Garage door VERY limited range
Newbie
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Lower Delaware
2014 S-550V; 2012 BMW X-5 3.5d; 2001 BMW 330cic
Mine works as it should
Folks, I picked up my Lunar Blue, with the Designo Deep Sea Blue and Silk Beige trim --which is perfectly lined up as well, The Sunburst Myrtle wood is over the top! W-222 today from the dealer, and drove it about 140 miles today. I went directly to my house, and set the garage door opener, and waited until I came home tonight. Expecting problems that you guys mentioned I brought an old remote. I have a 250 foot driveway from my development road to my garage. As I made the turn from road to my driveway, I stopped, and then I pushed the button on the rear view mirror that I set today, 1 time, and it worked perfectly, as the old car worked. I drove right in, and down went the door. No issue at all. I bet it was that module that they replaced at Baltimore VPC while it sat there for 15 days.
I have the 20" 5 spoke tires, with the Non Sport Package, Goodyear F1 run Flats, and saw no problem with them at all. No rough ride, no roar, no nothing (sorry about the double negatives). Wish they were all season tires, but they are not, so will deal with them until winter, then will decide if we need snow tires. Delaware has seen lots of snow this year, and colder than normal, so will decide in October. The car has the MBC, and I kept it in comfort mode. I crossed several railroad tracks at normal speed, and didn't hardly feel them. Also, road patches seemed to disappear--not completely, but better than the last car handled them, so great improvement I did go to Wal-Mart tonight, and hit the speed bump at low speed, and I felt that as normally would. I guess speed makes the MBC work better.
I have the 20" 5 spoke tires, with the Non Sport Package, Goodyear F1 run Flats, and saw no problem with them at all. No rough ride, no roar, no nothing (sorry about the double negatives). Wish they were all season tires, but they are not, so will deal with them until winter, then will decide if we need snow tires. Delaware has seen lots of snow this year, and colder than normal, so will decide in October. The car has the MBC, and I kept it in comfort mode. I crossed several railroad tracks at normal speed, and didn't hardly feel them. Also, road patches seemed to disappear--not completely, but better than the last car handled them, so great improvement I did go to Wal-Mart tonight, and hit the speed bump at low speed, and I felt that as normally would. I guess speed makes the MBC work better.
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 263
Likes: 0
S 550
My home link button has worked great the last couple times, as opposed to the prior times when I had to be right at the garage door. Just realized that I took my electronic toll pass down from the window a couple days ago (usually have it mounted right behind the rear view mirror. I am wondering if it, the e toll pass, was blocking the home link? I will have to do some tests and report back.
Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
From: Port St. Lucie Florida
2009 SL600, 2015 Lexus RX450h, 2014 S550
Wow, this works!
A fix..at least for me. It involves lengthening the antenna on the garage door head unit (not in the car)
Credit this fix below found on a Mopar forum. It involves lengthening the antenna on the head unit by a specific amount (a 1/4 wavelength to 1/2 wavelength?) and possibly a reroute. Instead of the o/p's use of a butt connector, I soldered the two wires together..I don't trust butt connectors with microvoltage connections.
There's another post, which I've misplaced, for those who want to figure the length of their antenna based on the garage door frequency, which should be on the name plate of the head unit.
So far (a 4 day test), it works.
--------------------------clipped from original post on Mopar Forum------
Credit this fix below found on a Mopar forum. It involves lengthening the antenna on the head unit by a specific amount (a 1/4 wavelength to 1/2 wavelength?) and possibly a reroute. Instead of the o/p's use of a butt connector, I soldered the two wires together..I don't trust butt connectors with microvoltage connections.
There's another post, which I've misplaced, for those who want to figure the length of their antenna based on the garage door frequency, which should be on the name plate of the head unit.
So far (a 4 day test), it works.
--------------------------clipped from original post on Mopar Forum------
I posted this comment in another thread, but felt that it could use some more exposure:
My Magnum EVIC HomeLink (despite the dealer replacing it once) did not have the range of my 300M, nor the hand-held remotes. I solved it by lengthening the garage door operator antenna by a fractional wavelength. That is to say I doubled the length of the OEM opener antenna.
All you need to do is:
1. Get a piece of 18-22 gage (not important) wire exactly as long as the existing antenna (you will have to guess the length in some cases when the wire disappears into the housing).
2. Use a butt connector to join the stripped ends of the existing wire and the new one.
3. Let it hang down from the opener.
Now the Magnum hits the opener from a reasonable range and the others can hit it from about 100m away!
