LiftMaster Garage Door Keypad Not Working & Troubleshooting

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Is your LiftMaster garage door keypad not working, and therefore won’t open or close, or because it simply won’t open all the way? Then read this article to get a better understanding of the possible problems that may be causing it, and help troubleshoot the problem

The garage door opener serves several different purposes in your home, including keeping you and your family safe from people having free access to simply walk in with ill intentions. They need to regularly do work, and it’s a problem when your garage door does not want to open or close for whatever reason. An automatic door opener provides additional benefits too, including the comfort of not having to get out of your car in order to open the garage door.

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Whether it’s the LiftMaster opener or keypad that isn’t working isn’t too important since the final result is that your garage door isn’t doing what it’s supposed to be doing, and it’s therefore not hard to understand the urgency in getting it fixed. The easiest way is to request free garage door repair estimates using the form on our site. All you simply have to be doing is to fill out the form at the top of the page, and we’ll help connect you with the most relevant contractors in your area, all for free, and the whole process takes no more than 2 minutes for you to go through.

The Keypad and Opener Are Bound to Get Problems Eventually

Think about it. The garage door opens 1,000 times per year if it opens 3 times per day. If you use it as your main point of entry into your home, it’s not unlikely that that number doubles, and that naturally puts a strain on all the moving elements requiring them to get due maintenance as well as occasional repair. The amount of needed repair can in turn be limited by making sure you do the due maintenance.

LiftMaster is a renowned brand, trusted by many homeowners across the globe, but it doesn’t change the fact that their products too need occasional attention. People living with their products every day experience a range of benefits until the day that it stops working, and it doesn’t matter if you have the 1/3 hp, LiftMaster 1260LM 1/2h hp, the professional Chamberlain liftmaster model

There are some problems that are more common than others when suddenly it seems like your LiftMaster 976LM garage door keypad is no longer working, although they’re more easily detected with the help of a pro.

  1. Reprogramming the memory of the garage door keypad can be necessary, and may be the reason why it has stopped working. If suddenly the existing programming no longer works or sends the wrong signals, your door won’t open as a consequence. The keypad contains the access code that sends the signal to the opener to open the garage door. It’s in fact a practice that should be done when remotes are lost, or when  you move somewhere else to ensure that no one takes advantage of the power that the remote possesses.
  2. Did you know that the garage door opener contains an overload protector that may cause the system to stop working with you? Something, like excessive use, can end up triggering the protector, although there are other things that may have caused it too. A clicking sound from the opener may be an indication that this is the case.
  3. When the battery is no longer working. Yes, since the whole thing is being operated using the energy from a battery, that battery needs occasional changing too. When the keypad is not lighting up, this could very well be an indication that the battery is no longer working.
  4. Interference caused by the surface that the keypad is mounted on. In this case, you will want to see if it’s in fact the surface that is the issue. One of the possible solutions is to mount the device on a different type of material to see if it solves the problem or not.
  5. The buttons might have gone loose and isn’t actually triggering the reaction inside the keypad that they’re supposed to. Loose connections can be a horrible thing, and if your code is 3159, but the number 5 isn’t being sent through, the keypad will only ever see you typing 319, causing it to not let you in. The problem could be due to electrical wiring issues. Frayed wiring becomes an issue hindering the right signal from being sent, and the pro will open the device to see if that is in fact what is going on. Any amount of loose contact could cause the buttons to work periodically or only if sufficient force is applied.
  6. Were you using a temporary PIN to open the door? If that is the cause behind the door not opening, the good news is that it will be solved by having it reprogrammed by a pro and it will once again work. When that’s the case the, you can close the garage door, but opening it becomes impossible since you’re not using a valid PIN.
  7. Issues with dust and grime is another possibility. Yet another time when the issue is between you pressing the device and the signal for the number simply not being sent through. Typically what will happen when that’s the case is that the buttons may seem stuck. In order to prevent the unit from being ruined, the pro will carefully clean it, and this should not be done by yourself to avoid a short circuit or other potential damage to the unit.
  8. Malfunctioning due to inaccurate entering of the pin. You’ve probably tried it other places where you’ve been prompted that you only have a limited amount of tries left before you’re locked out of the system, and this case is no different. As a security measure, certain parts of the system may have gotten problems from you or someone in your family inaccurately entering the code. The advantage is also that it could have been someone else trying to enter the code they thought it was, and you’re now happy that they were consequently not allowed entry.
  9. A keypad may need replacement altogether. There are certain climates that are especially harsh on these devices, including the climate in a state such as . The combination of high humidity, heat and salt water will simply get to most things, and is one of the reasons people living in these conditions need to be extra thorough when choosing construction materials.

