I had our three garage doors replaced due to age, and figured the 1996 Chamberlain door lifts were near EOL, so I had them replaced, too. I chose the LiftMaster 8365W-267.
Two lifts + three cars with Homelink + two wireless keypads. And each of this model of lift has both a Learn button on the "ass end" of the lift, and another, remote Learn button the wired remote at the house's man door. Two Learn buttons per lift, two lifts. Got it?
First thing: LiftMaster puts a lot of info on the ass end, along with four buttons (which all can change color) and a standalone indicator. One of the buttons is the typical yellow Learn button, and the standalone indicator is for it only. However, while the S/N, MAC address, FCC ID, Date, and Part No. are all listed on this end, the Model No. is cleverly hidden on the other end. With a different serial number.
That's not confusing at all.
LiftMaster (Chamberlain) does have to answer the question, "Where is the model number," frequently, so they have an easily-Googleable page for the answer.
The installer did not offer to set up the three cars for the new lifts. He asked how old they were, and when I told them, he said, "well, you might have some difficulty with the older ones," and then he left.
Then the fun began.
I had no trouble setting up the 2018 Tesla Model 3: it just worked.
The 2014 RAV4 EV took a bit more work, and really I feel it was the old Satco LEDs giving me grief, but aside from that it set up OK.
However, the 2010 Sienna was a no-go. Homelink states the 2010 Sienna will work with the LiftMaster 8365W-26.
I was not able to train the Sienna's Homelink to the new transmitter; it would not read. OK, I was kind of expecting that a 2010 Homelink transmitter would not work with an out-of-the-box 2019 Homelink receiver in the new LiftMaster. I ordered the hardware fix for this very common problem: the Homelink Compatibility Bridge (HCB) kit:
This HCB kit consists of the LM855 programming transmitter and the HOMELINK RPTR repeater module, which listens to old Homelink transmissions and then retransmits via newer Homelink frequency/protocol.HCB wrote:
- The Compatibility Bridge® accepts and converts a non-compatible HomeLink® signal into a Security+ 2.0® compatible signal.
- Can be programmed to work with more than one Security+ 2.0® garage door opener
I ordered one on Friday from Amazon, picked it up Sunday after work (we have an Amazon Locker at work: handy!), tried it out Sunday night.
First off, the HCB kit's install/programming instructions leave out all manner of important information.
- The LM855 Transmitter will only program a vehicle's HL transmitter; I cannot (apparently) act as a remote itself. You can't use it to test that the RPTR is trained to the lift.
- The RPTR has an LED. It blinks. You have no idea what that LED is trying to communicate.
- While the HCB sales page says a single HCB kit can operate two lifts, there's no mention anywhere (on the three-language instruction page that comes with it, or on the web) of how to accomplish this.
Later in the week, I received the replacement kit. Same results (except the RPTR's LED flashed quite differently).
Between the lack of Model No. where I could find it, the LED RF interference, the antenna issue, the white lamp diffuser covers refusing to stay closed, having to guess what the RPTR's LED was attempting to relay to me, I was ready to throw things so I decided to walk away.
Coming back to this yesterday, I gathered the various documents, owners manual for the Sienna, things I'd printed off from Homelink/Chamberlain/Liftmaster websites, and called LiftMaster support. I put on my calm-but-frustrated consumer persona and was prepared to be connected to a foreign-located script-reader. Instead, I was connected to one of the friendliest CSRs I've spoken to, and with an unusually clear phone connection. He agreed with the Homelink doc linked above that the 2010 Sienna should work with the LiftMaster 8365W-267's transmitter, and & I worked through more-or-less the same instructions and procedures I'd tried a dozen times, but no-go: the Sienna's Homelink would not train to the new 8365W transmitter. Without suggesting the Compatibility Bridge kit, he tried to transfer me to Homelink Support, failed, then gave me their phone number and wished me Good Luck.
I called HL support, and their phone menu tree had me perform the <i>same</i> dance again, with same results. Ten minutes later (it takes a while for some of the steps), I was able to step out of the phone menu tree and was connected to a HL CSR. I summarized for him that the Sienna's HL would not train to the LM 8365W's transmitter, he had me do it again (!), then suggested the Compatibility Bridge. I said, "I have one!", he walked me through the steps (including Step 1: Train Sienna's HL to the Compatibility Bridge's remote: LM855). I had never tried training the Sienna's HL to the LM855 before. It didn't work (surprise!).