My Magnum EVIC HomeLink (despite the dealer replacing it once) did not have the range of my 300M, nor the hand-held remotes. I solved it by lengthening the garage door operator antenna by a fractional wavelength. That is to say I doubled the length of the OEM opener antenna.
All you need to do is:
1. Get a piece of 18-22 gage (not important) wire exactly as long as the existing antenna (you will have to guess the length in some cases when the wire disappears into the housing).
2. Use a butt connector to join the stripped ends of the existing wire and the new one.
3. Let it hang down from the opener.
Now the Magnum hits the opener from a reasonable range and the others can hit it from about 100m away!
Last edited by Pushbutton; 08-29-2006 at 04:22 PM.
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I added about 12" of 20 gauge wire to the antenna wire coming off the garage door motor unit. Following the above directions.
Now my Homelink range has increased from 2' from the door to across the street at the very least. Many thanks!
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 55
Likes: 4
From: Houston, Texas
2015 GL63, 2015 S550, 2006 SL55
For what it is worth, the company herein Houston that installed my LiftMaster garage door openers has advised that the range of the garage door openers is adversely affected by the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs and by LED light bulbs. I was advised to return to the use of ordinary incandescent bulbs.
Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 137
Likes: 7
From: Alberta, Canada
2017 GLC300, 2015 S550 4Matic LWB
Add me to this list of people having issues with their Homelink & garage door. Oddly enough, at the same distance on the driveway, closing the garage door works fine, but not opening.
So I stripped away more of the antenna wire and it has helped, because now I can actually open the garage door. The range is about the same at around 5ft from front of my car to the garage door.
Later this week I'm going to try replacing the antenna with a longer 20 gauge wire and see if that increases the range at all.
So I stripped away more of the antenna wire and it has helped, because now I can actually open the garage door. The range is about the same at around 5ft from front of my car to the garage door.
Later this week I'm going to try replacing the antenna with a longer 20 gauge wire and see if that increases the range at all.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,430
Likes: 187
From: USA
W140 Mercedes S350, W221 S550 sport
There is a great way to fix there here with aluminum foil!
http://www.doityourself.com/forum/ga...ers-range.html
It works. This is all caused by the coatings on the s class windshield. My other cars do not do this, but the foil will help the s class. It used to drive me nuts.
http://www.doityourself.com/forum/ga...ers-range.html
It works. This is all caused by the coatings on the s class windshield. My other cars do not do this, but the foil will help the s class. It used to drive me nuts.
Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 137
Likes: 7
From: Alberta, Canada
2017 GLC300, 2015 S550 4Matic LWB
There is a great way to fix there here with aluminum foil!
http://www.doityourself.com/forum/ga...ers-range.html
It works. This is all caused by the coatings on the s class windshield. My other cars do not do this, but the foil will help the s class. It used to drive me nuts.
http://www.doityourself.com/forum/ga...ers-range.html
It works. This is all caused by the coatings on the s class windshield. My other cars do not do this, but the foil will help the s class. It used to drive me nuts.
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Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 114
Likes: 18
From: Tejas
2023 S580 Selenite
I have one of the new Chamberlains. I installed a Liftmaster extended antenna (google part# 41A3504). I can now operate my door from over 200' away. Some of the Liftmasters have a coax connector already on the back of the unit, mine did not and I found several video's and instruction manuals on how to interface it with the Chamberlains or any other opener with a wire hanging down from the unit.
Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 137
Likes: 7
From: Alberta, Canada
2017 GLC300, 2015 S550 4Matic LWB
I already had the 3 of the parabolic reflectors installed on my wifi router at home. Just so happened I didn't drive the S to work today, and my father happened to be over at my house. So I told him to take one of the reflectors off the router and tape it to the garage door antenna and test it out for me.
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,544
Likes: 3,676
From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
Add me to this list of people having issues with their Homelink & garage door. Oddly enough, at the same distance on the driveway, closing the garage door works fine, but not opening. So I stripped away more of the antenna wire and it has helped, because now I can actually open the garage door. The range is about the same at around 5ft from front of my car to the garage door. Later this week I'm going to try replacing the antenna with a longer 20 gauge wire and see if that increases the range at all.
Last edited by Wolfman; Jul 6, 2015 at 11:41 PM.
Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 137
Likes: 7
From: Alberta, Canada
2017 GLC300, 2015 S550 4Matic LWB
