Notices
S-Class (W222) 2014-2020

Garage Door opener range

Old Oct 28, 2015 | 03:26 PM
  #1  
jmrdmd's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
20 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 161
Likes: 5
From: NJ
2021 C63S Cabriolet, 2021 GLE53 Coupe, 2022 GT3 Touring, 2021 Taycan Turbo S, 2022 F-150 Lightning
Garage Door opener range

Hi All

I have a 2015 S550 and the garage door opener seems to have a greatly diminished range over my 2014 SL550 and my other non MB cars. I mean that the car has to be almost touching the garage door! Does anyone have this problem and a fix for it?

Thanks

Jan
Reply
Old Oct 28, 2015 | 03:56 PM
  #2  
Wolfman's Avatar
Super Moderator
MBWorld Ambassador

20 Year Member
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,556
Likes: 3,680
From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
Originally Posted by jmrdmd
Hi All

I have a 2015 S550 and the garage door opener seems to have a greatly diminished range over my 2014 SL550 and my other non MB cars. I mean that the car has to be almost touching the garage door! Does anyone have this problem and a fix for it?

Thanks

Jan
Have both cars and both have more or less the same range (within 6-10ft). Openers work fine within a 50ft range.
We have Chamberlain openers.
I have read that some extend the range by using a longer wire on the opener. Maybe it's time for a new opener or add a wifi interface and then use the phone to open it.

Last edited by Wolfman; Oct 28, 2015 at 03:59 PM.
Reply
Old Oct 28, 2015 | 07:33 PM
  #3  
RajwanyS550's Avatar
Super Member
15 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 650
Likes: 24
From: Texas
2015 White/brown Nappa S550, '13 S550 4 matic, 11 S550 sold, '10 S550 Sports BLACK 08 S550 P3 sport
try stripping a little of the antenna wire on your garage door motor. had the same problem, now works fine. Mercedes has low range for garage door openers.

Originally Posted by jmrdmd
Hi All

I have a 2015 S550 and the garage door opener seems to have a greatly diminished range over my 2014 SL550 and my other non MB cars. I mean that the car has to be almost touching the garage door! Does anyone have this problem and a fix for it?

Thanks

Jan
Reply
Old Oct 28, 2015 | 09:35 PM
  #4  
Wolfman's Avatar
Super Moderator
MBWorld Ambassador

20 Year Member
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,556
Likes: 3,680
From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
Originally Posted by RajwanyS550
Mercedes has low range for garage door openers.
I guess that in the eye of the beholder...

We have 3 MB's. All cars open the garage doors before the cars get to the driveway and our BMW 750li was no better than the MB's, so I figure that the variable might be the garage doors, the openers or other interference.

Some openers might just be more sensitive to transmission signal strength than others.
Our Chamberlains are better than our old Genies, plus I like the battery backup. Work great during the occasional power outage

One thing I did notice; some buttons I have to hold longer until the opener responds (always the same door, so it is the opener).
Reply
Old Oct 28, 2015 | 10:42 PM
  #5  
emilner's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,936
Likes: 350
From: Huntington NY
S560
My wife's GL can get the door to open when approaching the property 100' from the opener. My S550 you need to be within 40-50'. And heaven forbid you miss it or try too early, when I do I'm stuck trying for 5 minutes to get it to go....
Reply
Old Oct 28, 2015 | 10:45 PM
  #6  
Streamliner's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,157
Likes: 4,382
From: Corona Del Mar, CA
2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
Originally Posted by Wolfman
I guess that in the eye of the beholder...

We have 3 MB's. All cars open the garage doors before the cars get to the driveway and our BMW 750li was no better than the MB's, so I figure that the variable might be the garage doors, the openers or other interference.

Some openers might just be more sensitive to transmission signal strength than others.
Our Chamberlains are better than our old Genies, plus I like the battery backup. Work great during the occasional power outage

One thing I did notice; some buttons I have to hold longer until the opener responds (always the same door, so it is the opener).
I completely agree with the OP. My previous 2013 S550 & my current 2015 S550 must be FACING my garage door, within about one car length away from it, for the signal to be received. While our 2004 SL500, 2010 E350 & our 2016 E350 will open the doors without facing them and from 3 or 4 car lengths down the alley. I do not know what to attribute this to.
Reply
Old Oct 28, 2015 | 10:53 PM
  #7  
xrayaz's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 106
Likes: 3
1988 560sl/2015 S550 4Matic
I must agree that my S550 seems to be on the weak side. My 2008 w221 would open my door and the gate at my sisters from much further away. I recently had a Ford Escape that also would work from quite a distance.
Michael in Arizona
Reply
Old Oct 28, 2015 | 11:45 PM
  #8  
nycphotography's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 42
'15 T&C & '14 SL63
The CLK63 worked from the end of the driveway.

