Ed Hart
Member
Here's a strange story about Tesla and Homelink....and if anyone encounters Homelink problems, pay attention!
I have a 2014 Model S with factory-installed Homelink. In 2018, I put in a Gentex Liftmaster opener. I used the supplied remotes to program the Homelink with no issues.
In DEC20, however, I ran into the dreaded Tesla main controller memory overuse problem. This was a few weeks before the recall was announced, and all the dealer could do was wipe out the memory and let me start over. OK...most things still work, but the car would not recognize the door opener remote. AND...neither would my wife's Model X, which had done so easily back in 2018. A Tesla Mobile Service Tech came to the house, but could not get it to work. He tried to program his own S, and it would not work either. Mystery.
I contacted Gentex, which owns Liftmaster and Homelink. They immediately asked for photos of my openers.....and quickly told me that my door opener company had given me Chinese knockoffs. They would not admit it, but it appears that Gentex gave Tesla new software for Homelink, and when that was downloaded into Tesla vehicles, the Homelink would no longer accept signals from the Chinese knockoff remotes.
My solution was to order a genuine Liftmaster remote directly from Gentex. It instantly programmed our Tesla Homelink units.
Conclusion: Gentex was determined that only genuine Liftmaster remote controls be sold with Lifmaster door openers, and Gentex now uses their Homelink software to block knockoff remotes.
I wonder if any of this is related to Tesla's decision not to include Homelink in its vehicles from the factory(?) Anyone else care to speculate?
I have a 2014 Model S with factory-installed Homelink. In 2018, I put in a Gentex Liftmaster opener. I used the supplied remotes to program the Homelink with no issues.
In DEC20, however, I ran into the dreaded Tesla main controller memory overuse problem. This was a few weeks before the recall was announced, and all the dealer could do was wipe out the memory and let me start over. OK...most things still work, but the car would not recognize the door opener remote. AND...neither would my wife's Model X, which had done so easily back in 2018. A Tesla Mobile Service Tech came to the house, but could not get it to work. He tried to program his own S, and it would not work either. Mystery.
I contacted Gentex, which owns Liftmaster and Homelink. They immediately asked for photos of my openers.....and quickly told me that my door opener company had given me Chinese knockoffs. They would not admit it, but it appears that Gentex gave Tesla new software for Homelink, and when that was downloaded into Tesla vehicles, the Homelink would no longer accept signals from the Chinese knockoff remotes.
My solution was to order a genuine Liftmaster remote directly from Gentex. It instantly programmed our Tesla Homelink units.
Conclusion: Gentex was determined that only genuine Liftmaster remote controls be sold with Lifmaster door openers, and Gentex now uses their Homelink software to block knockoff remotes.
I wonder if any of this is related to Tesla's decision not to include Homelink in its vehicles from the factory(?) Anyone else care to speculate?
