Programming Your LiftMaster by Chamberlain Garage Door Opener

Look around you at your beautiful home. There’s nothing better than surrounding yourself with all the things you love after a long day at work.

Remember those summer evenings when you were younger, and you had all the energy in the world. It seemed like even the sunsets and the weather was willing to cheer you on – when you got home, everything seemed lit up.But now, it seems like everything is cold and dark when you get home, right?

All you want to do is get inside and warm up... but when you press the button to open your garage door, nothing happens.

Oh, no!

After some trial and error, you have to admit the truth... there’s something wrong. But you know it’s not your door opener remote since you checked that just a bit ago.

In fact, it’s worse than you feared. You have to re-program your LiftMaster or Chamberlain garage door opener!

A garage by night, with 2 single garage doors. Their design is North Hatley LP, Their color is  Moka Brown, and they have 8 lite Orion windows

Psst! You could really relate to this story but what you’ve really, really liked about it is the picture of these 2 single garage doors? They are in the North Hatley LP Design, Moka Brown color, with 8-lite Orion windows.

Or maybe you’ve bought a replacement LiftMaster Chamberlain garage door opener. You’ve also had the bright idea to install it yourself.

Read on to learn the easiest ways to do so while still making sure you’ll stay injury-free!

An image of man holding a "Be Aware" memo

Are You Really Ready to Take on This Project?

Reprogramming a LiftMaster Chamberlain garage door opener is never going to be as easy a process as you want it to be. Before you start, realize that you might have to deal with:

  • Bad or not-precise enough adjustments you make to the garage door travail limits will interfere with the functioning of the safety reversal system.
  • If your garage door opener needs too much force to close your garage door (because the garage door tracks are dirty or stuck in ice, for example), it will interfere with the functioning of the safety reversal system.
  • If your garage door opener is an old model, you should NEVER EVER use the force adjustments to make up for a binding garage door.
  • After reprogramming your garage door opener travel, YOU MUST TEST your garage door opener safety reversal system.
  • Make sure your SUV, pick-up truck, or any other tall vehicles won’t get damaged. Test your garage door to see if it fully opens and provides all the clearance you need.

Keep in mind that a safety reversal system that doesn’t work as designed can lead to injury and even death for people in your family – especially children.

By trying to fix your opener yourself, you might find that you’re putting your family in danger! As such, if you don’t think you’re skilled enough to handle this task, don’t be ashamed to admit it.

You can contact a certified LiftMaster Chamberlain installer or technician near you.

In most cases, the garage door is the part of your home that opens and closes most often and sees the most movement. With how much movement it sees, the springs that make it work are under extreme stress and tension.

Don’t put your family at risk if you’re feeling wary about taking on the task!

A picture of a certified LiftMaster Chamberlain installer reprogramming a garage door opener.

A certified LiftMaster Chamberlain installer reprogramming a garage door opener.

Program the Opener In 12 Steps (for units equipped with MyQ devices)

  1. Confirm that the garage is closed but still plugged in. Also, check that the trolley is near the garage door.

    A picture of a garage door opener trolley and emergency release cord

  2. Find your garage door opener adjustment buttons. (Reference the guide below if you’re having trouble finding them.)

    A picture of different garage door opener models with the emplacement of their adjustment buttons

  3. Press and hold the black square button. One of two things will happen – either the up button will flash, or a small beep will sound. This is alerting you that you can set your opener in the OPEN POSITION going forward.
  4. Press and hold both ARROWS (UP and DOWN) simultaneously and watch as your garage door opens. Once it’s fully open, stop and look – this is the UP position you want your garage door to be in.
  5. Press the black square button (note: not press and hold). When you do this, you’ll notice that the light on the opener will flash twice. Then, the DOWN arrow will flash. This is to inform you that you’ve LOCKED your OPEN POSITION. Now you have to teach the opener what the CLOSE POSITION is.
  6. Go back to the DOWN arrow. This time, press and hold the button until the garage closes (and it is fully closed. Make sure to check)!
  7. Press (not press and hold) the black square button. This will teach the opener that this is the CLOSED POSITION that you want. The opener lights will flash twice, followed by the UP arrow flashing. This means that the opener has LOCKED the DOWN POSITION. You’re now ready to set the mode for force programming.
  8. Press the UP Arrow. When the door travels to the programmed UP position, the DOWN Arrow will begin to flash.
  9. Press the DOWN Arrow. The door will travel to the programmed DOWN position. Programming is now complete.

