Liftmaster 8500 Setting Travel Limits

[Scott0023]

Friday I get a call from my wife that the one garage door won't close with wall switch. She does not try a remote. She has somewhere to be so I walk her through how to release the door and close it manually. The door is now closed but not not locked.

I get home and try the door. It now works, opens just fine, closes but stops about 4" from the slab. It is late, I play around with it for a little bit and use the manual yellow button to get it all of the way down.

Today, I operate the door and I get the same. Opens all of the way up, going down it stops 4" from the slab. When it stops, it does the usual slow down before it stops just like it always has done. Just too high.

I go ahead and decide to do the "Program the Travel Limits" in the manual figuring that they got lost somehow.

Here's the basic version of the process:

1. Press/hold black button until the LED blinks
2. Use the UP (Black) and DOWN (Yellow) buttons to set the UP limit.
3. Press the remote control to lock in the UP position and the door starts moving.
4. Quickly press either the black (UP) button or the yellow (DOWN) button to stop the door closing. I have done both.
5. Use the Yellow down button to lower the door and set the DOWN position.
6. Press the remote button to set the DOWN position.

I now have the down position set and it works perfectly. The UP stop is now programmed at about 3 feet up from the floor. I can't even get the Lancia in under this.

I have re-read the instructions and get the same process every time I read it. I again re-set the Up and DOWN travel limits and get the same now. DOWN is good, UP is only 3' up.

I have no idea where it learned this new 3' UP stop??

What am I missing here?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[pattenp]

You may not be missing anything. It could be a faulty position sensor or loose set screw in the unit letting the position collar slip. My 3800 had a loose set screw and I could not get the up and down limits set. Once I tightened the set screw all was okay. Other folks have had bad control boards. So it can be one of a few things.

Here's the link to my problem...
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=207656

 

[Viper98912]

Good idea above about the slipping

Also, after you do the re-program of the travel limit (and tightening the collar), also do another force program to see if something is getting it bound up.

If all else fails, I believe there's a hard reset button somewhere on the unit.

 

[gnpenning]

If the couplers are tight it needs a absolute encoder. Very common failure in the 3800/8500 openers. I carry spares when I do new installs. Be sure and check the spring balance as well.

I can't tell you how many times I've replaced the encoder and had the door working correctly. Then call tech support to get a new warranty encoder, only to have them try and tell me it's something else.... their tech support leaves allot to be desired.

No hard reset on opener. Be sure and use remotes after. Door needs to go up and down to set open and close force. When travel limits change its a faulty encoder.

 

[Scott0023]

Thanks for the ideas. I had not thought of those. I am away until Friday so I'll try it again at the end of the week.

As much as I like these I have had more troubles with these two openers in the last 4 years as I have had with every opener in the previous 25. Sad that a great idea and premium product (price) has these issues.

I'll reply back after I have tried the force setting and locking the collars.

Thanks guys!

 

[Scott0023]

Here's Liftmaster's suggestion on how to check for the collar slipping:

http://support.liftmaster.com/artic...500&l=en_US&c=Brand:Liftmaster&fs=Search&pn=1

 

[Scott0023]

If the couplers are tight it needs a absolute encoder. Very common failure in the 3800/8500 openers. I carry spares when I do new installs. Be sure and check the spring balance as well.

I can't tell you how many times I've replaced the encoder and had the door working correctly. Then call tech support to get a new warranty encoder, only to have them try and tell me it's something else.... their tech support leaves allot to be desired.

No hard reset on opener. Be sure and use remotes after. Door needs to go up and down to set open and close force. When travel limits change its a faulty encoder.

Well, I have ordered the absolute encoder. Are there any tips on replacing this?

Thanks Again. I will follow up next weekend after the part arrives.

Scott

 

[gnpenning]

Well, I have ordered the absolute encoder. Are there any tips on replacing this?

Thanks Again. I will follow up next weekend after the part arrives.

Scott

Scott they are a piece of cake to install. Take the cover off, unplug, pop out old one, install new one, plug in, set limits, reinstall cover.

When you get the new one you will see how easy they pop in.

 

[CraigStu]

First try unplugging the unit for 30 minutes and then start fresh w/ the limit setting procedure.

 

[Scott0023]

First try unplugging the unit for 30 minutes and then start fresh w/ the limit setting procedure.

I have tries that a couple times. Thanks though. The unplugging for a while has fixed various things before and is my first thing to try.

I find it sad that the performance of these openers is so spotty. I have two 8500 openers since we bought the house (new) where I had spec'd this opener. I like the features but this is about the 7th or 8th time I have had a problem. It looks like it will be the first that needs a part. There have been three times that I had had to release the door and leave with the door just pulled down and not locked. Color me disappointed.

