How I made homelink work with an unsupported garage door opener

shandoosheri · Apr 8, 2020

I live in an apartment building and I recently got homelink installed since I thought it would be nice to open our underground garage door from the touch screen. Unfortunately, the remote I have uses this maxSecure connection that doesn't support homelink. Having already spent $300 I decided to get creative to figure out a solution for this problem and decided to share it in case somebody else has the same issue.

!! I am not responsible if you break your remote, car or anything else !!

You first need a 12v RF relay that you can pair with homelink: (I chose this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A6VOI6Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
you would also need a 12v cigarette lighter power adapter to power it from the car (I chose this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P8PZBCK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
you then need to open up your car remote and find the button that opens the garage door to solder 2 small wires to both terminals (make sure battery is removed). be careful that most remote buttons would use a 4 legged push button so you need to solder the wires between the top and bottom legs (see the picture below and test for continuity with a multimeter) i used a 7$ soldering iron for this so the joints aren't the best but its solid.
try to route the wires out side of the remote and close it up, make sure the button still works when pressed and the remote's led flashes when you touch the 2 wires together.
open up the RF relay and connect power and the 2 wires from the remote (to NO and COM terminals) following the instructions that came with it, should look something like this:
you now need to go to the car to change the relay mode to a momentarily switch following its instructions as well as repairing the remotes that came with it. when thats done tests that the relay clicks and your garage door remote flashes when you press the relay's remote.
if its all good, close it back up and store it in the center console, might be helpful to seal the wires and the relay box with hot glue so the wires wont come loose.
program the relay remote to homelink and you are done.

Basically what this is doing is making the RF relay listen for the signal coming from homelink closing the circuit between the remote button terminals which is exactly what happens when you press the button yourself. Best part is that this costs about $18 and works on any garage door opener as along as it has a physical remote.

mpaniccia · Feb 13, 2021

Hey! Was looking for a solution to the same issue I have in my building and this is great! One quick question tho. Is the 12v socket always on in the car and does it strain the 12v system much?