LM8500 Wall Controller Failure.

[bjcouche]

There is a transformer in the motor unit, they always hum. If it's real quiet in my garage I can hear my 3800 and 3900. The hum gets louder when the door is opening and significantly louder when the door is operating at slow speed right before the door is fully closed. Some people hear the louder noise and mistake the louder noise with higher load / torque, but that's not the case. The increased sound level at slow speed is caused by the method that they are using to reduce the motors speed, not additional load.

Brian

 

[Dakota00]

Liftmaster is sending me a new 888LM pad and says that should fix the humming noise. I have my doubts though. Anyone else notice the noise from the motor unit?

Yes, after 2-3 months of installing the 8500, I noticed on mine the humming sound was loud enough to the point of being annoying. So I called up LiftMaster, they sent me a replacement transformer. Did the swap ever since the opener has been whisper quiet.

 

[poweranger]

Yes, after 2-3 months of installing the 8500, I noticed on mine the humming sound was loud enough to the point of being annoying. So I called up LiftMaster, they sent me a replacement transformer. Did the swap ever since the opener has been whisper quiet.

Mine was quiet for 4 years. Now it's annoying. I'm not impressed with their customer service. The representative I spoke with spoke broken English. Hard to even understand at times. I got sick of arguing with her so when I get the new pad I'll have to call back and tell them it's still humming. How big of a pain is the transformer swap?

 

[Dakota00]

Mine was quiet for 4 years. Now it's annoying. I'm not impressed with their customer service. The representative I spoke with spoke broken English. Hard to even understand at times. I got sick of arguing with her so when I get the new pad I'll have to call back and tell them it's still humming. How big of a pain is the transformer swap?

The swap I found was pretty straight forward. What ***** you'll need to pull
the opener down, do the work and then remount the unit again.

 

[jumblies]

I highly recommend AGAINST powering your control panel from a lab power supply or other source. Also do not add any circuitry between the opener and control panel like a linear voltage regulator. Those two wires are NOT just power, they are power AND a 2 way communications network. The control panel is expecting a specific source impedance and voltage from the opener.

Brian

I see your point. I'm curious why a linear reg would alter the comms. Stepping down from a 33V unloaded signal to say 20V would still provide power to the unit. If the digital communication is over the wires it would still work. There must be a resistance tolerance since they don't know what wires people will be using.

I'm not trying to start an argument with you, I just don't have enough data. Personally, I scrapped the idea of using an LM317 and liftmaster is sending 2 replacements. Is there serial communication going over the wall controller power wires?

I'd also be very curious to know the point of failure of the units since it doesn't seem to be the capacitors in my case. Liftmaster must know, since they don't even want the old controllers back. They are owning up to the failures, they just aren't being proactive by instituting a recall. In this age, just owing up to a flaw and making it right is pretty good for a company. A lot better then "you're holding your phone wrong".

 

[2point2]

Is there serial communication going over the wall controller power wires?

Must be. Otherwise your have to program the wall control to the opener?

Anyone with an o-silyscope need a project this weekend?

 

[bjcouche]

I posted this a while back, maybe not on this particular thread. Yes, there is serial communications between the wall control panel and the opener motor unit. Here is a scope picture showing the current and voltage communications when I pressed the open button on my 3800. There is two way communications. Placing a voltage regulator in series would completely block the communications. I'm familiar with the LM317, and the currents we are talking about are less than the standby current of that regulator.
If you read through this forum you will find many posts spanning back numerous years. Every account of somebody talking to Liftmaster states that they just came out with a new revision and the problem is fixed... Read further and watch the dates, and nope, still not fixed. At least their phone product support team has a very consistent speech.
I have an expensive built in double oven that the control board keeps failing in. It's the caps in that case too. It fails every 14-16 months, so now I keep a spare and just replace the caps in the failed one and swap them out.
If you are having liftmaster control panel failures AND your model is still being sold, my advice to you is to let others know by posting on the amazon reviews, so that others will be warned. The only way companies like Liftmaster will listen and stop making **** is if the public hits them where it hurts, their stock price.

 

[jumblies]

Thanks for the snap. Was that tracing during a button press or idle?

So I guess my next question is, what happens if there is no serial communication and the 888LM derives it's power from another source. The 888 is the critical control component since all other peripherals have to be linked to it.

Does it have the ability to communicate with the 8500 wirelessly? The 8500 dies have an antenna and I speculate that once paired, some remote components can talk directly to the 8500.