Since there are more things in play than simply the keypad, those individual things will need to be addressed if the problem does not seem to be solved fixing the issues above. A wireless keypad inherently does not get wiring problems, but while that’s the case, the other surrounding wiring could be having issues that you aren’t addressing. Even if you’re pressing in the right code and the keypad is doing its part of the work, a lack of electricity to the opener will also cause the door not to open.

The technology in the garage door keypad isn’t the most sophisticated technology out there, as it simply validates the PIN you put in and send a signal to the opener to either open or close the door, but yet if it doesn’t succeed due to one of the above mentioned reasons, it simply won’t do that.

The good thing is that these keypad have gotten more advanced with the described features mentioned above, but the bad thing is the potential that you’ve been locked out, or at least unable to enter your house through the garage door.

Is the Issue the Garage Door Opener Instead?

There’s a chance that it’s actually not the keypad that is causing the problem but that it’s rather the garage door opener where the problem is. We’ll walk you through some of the potential problems that a pro can help you fix.

There’s a bunch of common garage door opener problems causing your garage door not to work including but not limited to the following:

  1. Trouble in the winter could be caused by the sensitivity settings being set inaccurately and a pro can make sure that the settings are correct for you. The different parts of the system will get stiffer when exposed to colder weather and it could be that this is sufficient to cause the door to not work at all.
  2. The switch that starts the motor got stuck, either being turned on or turned off. If it gets stuck being turned on, it will simply seem like the device keeps operating indefinitely. Problems with the switch is a problem that also exists with and can simply cause them not to get activated properly. While it may be an inconvenience with a garage door, such a problem with the sump pump can lead to your basement flooding.
  3. If the problem with the garage door is that will simply reopen once you’ve ordered it to go down, this is probably also an issue that is being caused by a switch that in this instance isn’t turning off the way it’s supposed to.
  4. When it won’t close all the way, you’re once again looking at an issue that includes the switch in the system. The garage door has been adjusted to tell it how far it needs to go down, and whether it needs to stop when it meets a force that could be an obstruction. The safety sensors may get triggered if certain of the mechanical parts have rusted which could be triggering this seemingly odd behavior from your garage door, and especially if you live in a place where rust is a real concern. It could be an instance where you will need to have the rollers replaced to deal with it.
  5. Something is disrupting the signal between the keypad and the opener. The keypad won’t transmit the signal very far, so it could be something that is simply ending up blocking the signal to the opener. A broken antenna or some sort of obstruction is enough to cause such issues.

Problems with the garage door sensor could also be causing it to malfunction, if for any reason the two sensors are now no longer successfully pointed straight at each other. While they do serve their purpose in keeping the door from closing on someone, a misalignment will also cause issues in the sense that it will think something is in the way, which could lead the door to not want to close.

The above mentioned issues are probably the most likely causes that will be mistaken with the LiftMaster keypad not working. It’s not uncommon that garage doors start experiencing problems after many years of use, and that can include everything from the remote control to the keypad or opener. Problems with the garage door frame, the need for belt replacement or cable repair are other common issues homeowners may experience. A contractor can inspect and identify the issue, and while it may seem tedious, it will keep problems at bay.

Garage Door Maintenance

When was the last time you did maintenance on your garage door? Most people tend to underestimate the importance of this task and will suddenly find themselves in a position where it will simply not open, and yet to their surprise the last time they thought about the health of the garage door was when they were considering buying the house.

The best solution to keep you from getting problems with your garage door involves getting a professional contractor to come out and do the required maintenance since they can identify problem before they occur, and a lot of them will supplement their service with a warranty. This is no different from getting a roof inspected so as to avoid roof leaks and water damage. Both are done with the intention of keeping your device running according to plan.