    EXTRA NOTES TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE CONTINUING

    • During programming, if the opener lights flash 5 times on MyQ Garage Door Opener, this means you’ve taken too long and you’ve been timed out.
    • During programming, if you witness the opener lights flash 10 times on a MyQ Garage Door Opener, the garage and opener are trying to tell you that the safety reversal system or sensors have become misaligned or are reading an error.
    • After aligning or clearing the sensors, do a complete up and down garage door cycle using your remote control. Programming will be complete.
    • The yellow round button is only used to program your garage door accessories. Never-ever use it for programming your opener travel.
  10. There’s still more to be done! Before you pat yourself on the back for a job well done, check that the safety reversal system is working as it should. Here’s a guide to help you do it (recommended by US inspectors).
  11. Close your garage door.
  12. Confirm that your reversal system is working correctly and that it opened as soon as it hit whatever obstacle you put in its closing path.

Forget Programming... Maybe Get a New Opener!

You could reprogram your opener, sure... but you could also just get a new one and not deal with the hassle of old technology!

Additionally, a new opener could help to keep your family safe, because LiftMaster and Chamberlain innovated their garage door opener technology twice – once in 1993 and once in 2012.

An image with the quote "Focus on facts, not fears".

If your LiftMaster or Chamberlain garage door opener was manufactured before 1993, you definitely need to get a new one!

The facts are in – if your opener is from 1993, you must replace it because your family is at a huge risk.

Back in 1993, protocol was changed so that all garage door openers would be manufactured with two safety measures going forward. These safety measures were meant to... well, keep your family safe!

If your opener was made before 1993, you might be lacking in this safety department. Rather than put your family at risk, replace your opener and keep your loved ones safe!

Especially your kids. Kids get into all sorts of trouble, so don’t give them the opportunity to be hurt by your ancient opener.

The 2 Safety Systems

  • The 1st one is mechanical: if the bottom section of a descending door hits an object, the motor detects the resistance and the door reverses.
  • The 2nd one is photoelectric: it consists of 2 units installed about 6 inches from the floor, on each side of the door. One unit emits an infrared beam (that you won’t be able to see, so don’t go look for it), and the second unit will receive the infrared beam. If anything crosses the invisible line that stretches between them when the garage door is closing, the garage door will stop and reverse. This is a system put in place to help make sure that if something crosses the garage door’s path while it’s closing, the thing won’t get crushed!

An image of 2 little girls breaking a garage door opener photo-cell safety beams, causing the garage door to stop closing and reversing its direction.

These little girls are having so much fun they forget about safety. Even though their parents keep repeating themselves. How strange, how unusual, wouldn’t you say? Thanks to the garage door opener photocell safety beams, when the big sister breaks the beam while entering the garage as the garage is closing, the garage door opener stops on spot and changes its direction to open the door. No injuries. No drama. Just kids being kids. You’ve got to love technology!

If we’ve still not made you realize that you need to replace your ancient opener, here are some additional documents to convince you:

If you think you’re safe because your LiftMaster Chamberlain garage door opener was made after 1993, that might not be true. Even if your opener was made after 1993, if it was made before 2012, you still should upgrade!

An image of The Security+2.0 label you should look for on your garage door opener

To make sure your garage door opener has rolling code technology, look for the label on your Chamberlain, LiftMaster, or Craftsman garage door opener.

Back in 2012, Chamberlain changed the technology in their openers and added Security+2.0 to everything. This is a technology that introduces a rolling code system between your garage opener and your garage.

It’s meant to prevent people from being able to enter your garage with any old opener. With Security+2.0, every time you press the button on the opener, it’ll generate a new code (out of 100 billion!).

Each press of the opener means a new code, so you don’t have to worry about someone stealing your codes from your opener and using them on your garage.

