as a bridge to seamlessly connect your car to your garage.
For those with older garage door systems lacking a ‘learn’ button, programming a modern car’s built-in opener can seem impossible. These older systems often rely on dip switches – small switches numbered 1-9 or more – to set the security code. Directly programming your car’s opener to these systems can be tricky. However, a universal garage door remote provides an elegant workaround.
Here’s a step-by-step approach to program your car’s garage door opener, even with older systems, using a universal remote as an intermediary:
Step 1: Program the Universal Remote to Your Garage Door Opener
First, you’ll need a universal garage door remote compatible with older systems. Many such remotes are available online and at home improvement stores. For older garage openers with dip switches, follow these steps:
- Access Your Garage Opener Code: Locate the dip switch panel on your garage door opener motor unit. Note the ON/OFF configuration. This configuration is your garage door’s unique code.
- Open the Universal Remote: Open your universal remote to access its internal dip switches or programming buttons.
- Match the Dip Switches: Set the dip switches inside the universal remote to match the exact ON/OFF configuration of your garage door opener.
- Engage the ‘Learn’ Function (If Available): Some universal remotes, even those compatible with dip switches, may have a ‘learn’ button. If yours does, press and release this button. This step might be slightly different depending on the specific universal remote model, so always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions. In the example from the original post, a “black learn button next to the switches” is mentioned. Pressing this button might activate an LED indicator.
- Button Selection and Programming: Choose a button on your universal remote that you want to program for your garage door. Press and hold this button. You may need to press it multiple times as indicated in the remote’s instructions (the original post mentions pressing “16 times”). Observe if your garage door responds and opens.
- Save the Setting: If your garage door opens, you may need to press the ‘learn’ button again on the universal remote to save the programmed setting. Again, consult your universal remote’s manual for the precise saving procedure.
Step 2: Program Your Car’s Built-in Garage Door Opener Using the Universal Remote
Once your universal remote is successfully programmed to your garage door opener, you can use it to program your car’s built-in system. This process usually involves the following steps:
- Clear Existing Car Programs (If Necessary): If you are programming a new button or encountering issues, you might need to clear existing programs in your car’s system. Refer to your car’s manual for instructions on how to clear the garage door opener memory. The original post mentions “holding 1 and 3” buttons to erase everything, but this is BMW specific and might differ for your car brand.
- Initiate Car Programming Mode: Typically, you need to press and hold the button in your car that you want to program until the indicator light (often in the rearview mirror) starts to blink slowly. This indicates the car is in learning mode.
- Transmit Signal from Universal Remote: Immediately after the car’s indicator light starts blinking slowly, press and hold the programmed button on your universal remote close to your car’s rearview mirror.
- Establish Connection: Observe the indicator light in your car. It should start blinking rapidly, indicating that it is receiving and learning the signal from the universal remote.
- Release Buttons: Once the car’s indicator light blinks rapidly, release both the button in your car and the button on the universal remote. The programming should now be complete.
By using a universal remote as an intermediary, you can effectively program your car’s garage door opener to even older systems. This method bypasses the limitations of older openers lacking a ‘learn’ button and provides a seamless integration with your vehicle. Remember to always consult the manuals for both your universal remote and your car for the most accurate and model-specific programming instructions.