I never bothered to program the T&C because it never gets to sleep inside, so I can't speak for it's range.

The SL63 won't program... so I'll be stopping by the dealer some day to have THEM program it. Odd that it won't program though.
Reply
MB World Stories

The Best of Mercedes & AMG

story-0

New Electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Unveiled: 10 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Oct 29, 2015 | 06:59 AM
  #9  
jbattan's Avatar
Super Member
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 762
Likes: 166
From: Oregon USA
2023 Mercedes EQS 580 SUV, 2023 Bentley Bentayga, 2023 Genesis GV60
None of my four MBs are good with Homelink distance. My 2005 Lexus is vastly better, able to open our estate gate from 150' away.
Reply
Old Oct 29, 2015 | 08:04 AM
  #10  
jmrdmd's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
20 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 161
Likes: 5
From: NJ
2021 C63S Cabriolet, 2021 GLE53 Coupe, 2022 GT3 Touring, 2021 Taycan Turbo S, 2022 F-150 Lightning
Thanks for all of the replies!
Jan
Reply
Old Oct 29, 2015 | 08:52 AM
  #11  
SteveE400's Avatar
Super Member
10 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 725
Likes: 189
From: Chicago area
2015 E400 and 2015 GLK350
There is one variable not mentioned here - the construction of the garage door itself. All of my openers used to work from 3 or 4 houses away, until my wife decided that it was time for a new garage door. She chose a steel door, which seems to act like an RF shield. After installation of this door, the range of all of our openers decreased noticeably. I do notice, however, that the "clickers" that came with the Chamberlain opener work faster and from a greater distance than do either of the MB devices. Ours still open from the far end of the 120-foot driveway, though.
Reply
Old Oct 29, 2015 | 08:59 AM
  #12  
lh713's Avatar
Junior Member
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 55
Likes: 4
From: Houston, Texas
2015 GL63, 2015 S550, 2006 SL55
My garage door opener service company advised that the use of LED bulbs or compact fluorescent bulbs in garage door openers reduces the distance significantly because of interference.
Reply
Old Oct 29, 2015 | 10:16 PM
  #13  
platt-deutsch's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 368
Likes: 11
From: Iowa
2019 S450
I wonder how the bulbs would affect it if they dont come on until the opener is activated?
Reply
Old Oct 29, 2015 | 10:33 PM
  #14  
steveb9771's Avatar
Super Member
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 643
Likes: 51
From: Southern California
2007 CL550
A while back this issue was discussed on the W221 thread. The special UV protective coating on the windshield glass reduces the range of the Homelink transmitter which is located in the rear view mirror. This coating on the glass also interferes with toll road transponders which will only work if they are located small uncoated region of the windshield.
Reply
Old Oct 29, 2015 | 11:39 PM
  #15  
Wolfman's Avatar
Super Moderator
MBWorld Ambassador

20 Year Member
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,556
Likes: 3,680
From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
Originally Posted by steveb9771
A while back this issue was discussed on the W221 thread. The special UV protective coating on the windshield glass reduces the range of the Homelink transmitter which is located in the rear view mirror. This coating on the glass also interferes with toll road transponders which will only work if they are located small uncoated region of the windshield.
MB uses the UV coated glass for 15 years now.
Reply
Old Oct 31, 2015 | 04:40 PM
  #16  
Wolfman's Avatar
Super Moderator
MBWorld Ambassador

20 Year Member
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,556
Likes: 3,680
From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
I was curious about these very different experiences that we have with the same type car and did a quick check again with our cars (13 SL550, 14 ML350, 15 S550). Only the S-Class has the UV coated glass afaik.

Our mailbox is on the side on the property and about 70-80ft (line of sight) away from garage doors. When pressing the button the car stand sideways from the doors, not facing them.
All cars opened the doors at that distance. The S worked about the same as the others, if not a touch better.
All three cars had trouble opening the door closest to them, I assume because of the stucco wall being in the way. Had to hold the button longer on all cars.

This mirrors what the BMW did as did our prior models (S, CL, SL). Some with had UV coated glass, some didn't.

All of our opener bulbs and soffit lights/sconces uses LED bulbs. btw.