  • Keeping the tracks clear of debris – the tracks are an important part in moving the garage door, and to keep them working properly, you have to ensure that they’re kept clear and clean too. Since they play such an important role, potential adjustments should also only be done professionally,  or your simply could end up working improperly.
  • Adequate maintenance when the material requires it – if your door is made of wood, it will need painting or staining the same way it’s the case with . If not, it’ll be prone to rot and pest infestation such as . Make sure that it hasn’t started warping and that there seems to be no damage to the paint or stain either. Rust can also start appearing on metal doors which will need to be addressed too.
  • Making sure that the safety features are working – both the sensor and mechanical mechanism are meant to ensure the safety and to avoid anyone getting stuck or the garage door accidentally hitting a person or the car as you’re driving in and out of your garage. By putting something on the ground with the intention of having the door hit it, you can make sure that the mechanical feature is working, since it should trigger it realizing the obstacle and the consequence is that it should be going back up. The sensor does the same and making sure that it reacts correctly when you block the signal is an important part of inspecting the different elements too.
  • Cables will eventually wear out – the massive force garage springs is exposed to will cause them to wear out over time, and while you don’t want to actually be messing with the screws, you can still look at them to see what condition they seem to be in. You will need to hire someone to actually replace them when the time comes around since they have the potential to unleash significant power.
  • Lubrication is important – moving metal parts will require periodic lubrication to keep operating smoothly or you will find the different parts wearing out prematurely too. Overhead springs are also ones that will benefit from the addition of lubricant.
  • Take a closer look at the – weather stripping is important for ensuring you’re not simply heating and cooling the air simply to let it all out. It adds a close to air-tight seal to the bottom of your garage door but as this keeps bumping against the ground it will also wear out over time.
  • Rollers will need replacement – when was the last time the rollers on your garage door were switched out? They will last an expected 7 years before requiring replacement again, although the frequency at which you use the garage door can wear them out sooner than that.
  • When was the last time you checked the balance – a balanced garage door will ensure that the opener doesn’t need to work as hard as it otherwise would. By having to work harder, the expected lifetime of the opener will also decrease.
  • Listen to the garage door in motion – you will not just want a garage door that operates without any weird noises, but you also want one that doesn’t seem to be working in jerking motions. It should seem to operate relatively smoothly. Grinding and scraping noises should make you concerned and justifies reaching out to a pro to have him inspect it.

With these maintenance tips, you will ensure that your whole system stays operational and problem-free for a longer period of time!

Hiring a Contractor to Troubleshoot Your LiftMaster Keypad

When you are experiencing trouble with the keypad, opener or other parts of the garage door, your best path of action is to get professional help to help address the situation, since they clearly have the experience to provide better care for your door than you are capable of doing.

Even if you’re an avid DIY person that likes fixing handyman projects at home, working on a garage door can potentially be dangerous, as you could either get something stuck, and you’re working with very heavy elements also as the opener, which is why we encourage you to at least get quotes from contractors, which is entirely free, and a whole lot safer too.

Inspecting, repairing and replacing the necessary parts of your garage door requires expert knowledge and experience, of which they have a lot. They also have the right tools to get the done job without hassle, and a project that might take them one hour could take you five. Would you rather be spending your weekend exposing yourself to potentially dangerous home improvement projects or have it done properly by a pro? The pros can troubleshoot the garage door issues a lot faster than you can, and in a timely manner.

We’ve gathered some tips to help you ensure you hire the right person for the job, so that you can find out why your LiftMaster keypad stopped working and see if it’s because the code is not working.

  1. Get client references – although we take great pride in helping connect you with the most relevant contractors, we always encourage you to check their references, so as to speak with their previous clients and see what they thought it was like to work with the contractor. It could also help in convincing you to actually go with a pro if you were considering trying to do the work yourself.

Although the problem with your keypad should hopefully be easy to fix, there’s a chance you might work with the contractor for a longer time if you instead choose to replace the garage door, and no matter what, it’s always a good idea to check references.

  1. Request cost estimates from our site – contractors should be willing to provide you with free, itemized quotes for the project so that you can better understand what it is you’re paying for, and understand the scope of the work they’re planning on doing. You don’t want to end up with a bill at the end of the day that is a lot bigger than what you had imagined.

By receiving itemized bids from garage door specialists, you can also better understand if one contractor is significantly cheaper than another one, and this becomes even more important if it’s a larger and more costly project than a simpler troubleshooting and repair of your garage door.

  1. Ask about the materials they’re planning on using – especially when you’re replacing a garage door, you will want to make sure that all the materials that are being used, as well as what it’s actually made out of, is nothing but quality materials.

Make sure that the quote you get from the contractor in fact includes the cost of the materials that will go into the repair, and if anything is unclear with regards to the materials, that you bring it up before signing with them.

  1. Written contracts beat verbal agreements – although verbal contracts are legally binding in a lot of places, having a contract makes everything easier to deal with should something go wrong. A quality contractor should also have no problem accepting this condition.
  2. When is payment due – some contractors choose to require some payment up front. Never agree to full payment up front, especially not if it’s a larger home improvement project.

Getting Free Estimates

The easiest way to go about getting free estimates to have your LiftMaster keypad fixed is simply by heading to the top of the page and filling out the form, which takes no longer than 2 minutes. We’ll then match you with the most relevant garage door contractors in your area that will provide you with free estimates or quotes, depending on what is causing the issue.

Once you get their offers, there’s no obligation for you to proceed with any of them. What are you waiting for?

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