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GDO Won't Respond to Remote

spellinator
14 years ago

I have a problem with my Sears Craftsman opener model #139.53491SRT. Replaced batteries on one remote. The other is controlled through the car's homelink. Remotes will not work from outside the garage and homelink in car does not work. Started about a month now. would work sometimes and now almost not at all. Seems like there is something wrong with the unit recieving the wireless signal. If I trigger the door to lower using the wall button and I walk in front of the sensor beam, the door will reverse and the lights will blink 3 times. So I'm pretty sure the the sensors and the wiring is okay. Any other ideas? I'm unemployed and my wife is losing her job this week, so I can't buy another door openner right now. Thanks!

Comment (1)

  • don_1_2006
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here are some things you can check. Some may not pertain and some will.

    Limited range of your remote controls could be related to radio frequency interference that comes from something in your home or in the surrounding environment. Certain electrical devices can radiate interference; this could be almost anything that is plugged into an electrical outlet.

    Please keep in mind that the device can be brand new, or can be an item that has been in use for quite a while. Also, the item may continue to function properly as far as you are able to tell. The only problem with the item may be that it has started to broadcast the interference, with no other symptoms noted.

    Some devices are more likely to generate interference than others. This includes TV cable, cable amplifiers, surge protectors, fluorescent lights, battery charging devices (power tools, golf carts, etc.), anything that utilizes a timer (sprinkler systems, lights, alarm systems, etc.), and a myriad of others. If the problem seems sporadic, we can safely assume that the device responsible for the interference is only being operated during these times. Again, please keep in mind that the age of the device does not determine if it is capable of broadcasting unwanted interference. Any electrical device can be the source of the problem.

    The first step is replacing the battery in your remote. If the range on your remote does not improve, remove the wall control wires from the overhead unit. If the range does not improve you will likely need to replace the remote control. After replacing the remote, or if you have other remotes programmed in to the opener, and the range problem still exists, please proceed to the Power Down test.

    Multiple garage doors:
    If you have two garage door units and one is working just fine, you will need to start by unplugging the good unit. This will help determine if the unit with no range starts to function properly. If the range comes back to the bad unit then you will need to replace the logic board on the unit that was unplugged as it is emitting an RF signal that is over powering the other garage door opener. If the range doesn not improve after the "good" unit has been unplugged, replace the batteries and try programming some additional remotes to determine if the existing remotes are the issue. If the extra remotes do not have any range then you would need to replace the receiver logic board in the "bad" unit.

    Power Down test:
    To isolate potential sources of interference, turn the circuit breaker off to the garage and plug the garage door opener into an extension cord from another room. If the range improves, then the interference is coming from a device in the garage. If no improvement is seen follow the same procedure, this time turning off the circuit breakers to your home, with the exception of the garage and test the remote controls. If improvement is noted, turn the circuit breakers back on, one by one, until the range problem resurfaces. This will allow you to narrow down what room the problem device is in. You will have to go from there to isolate it further, by unplugging and re-plugging the items in that room.

    If you are unable to determine any source of interference, then the receiver logic board in the overhead unit will need to be replaced.