Garage Door Opener - Range Too Short/Can't Program

Garage Door Opener - Range Too Short/Can't Program
Date: April 8, 2008
Order No.: S-B-68.05/74
Supercedes:
Group: 68
SUBJECT:
All Model 129, 140, 163, 164, 170, 171, 202, 203, 204, 208, 209, 210, 211, 215, 216, 220, 221, 230, 251 and 463 Vehicles
Garage Door Opener Cannot Be Programmed and/or Range is Too Short
If you receive customer reports in the above model vehicles that the handheld garage door transmitter cannot be programmed into the integrated
garage door opener transmitter (inside the rearview mirror) or that the range of the integrated garage door opener transmitter is too short, refer to the
remedies below depending on the symptom encountered.
Symptom 1:
2000 Mercedes Benz Truck ML 55 AMG (163.174) V8-5.5L (113.981) 331
Integrated garage door opener buttons are already preprogrammed.
Remedy 1:
Before a handheld transmitter can be programmed, a reset must be performed on the integrated garage door opener. To do so, press and hold down
buttons 1 and 3 on the integrated garage door opener simultaneously for approx. 20 seconds until the LED begins to flash rapidly (also refer to the
operating instructions for the vehicle).
Symptom 2:
Garage door transmitter frequency or coding technology is not compatible with vehicle system.
Remedy 2:
Order and install a universal receiver for the opener installed in your home via the HomeLink hotline.
Note:
If you have further questions relating to the garage door opener, compatibility, programming of the regional code, synchronization or ordering of
a universal receiver, visit Internet site: www.homelink.com or contact the HomeLink toll-free hotline 1-800-355-3515.
Symptom 3:
Handheld transmitter uses a rolling code system.
Remedy 3:
It may be necessary to learn the code now stored to the integrated garage door transmitter into the garage door opener's receiver because they are
now out of sync. (Refer to the garage door opener on how to learn a transmitter into the receiver.)
Symptom 4:
Distance when programming handheld transmitter to integrated garage door opener is too small/too large or programming time is terminated too
soon.
Remedy 4:
Pay attention to the distance when programming. The distance varies between 5 cm and 30 cm depending on the system. Several programming
attempts may be necessary; every attempted setting position should be maintained for at least 15 seconds.
Symptom 5:
Timeout time of hand transmitter exceeded (switches off after approx. 20 sec).
Remedy 5:
Attempt learning the handheld transmitter into the vehicle again.
Symptom 6:
Timeout time of integrated garage door opener exceeded (switches off after approx. 60 sec).
Remedy 6:
Change the position of the hand transmitter and then start programming again.
Symptom 7:
On vehicles with infrared coated glass, the openers which use 390MHz have no range; however 300MHz is OK in same vehicle. (Sears/Liftmaster
openers used 390MHz up until 2005.)
Remedy 7:
Construct a passive repeater antenna from a piece of RG174 coaxial cable (locally sourced) to resolve the issue.
a) Cut a piece of coaxial cable (locally sourced) approximately 152 cm long.
2000 Mercedes Benz Truck ML 55 AMG (163.174) V8-5.5L (113.981) 332
b) Strip 18.5 cm of the outer shield from each end, leaving center conductor insulator intact (Figure 1).
c) Remove mirror from vehicle and open the mirror.
d) Remove cover on left A-pillar.
e) One end of the cable is cable tied to the garage door opener antenna in the mirror (Figure 2).
f) Route the cable above the headliner and place the other end of the cable along the edge of the glass on left side of the windshield (Figure 3).

g) Reinstall the mirror and test the range of opener.