PSA: Homelink auto open left our garage open overnight

[apacheguy]

We departed our house last night for a weekend trip. I got in the Model 3, opened the garage using Homelink, and backed out onto the street. I have both auto open and close enabled so the garage closed after I exited. I confirmed with surveillance camera footage that this is indeed what occurred.

Unfortunately, I forgot something in the house and had to run back in. Upon returning to the car and driving away, the garage door opened (also confirmed with camera footage) unbeknownst to me. The only thing I can think of is that Homelink auto open activated and I did not realize it as I was already driving away.

A neighbor called us this morning to say that our garage was open and she was concerned. Fortunately, we have WiFi enabled on our garage so I was able to close the door remotely.

I’m posting this here so others are aware of this and are mindful of unintended consequences of using auto Homelink.

 

[Need]

The only thing I can think of is that Homelink auto open activated and I did not realize it as I was already driving away.

Very likely I think. I also read that some people would manually press to close the garage as they leave (even though they got auto close). And as they are leaving without looking back, the car auto send the "close" signal. And since there is no "open" or "close" signal.. just a toggle signal... it opens the garage door back up.

I read so many threads on coming home seeing garage door left open... I didn't even turn on the auto function. It's not that hard to press the screen LOL.

 

[patrick40363]

You can get a garage door closer that will close 5 minutes after it has been opened. They are also wifi enabled.

 

[apacheguy]

That’s good to know. I discovered an alert function in my garage app that will send me an email if it is left open. I’ll also disable auto Homelink.

 

[idealsol]

We departed our house last night for a weekend trip. I got in the Model 3, opened the garage using Homelink, and backed out onto the street. I have both auto open and close enabled so the garage closed after I exited. I confirmed with surveillance camera footage that this is indeed what occurred.

Unfortunately, I forgot something in the house and had to run back in. Upon returning to the car and driving away, the garage door opened (also confirmed with camera footage) unbeknownst to me. The only thing I can think of is that Homelink auto open activated and I did not realize it as I was already driving away.

The exact same thing has happened to us. We are setup exactly as you are, both auto open and close.
If I need to run back into the house I now cancel any auto close when I get back into the car

 

[Magnets!]

Thanks for the heads up. I think the auto open and close works great on a day to day basis, but I do eye ball it in my rear view mirror to be sure it is closing.

 

[Sherlo]

Very likely I think. I also read that some people would manually press to close the garage as they leave (even though they got auto close). And as they are leaving without looking back, the car auto send the "close" signal. And since there is no "open" or "close" signal.. just a toggle signal... it opens the garage door back up.

I read so many threads on coming home seeing garage door left open... I didn't even turn on the auto function. It's not that hard to press the screen LOL.

Or in my case with auto open/close...coming home with wife unloading groceries from back of SUV and M3 sent signal to close garage door which then hit hatchback which auto closed on her.

Still married but auto open/close disabled

 

[crackers8199]

Very likely I think. I also read that some people would manually press to close the garage as they leave (even though they got auto close). And as they are leaving without looking back, the car auto send the "close" signal. And since there is no "open" or "close" signal.. just a toggle signal... it opens the garage door back up.

I read so many threads on coming home seeing garage door left open... I didn't even turn on the auto function. It's not that hard to press the screen LOL.

i just turned mine on because with where the homelink sensor is in the model 3, it almost never opens my garage door since i'm backing in. it seems very directional...and even if i back all the way up to just a few inches from the door, sometimes it still won't open. with auto close, it sends the signal when i get close to the house but am still facing forward (before i turn around to back in), so that the door opens. hopefully this will help, i've only had it turned on for a few hours...but it worked well so far.

auto-close i'm still not sure on...my garage door does have a timer on it that will close if left open longer than 15 minutes during the day or 5 minutes at night, so i'm not as worried about that.

 

[TonyT]

Is your opener Chamberlan/Liftmaster/Sears? And about 3-5 years old?

 

[crackers8199]

Is your opener Chamberlan/Liftmaster/Sears? And about 3-5 years old?

is this directed at me? lol

 

[Wennfred]

is this directed at me? lol

Yes or an garage door opener with an LED light? Marantec Opener have LED lights.

Fred

 

[TonyT]

is this directed at me? lol

No, OP, but could be anyone who has random open with those openers. Lots of them have supercaps on control panel going bad, and will randomly open your garage.