Scott

 

[gnpenning]

Many on here do nothing but sing praise about how great they are. Their knowledge is based on the ones in their garage. Being in the business I see a whole different side. The funny part is some in the past saying how great they are are some of the same ones in the control panel thread that have talked about a lawsuit... This style is about 10% of my business but is about 95% of the warranty work I see. When they are working they are great, they just have to many issues that they shouldn't have. They are a great concept and have the potential to be a game changer, need to get some issues fixed. I haven't installed the latest update version, I hope it works and the issues are solved. My guess is it just has the updated wall controller and nothing else done...

Hope you have a couple new wall controllers coming, that will be next. Maybe you should wait and get the latest version...

 

[Scott0023]

Well, gnpenning called it exactly right. It was the absolute encoder. It was quite easy to replace and the entire job of replacing it and resetting the limits only took 10-15 minutes.

I really appreciate the help!!
Scott

 

[gnpenning]

Glad you have it working.

You followup helps the next guy.

 

[driftpin]

Glad you got it fixed. I like how it works, I have two.

I had warrantied two 888LM wall controllers, and I have one 830 LM remote light on the way, I have two 8500 Elite models installed for a couple of years. I tried to use in one of the 830 LM remote lights, LED bulbs and found they weren't kiddin' that they can interfere with the signal to the remote light. One of the two remote lights developed an issue w/working reliably, and that's being warrantied, they just sent me an email it's on its way.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

My door guy told me don’t touch them. He told me you need to reprogram all the parameters if you want to change one setting. He said call him first...nows a good time to see if he was telling the truth??

 

[Scott0023]

Hope you have a couple new wall controllers coming, that will be next. Maybe you should wait and get the latest version...

Well, ****. I think you jinxed me. A couple days after I installed the absolute encoder the controller started beeping one night. I had just gone to bed and didn't want to deal with it so I unplugged the opener. I looked it up in the morning and it said I needed to count the beeps. I am not sure how many beeps it was but both of the lights on the control pad were on.

I plugged it back in and that night it happened again but this time I wasn't home. I do know when this happens that one door shows as off line on my app. The other door (the one I installed the absolute encoder in) is fine.

This second door was left unplugged all week until I plugged it in yesterday morning. It seemed all was good all day. I went out into the garage about 9:30PM last night to get something and all seemed OK. The regular light was on on the control pad. Then this morning I go to run an errand and that garage door is wide open - WTF!! I look on my app and it shows it as off line for 11 hours. That was at 10:44AM so it went offline somewhere around midnight. Can these things fail and open up the door? Nothing appears to be missing from the garage which is good. I unplug the opener then manually close it and lock it and head out for a bit.

When I get home I plug it in and there are no lights. It's dead. The app still shows it as off line. Is this the control pad?

My disappointment has jumped from these have poor quality to I need to look at finding something that I can depend upon. I still need to get this one fixed until I make up my mind.

>Scott

 

[gnpenning]

Sorry I jinxed you..

The fail mode is always to open. Like a door coming down that hits something. You don't want it to keep going down so it opens. What this means is if you have a failure anywhere in the system the door will open. I wish I could tell you the replacements have all the issues fixed.....

I've said it before and I'll say it again. This model is a very small part of my business but is the majority of the any failures I see. When you have one that is working they are great. The problem is you never know if you are going to come home to a open door.... If you really need the height above the door and are willing to take the risk, go for it. If not Liftmaster has many other models that are as bullet proof as you can get. Including other jackshaft models that are more money and noisier. And far more reliable.

I feel your pain. When people recommended that model on here please share your experiences.

 

[Scott0023]

Sorry I jinxed you..

The fail mode is always to open. Like a door coming down that hits something. You don't want it to keep going down so it opens. What this means is if you have a failure anywhere in the system the door will open. I wish I could tell you the replacements have all the issues fixed.....

I've said it before and I'll say it again. This model is a very small part of my business but is the majority of the any failures I see. When you have one that is working they are great. The problem is you never know if you are going to come home to a open door.... If you really need the height above the door and are willing to take the risk, go for it. If not Liftmaster has many other models that are as bullet proof as you can get. Including other jackshaft models that are more money and noisier. And far more reliable.

I feel your pain. When people recommended that model on here please share your experiences.

Well, damn...

From my description would you head towards the control panel? How do you know you have the latest version?

Thanks!
Scott

 

[gnpenning]

Scott, yes to the control panel.

You just hope it will be the latest.....

 

[Scott0023]

Thanks again!

I do have to say it is quite unsettling to walk outside and see my garage door wide open and knowing that it has been open since midnight. What if that happens when I am away from home working? Traveling on vacation?

Liftmaster and Chamberlain really have some explaining to do.

Scott

 

[gnpenning]

There is a long thread on here about this issue. If your app goes off line you want to be checking. If you are going out of town cut the power to the opener.

This is not a opener I would use on my place....