Since the same code cannot be used more than once, stolen remote controls are therefore useless to intruders.

Check When Your Device Was Manufactured

An example of a garage door label and where it can be found on different garage door opener models

Here are the main models of LiftMaster or Chamberlain garage door openers with their sticker locations and the information you can find on them.

You should be able to find a sticker on your opener that’ll have important information written on it like the model and serial numbers. If you ever need to call someone for maintenance – such as your local garage door specialist – this is good information to have on hand!

Once you have found this sticker, you’ll be able to learn when your opener was made.

If your garage door opener is a Chamberlain, but not a LiftMaster model, this FAQ could help you.

REPLACE YOUR OPENER NOW (if it was manufactured before 2012). Here’s how to do so.

If you’re worried because you don’t know how to make heads or tails of getting a new opener, don’t worry! There are ways to make your choice easier and to lessen the number of options you have to choose between.

Is the ceiling of your garage pretty low or cathedral? Do you want to put storage above your garage door? Maybe your house’s design includes windows over your garage door?

A picture of house with a garage door in the Vog Design, 9' x 8' size, Black Color, with the Left‑side Harmony window layout

This elegant, modern garage door in the Vog Design has windows above it. That’s why a wall mounted LiftMaster 8500W garage door opener is necessary. Indeed, this residential Jackshaft-type opener is the perfectly engineered solution to fit your specific garage requirements. It mounts easily on the wall (right or left side) beside the garage door and comes with a remote 1500-Lumen light that can be positioned anywhere in the garage.

Does your garage share a wall with a well-trafficked area in your house?

A picture of a garage with bedrooms over it and a single garage door in the Prestige XL Design, Chocolate Walnut Color, with Pinhead windows

If you like this 1-car garage door, it’s the Prestige XL Design, Chocolate Walnut color, with Pinhead windows.

It means your garage door opener needs to operate QUIETLY. This completely removes chain-operated openers from the opening processes. Although they are less expensive, they make so much noise, which is no good if you’re looking for quiet!

You must choose a garage door opener operating with a rubber belt if you want things to stay quiet.

Look at how we’re narrowing it all down – in fact, we’re down to 2 LiftMaster residential openers

A picture of the LiftMaster 87504-267 garage door opener, belt operation, with integrated camera and 2-way audio, Wifi, and a battery backup

The LiftMaster 87504-267

This is a new and improved design on the LiftMaster 8550. The LiftMaster 87504-267 is built around a rubber belt-drive system, has a battery backup, a built-in camera, 2-way audio, and the MyQ app.

This is a long-winded way of saying that you’ll be able to use surveillance and operate your garage no matter where in the world you are! You’ll be able to use the MyQ cameras to see what happens in your garage, and you’ll even be able to speak with anyone who enters.

Does the idea of this much technology turn you off? Not to worry – looks like you’ve found the opener that works best for you! The LiftMaster 84501 is also a rubber belt-drive garage door opener. You’re looking at a smooth operator that can access the MyQ app too (but only if you want), but keep in mind that this model doesn’t have a battery backup.

An image of the  LiftMaster 84501 garage door opener

Uncertain? Talk to an expert.

Unless you’re secretly a garage technician, you might not know where to even begin when it comes to purchasing a new garage door or opener. It’s not like it’s an annual purchase!

In fact, if you give proper maintenance to your garage door, it can last up to 25 years!

Good garage doors and openers also can increase the value of your house, so you want to make sure you’re making the right choice. That’s why you should talk to one of our experts.

Here at Door Systems Metro Boston, garage doors and garage door openers are our lifeblood. We know everything there is to know about this topic, and we’re here to answer all of your questions!

Even in just a small conversation, we’ll be able to give you advice and help you make a decision that is within your budget and that you’ll be happy with.

Contact us at 508-875-3508!

If you already know exactly which opener you’re going to get, you still ask us for a quotation by email.

Want to check online to see if you get ideas?

You’re in luck – we have a residential photo gallery that’s here to help with inspiration.

Or, if you want to test what different garage doors will look like on your house, you can use our Design Centre. You’ll be able to create mockups to see if you’ve found your dream door or if you need to keep looking!

Add new comment

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.