 

[Wennfred]

i just turned mine on because with where the homelink sensor is in the model 3, it almost never opens my garage door since i'm backing in. it seems very directional...and even if i back all the way up to just a few inches from the door, sometimes it still won't open. with auto close, it sends the signal when i get close to the house but am still facing forward (before i turn around to back in), so that the door opens. hopefully this will help, i've only had it turned on for a few hours...but it worked well so far.

auto-close i'm still not sure on...my garage door does have a timer on it that will close if left open longer than 15 minutes during the day or 5 minutes at night, so i'm not as worried about that.

I had the same problem, turn off your LED light if you have one installed in the opener or remove it, my Homelink now works 100% all the time, the LED was interfering with the sensor, this sensor is Omni-directional, works whether or not you back in. I know I Back in and now when I pull out it immediately tells me the door will close in 30 feet.

This is what the LED light looks like.

Fred

 

[crackers8199]

i do have LED lights in the opener but that's not it, i'm relatively sure of it for two reasons:

1) i bought the GE LED lights that are designed not to interfere with the opener

2) even if the lights mentioned in #1 still interfered, when i use the remote that came with it i can open it from the end of the driveway (much further out than i can with homelink in the model 3 if i'm backing into the garage)...also, the model 3 can open the door from the end of the driveway IF facing the door rather than backing in.

this seems to indicate not a problem with the lights, it's a problem with the weak / poorly placed / very directional homelink remote in the model 3.

 

[hcdavis3]

We departed our house last night for a weekend trip. I got in the Model 3, opened the garage using Homelink, and backed out onto the street. I have both auto open and close enabled so the garage closed after I exited. I confirmed with surveillance camera footage that this is indeed what occurred.

Unfortunately, I forgot something in the house and had to run back in. Upon returning to the car and driving away, the garage door opened (also confirmed with camera footage) unbeknownst to me. The only thing I can think of is that Homelink auto open activated and I did not realize it as I was already driving away.

A neighbor called us this morning to say that our garage was open and she was concerned. Fortunately, we have WiFi enabled on our garage so I was able to close the door remotely.

I’m posting this here so others are aware of this and are mindful of unintended consequences of using auto Homelink.

Remember. Garage door openers are toggle only. There are no discreet codes for open or close. If the door is open and Homelink kicks in it will close. Likewise for close, if the door is closed Homelink will open it. I have overrided Homelink many times when it’s out of synch.

 

[Wennfred]

i do have LED lights in the opener but that's not it, i'm relatively sure of it for two reasons:

1) i bought the GE LED lights that are designed not to interfere with the opener

2) even if the lights mentioned in #1 still interfered, when i use the remote that came with it i can open it from the end of the driveway (much further out than i can with homelink in the model 3 if i'm backing into the garage)...also, the model 3 can open the door from the end of the driveway IF facing the door rather than backing in.

this seems to indicate not a problem with the lights, it's a problem with the weak / poorly placed / very directional homelink remote in the model 3.

With the LED light on, I can open and close the door all day long with the green Homelink icon, that not the point, the problem is with the Auto open and Auto close. The GE LED light is designed to not interfered with the opener’s remote but I bet it’s messing with your Homelink sensor. Anyways I gave you a solution to try, a simple one so the ball is in your court.


Fred

 

[Wennfred]

Funny, I found this article where this person installed LED lights I guess around this lawn and at night when the LED lights came on, it would shut down (interfere) with the Homelink in BOTH cars. Good luck.

 

[Wennfred]

Another article, this guy was troubleshooting with a Homelink rep. Bingo! LED lights.

You can read the whole article here:
Homelink and Garage Door Issue

 

[Twiglett]

Yep
Homelink isn’t a stateful protocol, it just sends the signal and doesn’t have the ability to check door status. Anything that can do that isn’t Homelink

 

[crackers8199]

Funny, I found this article where this person installed LED lights I guess around this lawn and at night when the LED lights came on, it would shut down (interfere) with the Homelink in BOTH cars. Good luck.

View attachment 408159

did you miss the part where I said it works fine when the car is at the end of the driveway as long as it's pointed towards the door? I'm not sure how it can be the LEDs interfering but only as the car gets closer to the door...if it's interfering with the signal it should be interfering with it at any distance.