Do we need to replace our garage door opener if only one remote programs?
We purchased a 1/2 horsepower Craftsman garage door opener in 2001 with a metal garage door, 2 remotes, and a keyless entry. The keyless entry does not work or light up, and only 1 remote works. We tried reprogramming but only one remote works at a time. The store said the computer board could need replacing as it appears to receive only some of the signals. Do we need to replace our garage door opener?
Hvac ...
Expert
I have dealt with these symptoms before and most times you do not have to replace the computer, or "logic," board. Unfortunately, your Manage My Home profile was not completed so I have no idea what model opener you have but there are some basics that apply to almost all Craftsman openers. You can check your owner's manual, or try the link below to find an online manual, for the programming instructions on your specific model.
For starters, your keyless entry has its own battery and does not rely on any communication with the logic board in order to backlight the buttons. Since this is a 2001 model it is likely the battery has just run dead otherwise the backlight on the buttons would still work even if it would not open the door.
It is not uncommon for one failed remote to cause problems with the others ability to work. Sort of a case of one bad apple spoiling the whole bunch. What you need to do is find that one bad apple, in this case it is the one that works but causes the others not to work. It is helpful to mark the remotes somehow as 1 and 2 or something similar.
Put a new battery in the keyless, then erase the memory on the overhead unit. Program the keyless entry first and check that it works. Once the keyless is working, program remote 1 and then test it to be sure it works the door. Now try your keyless again, does the keyless still open the door or did remote 1 wipe out its code? If the keyless entry no longer works then remote 1 is bad.
If everything still works then try the process over again with remote 2- wipe memory, program keyless, test keyless, program remote 2, test remote 2, check if the keyless still works. If not, remote 2 is bad.
The process takes some time and it is easy to confuse yourself, which is why it is good to mark the remotes. But the end result is usually the need to purchase one remote for a small fee rather than having to purchase a logic board that could cost almost as much as an entirely new opener. Just be sure you purchase the correct remote for your model or you may end up having to go through the whole testing process again.
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