[Sidebar] The instructions for training HL in vehicles to new transmitters all state:
And the Compatibility Bridge shows this graphic:LiftMaster wrote:Position the hand-held transmitter 1-3 inches away from the HomeLink surface, keeping the HomeLink indicator light in view.
[/Sidebar]
The Sienna's HL would not train to the HCB's LM955 Transmitter.
The HL CSR asked if there was a sunglasses compartment in the overhead console; I don't have one. He then suggested placing the transmitter directly under the Sienna's HL button 3, right on the LCD, and trying again. Success!
TIP ONE: Training Sienna's HL to new transmitter Wow, 1-3" away did not cut it. The Transmitter had to be literally touching the plastic of the LED, under button 3.
I wondered, then asked the HL CSR, if I would be able to train the Sienna's HL to the LM 8365W lift's transmitter. He replied that the 2010 Siennas HL is probably version 3, and too old to train to the LM 8365W's transmitter. I did try it later, and it failed.
We then walked through training a lift to the HCB RPTR, which was straightforward.
Then, I asked about getting the Sienna to use the HCB to operate the second lift. This is
TIP TWO: Configuring one HCB to operate two lifts
Train vehicle HL to HCB using LM855 Transmitter (programmer)
- HCB RPTR unplugged.
- Engine ON (higher battery voltage to vehicle's HL)
- Clear out all previous HL settings in vehicle's HL: press and hold HL buttons 1 & 3 simultaneously. Continue holding for ~20 seconds, until HL dot(s) blink, then release. All previous transmitter settings are deleted.
- Place HCB transmitter under vehcle's HL button 3, up against the LCD plastic, obscuring the HL "house" indicator. Yes, now you can't see it.
- Press the transmitter button (there is only one button on the LM855) and the numbered HL button on the vehicle which corresponds to the lift you are programming. Both those buttons simultaneously. HOLD THEM DOWN.
- After three seconds, continue holding both buttons, but slide the transmitter slightly to the right just enough to see the LCD: the dot(s) should be rapidly blinking. If so, release both buttons and go to Step 7. If not, return to Step 3 and try again.
- Plug in RPTR. Ignore the LED (may be ON, OFF, or flickering).
- Press Learn button on ass-end of lift. Yellow indicator will light solid. This was the one step where using the remote Learn button on the wired keypad did NOT work, so use the Learn button on the lift itself.
- In vehicle, press the HL button you trained earlier. Hold for two seconds, then release. Nothing will happen.
- Press the same button again for two seconds, then release. Lift's lights will flash (or, if no lamps installed, relay will click; you may or may not be close enough he hear it).
- Press the same button again for two seconds: the lift should energize and move.
- Unplug HCB. Important!
- Go to Step 4 and repeat through Step 11
My 1996 lifts had Satco (mid-tier) LED lamps installed by me. I'd had some transmitter range issues even before installing CFLs (later, the LEDs) so I'd extended the 6" antenna to 10', up at the front wall of the garage, 2010.
The installer refused to reinstall my LED lamps to the new lifts; he said LED lamps interfered with the transmitters. I don't have access to a spectrum analyzer anymore, so I had to experiment. After he left, I installed the old Satco LEDs, and he was correct: there is a clear difference in the reliability of the transmitters. I suspected the six-year-old Satcos, and changed them out for new GEs, which (with my newly-re-extended antenna, anyway) don't seem to impact range over no lamps installed.
TIP THREE: Train the correct HL button in your vehicle
At some point near the end of the process, I had programmed the wrong HL button in the vehicle. I then reprogrammed it to the opposite lift, but the results were unexpected: one button in the vehicle operated both lifts! Not desired.
Unfortunately, there's no way to un-train a single transmitter (or programmed HCB transmitter, in the case of the Sienna). To eliminate one transmitter, you have to reset the lifts, and then reprogram the lifts to accept all the remotes again. In my case, eight separate events. Not fun.