Stolen Garage Door Remote Tips

Imagine just returning home after some shopping or errands and you reach for your garage door remote and it isn’t there. You search your vehicle top to bottom and it is nowhere to be found. This means that it might have dropped out of your vehicle, or worse it was stolen out of your vehicle. Naturally knowing or suspecting that someone has stolen the remote as a way to get into your house or garage causes stress and we can panic.

Stolen garage door remotes are one of the most common ways that home burglars use to get into homes. While the rate of burglaries is actually down on the average the amount taken per burglary is up. There are numerous ways that criminals can try to get your garage door remote. One of the most common is to simply look for unlocked cars at shopping centers. Once they have your remote they can follow you home, or they can look up your address off of your vehicle registration.  This means they can do a quick search and even gain entry before you even are finished with your outing.

What To Do If It Has Been Stolen

Much like when you realize a debit card has gone missing, you want to make sure it doesn’t work anymore. The same can be done with your garage door opener. The system works by the remote sending a coded signal to the garage door opener. All garage door openers work by either using a different code or a different frequency. Modern garage doors use what are called rolling codes, which means that every time you use your remote the transmission code changes and updates.

You can unplug your garage door opener, but many models are equipped with battery backups that store the garage door codes and will not prevent the stolen remote from working. Some models of garage door openers have a “lock” feature that disables remotes from working. This can be useful if you don’t have time to tackle the problem head on right at the moment.

You don’t need to have the remote to disable it, you just need to tell the garage door opener that the code coming from the remote is no longer valid. These are the steps to getting that job done, and keeping your home safe.

Disabling The Remote

Find the smart button on your garage door opener, it is usually on the motor housing.  You might need a sturdy step stool or ladder to reach it safely. Look for a button that is yellow, orange, red, purple, or green.  Hold this button for a few seconds and it will deprogram all of the stored remote codes that are associated with the house. This makes it so the stolen remote has no ability to open your garage.

Reprogram The Other Remotes

Most homes have at least 2 or more remotes that control the garage. Clearing the codes on the garage door opener disables all remotes. While this is a frustrating experience it is a necessary step in protecting your home and your family. Follow your manufacturer’s instructions on reprogramming your remotes. If you don’t have this material many manufacturer guides are located online. Simply search for your brand and model for the correct owner’s manual.

If you have any vehicles that have built in garage door remotes you will also need to reprogram them. Follow the vehicle manufacturer’s instructions on how to accomplish this in your individual vehicle.

Garage Door Service & Maintenance

If you live in the Phoenix valley and need help repairing, replacing, or generally servicing your garage door remotes, opener, or garage door we have you best interests in mind. The garage is an access point to many homes and usually contains a myriad of valuable items that none of us want to have stolen. Let the pros at On Track Garage Door help you get the job done quickly and correctly.