How to program old craftsman garage door opener with dip switches

Convenience and security are the top priorities for most people when it comes to accessing their garage. Today, sophisticated technology allows you to open your garage (as well as turning on lights and opening gates) using your phone or tablet. At the very least, your car is equipped with a button you can program to open your door, eliminating the need to clip a remote to your visor.

Not every house comes with these conveniences, however. For those who have just purchased a house with an older garage door opening system, making it as secure as possible is the priority.

Modern Garage Door Security

Most standard garage door remotes today use rolling code technology and a learn button on the garage door opener motor. The learn button allows you to erase the code on the unit and reset it so that your remotes and the buttons in your car will open the door. Rolling codes provide security because the code on the transmitter changes every time you use it. The technology sends a new code to your receiver for the next time you need to open your door.

Older garage door openers—those manufactured before 1993—use DIP switches soldered to the circuit board to allow the remote to communicate with your opener. Units have 8 to 12 small switches in the receiver and inside the transmitter, which are set to a unique code. Once synchronized, the remote opens the garage door. The system was created to provide the security lacking in the original generation of electric garage door openers, which sent a signal that could potentially open your garage door and those of many of your neighbors.

While rolling code technology provides superior security, with as many as 1 million possible codes, a garage door opener with 12 DIP switches does provide for more than 4,000 combinations. Unfortunately, simple radio scanners can read the code sent by a transmitter. The key for a new owner using this older technology is to change the DIP switches.

How do you program your garage door?

First, locate the DIP switches on the motor unit of your system. You will need to remove the cover and they will be on the back of one of the sides. To change the position of the switches, you should use a flathead screwdriver.

Next, locate the DIP switches in the remote, most likely alongside the battery. Set the switches in exactly the same position as you set on the motor. Click the button on the remote until the garage door responds.

You can change the DIP switches on a regular basis for added security for as long as you use this older system. It also is possible to program this type of garage door opener to newer and dual remotes.

At Above & Beyond Door Systems, we are happy to help with instruction for older garage door openers and advise how you may upgrade to a more secure system. Call today for details on how to make your garage secure with the best in garage door opener technology.

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Re: Old garage door opener with dip switches

Is the battery good?
Are you sure the second remote even works?

Change the code (dip switches) completely. There may be a bad switch. Choose a new code and match all three.
Try extending the antenna with a piece of thin wire. It's a black or gray wire hanging down out of the opener. Doing this rarely works but occasionally you get lucky.

Shot in the dark.
Get VERY close to the opener (inches). Try it. If it works...
Open the remote. Look for a small tube with a wire wrapped around it (about 3/4" to 1" long by about 3/16"d). Some have a hole in the case to access the tube from the outside.
Find a hex key that fits in the hole in the tube. Turn the tube in either direction about 1/4 turn.

and try the remote. If distance improves, continue adjusting in the same direction and fine tune (back and forth 1/16 turn) until you get the best distance you can get.

If distance gets worse or remote stops working close up, return the tube to the original position and try again in the opposite direction.

If it doesn't work up close...
Do the same but hold it very close and adjust until it starts working (no guaranty it will) then tune it in.

ALWAYS remove the hex key before pressing the remote button or all you're doing is wasting time on a ladder.

You may not have that tube in your remote. It depends on the model and age of the remote. Look for a small component that looks like it will take a small flat screwdriver (potentiometer). Adjust as above but in smaller increments and never more than one turn in either direction. DON"T FORCE ANYTHING

This may not work at all so...
In either case, keep careful count of the turns so you can return it back to the original position if adjusting doesn't work.

Try it out and let me know. If it doesn't work I'll see what else I can come up with. The make of the opener would help. Model numbers mean nothing to me but approximate year might help. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Worse case...I have a link around here somewhere for a company in the US that sells remotes for the older models. That's still no guaranty they'll work.

EDIT...ooops. I missed the Craftsman part. Forget about the picture.
Edit again... I see Bill beat me to a few of the same suggestions.

J.P. Rap Mount Hope Ont.
Carpe Ductum (Seize The Tape)

"In this world, you must be oh so smart, or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. Elwood P. Dowd