I assume these different experiences must be contributed to the different building materials, RF interference, and opener models rather than particular car models.
Reply
Old Oct 31, 2015 | 08:14 PM
  #17  
nycphotography's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 42
'15 T&C & '14 SL63
Originally Posted by nycphotography
The SL63 won't program... so I'll be stopping by the dealer some day to have THEM program it. Odd that it won't program though.
Stopped at a dealer today.... I swear it took him 15 seconds to program the damn thing (doing exactly the same thing I had tried over and over and over again with no luck).

Anyhow, no worries as that's one thing I won't have to bother with again.
Reply
Old Oct 31, 2015 | 09:13 PM
  #18  
Streamliner's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,157
Likes: 4,382
From: Corona Del Mar, CA
2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
Originally Posted by SteveE400
There is one variable not mentioned here - the construction of the garage door itself. All of my openers used to work from 3 or 4 houses away, until my wife decided that it was time for a new garage door. She chose a steel door, which seems to act like an RF shield. After installation of this door, the range of all of our openers decreased noticeably. I do notice, however, that the "clickers" that came with the Chamberlain opener work faster and from a greater distance than do either of the MB devices. Ours still open from the far end of the 120-foot driveway, though.
My four garage doors are solid 1.5" thick wood. W221, W222 need to be right in front of the door to work. Pretty much ANY other vehicle works from 50' down the alley.
Reply
Old Nov 2, 2015 | 12:20 PM
  #19  
WEBSRFR's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
 
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,139
Likes: 41
Tesla Model S P100D
I believe this will solve your problem and it costs only about $30:

Liftmaster 41A3504 Residential Garage Door Opener Antenna Extension Kit - Garage Door Hardware - Amazon.com Liftmaster 41A3504 Residential Garage Door Opener Antenna Extension Kit - Garage Door Hardware - Amazon.com

The problem is not with the Mercedes transmitter but your garage might be well insulated from RF signals (Can you get a cellphone signal when your garage door is closed?)

The antenna extension will greatly extend your operable range of the garage door.
Reply
Old Nov 2, 2015 | 01:07 PM
  #20  
emilner's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,936
Likes: 350
From: Huntington NY
S560
The issue is certainly with the car in my case. My wife's GL has double the range on the same doors. My previous cars and trucks all had much better range. Only my 222 has limited range.
Reply
Old Nov 2, 2015 | 08:37 PM
  #21  
Warehouser's Avatar
Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 114
Likes: 18
From: Tejas
2023 S580 Selenite
Originally Posted by WEBSRFR
I believe this will solve your problem and it costs only about $30:

Liftmaster 41A3504 Residential Garage Door Opener Antenna Extension Kit - Garage Door Hardware - Amazon.com

The problem is not with the Mercedes transmitter but your garage might be well insulated from RF signals (Can you get a cellphone signal when your garage door is closed?)

The antenna extension will greatly extend your operable range of the garage door.
Exactly what I ordered and installed for my Chamberlain, made a big difference on my S.
Reply

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:
You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:56 AM.

story-0
New Electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Unveiled: 10 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes-AMG's new electric GT 4-Door Coupe trades combustion for software, synthetic noise, and more than 1,100 horsepower.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 20:08:15


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

Slideshow: Not every Mercedes design becomes timeless, some feel stuck in the era they came from.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:09:07


VIEW MORE
story-2
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

Slideshow: Yes, Mercedes built manual cars, and some of them are far more interesting than you'd expect.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-02 12:36:58


VIEW MORE
story-3
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 11:19:28


VIEW MORE
story-4
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Before curves took over, Mercedes mastered the art of the straight line, and some of those shapes still look right today.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-25 12:05:49


VIEW MORE
story-5
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

Slideshow: The 190E Evolution II shows how a homologation necessity became a six-figure collector icon.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-22 17:53:47


VIEW MORE
story-6
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes is turning one of its core nameplates electric, and the details show just how serious this shift is.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:58:06


VIEW MORE
story-7
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

Slideshow: Faster charging, longer range, and a controversial steer-by-wire system define the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz EQS.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-15 10:35:34


VIEW MORE
story-8
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

Slideshow: These overlooked Mercedes-Benz models never got the spotlight, but they quietly delivered more than most remember.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-13 19:35:45


VIEW MORE
story-9
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

Slideshow: A well-used 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300D with more than one million miles is now looking for a new owner, and it still appears ready for more.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-10 10:05:15


VIEW MORE