 

[bjcouche]

I am most familiar with the 3800 / 3900 as that is what I have. On the 3800 and 3900, all wireless communication is done in the opener, not the contol panel.
On the 8500, this is different.
It is my understanding though that the 888 receives the wireless signal from the vehicle remotes and then tells the opener to to open via the wired serial connection. So without the 888 control panel wired to the opener, the vehicle remotes won't work either. I suspect the opener has an antenna to communicate to the light wirelessly... Maybe the 888 only has a radio receiver, and the 8500, only has a radio transmitter, just a guess.
Brian

 

[autoxr1]

I am also shopping for the openers for my new garage shop and want to go with jackshaft. Has anyone tried the LM 8900W? It is an 8500W unit with a simple one-button switch (LM APBS1) while retaining the MyQ and WiFi for remote monitoring. I assume this would eliminate the problems everyone is having with the 888LM keypad. It is sold as a commercial stripper unit so the deadbolt and backup battery are optional, which is reflected in the price. Thoughts?

 

[bjcouche]

I just checked out the manual for the LJ8900W. This looks like the way to go to to eliminate the issues with the 888 wall panels. Please note that the LJ8900W does not come with a deadbolt, overhead light, or vehicle remotes, HOWEVER you can order these as options and the opener will work with them.
Back when I went to buy my second opener, I bought the 3900 (commercial version of the 3800) because the 3800 had recently been obsoleted by the 8500... I ordered the deadbolt option separately. The 3800 and 3900 were identical in every respect that I could find except the accessories included in the box and the part number on the cover. I'm wondering if the LJ8900W has an identical twin in the "residential version" too....

Looking at the manual for the 8500W (not the 8500) it looks like they moved the vehicle remote receiver and wifi from the wall panel into the opener in the W version. The opener has a learn button so you can program vehicle remotes and set up your wifi without having a wall panel. The 8500W and LJ8900W might be twins....

So to eliminate phantom door opening due to continuously failing wall panels, I see two options:
1: purchase the 8500W and throw out the wall panel and install a doorbell type button.
2: purchase the LJ8900W as well as the deadbolt, vehicle remote and light accessories as needed.

Brian

 

[Vintage Veloce]

So to eliminate phantom door opening due to continuously failing wall panels, I see two options:
1: purchase the 8500W and throw out the wall panel and install a doorbell type button.
2: purchase the LJ8900W as well as the deadbolt, vehicle remote and light accessories as needed.

Brian

That is a great analysis Brian.

 

[Gerald O]

Just received my replacement wall unit from Liftmaster a few days ago. They were supposed to ship 2 of them to replace both bad units. The package (plastic bag) arrived with only 1 in it. Shipping label said 2. Called customer support and they said they shipped 2 so tough ****. Looks like I'll have to replace the missing one on my own dime.

 

[rlwhitetr3b]

Was the package damaged?

 

[Jeepster04]

Just received my replacement wall unit from Liftmaster a few days ago. They were supposed to ship 2 of them to replace both bad units. The package (plastic bag) arrived with only 1 in it. Shipping label said 2. Called customer support and they said they shipped 2 so tough ****. Looks like I'll have to replace the missing one on my own dime.

Theres no way I would ever pay for someone elses mess up. Just call your CC company and file a dispute.

 

[Gerald O]

Theres no way I would ever pay for someone elses mess up. Just call your CC company and file a dispute.

I didn't purchase the replacement. They were being replaced under warranty. So no one to dispute with besides Chamberlain/Liftmaster.

Unfortunately they took the attitude that they were doing me a favor by giving me anything at all as the rep I spoke with maintained that the wall unit was not covered under the 8500's 5-year warranty, but rather were only warrantied for 1 year as "accessories". When I reported the shortage they washed their hands of it and said they were done dealing with me.

 

[Gerald O]

Was the package damaged?

No damage. It was clear that only one piece had ever been put in the sealed bag as two couldn't have fit in it.

 

[Gerald O]

Thinking of trying one of these instead of buying a new 888LM:

https://shop.nexxgarage.com/products/nexx-garage

 

[48548]

Doesnt look like it is supported....

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Gerald O]

The 8500 is on their "not-compatible list" but I wonder if that is relative to using it together with the 888LM?
I'm thinking that a simple momentary switch could replace the 888 for manual opening, then insert the nexx in parallel with that for remote control.

 

[Ro_Ja Boy]

That is a great analysis Brian.

So buy the 8500W with this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SRVB76/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Ryan

 

[autoxr1]

Back when I went to buy my second opener, I bought the 3900 (commercial version of the 3800) because the 3800 had recently been obsoleted by the 8500... I ordered the deadbolt option separately. The 3800 and 3900 were identical in every respect that I could find except the accessories included in the box and the part number on the cover. I'm wondering if the LJ8900W has an identical twin in the "residential version" too....

Looking at the manual for the 8500W (not the 8500) it looks like they moved the vehicle remote receiver and wifi from the wall panel into the opener in the W version. The opener has a learn button so you can program vehicle remotes and set up your wifi without having a wall panel. The 8500W and LJ8900W might be twins....

Brian

I agree that the LJ8900W is to the 8500W as the prior 3900 was to the 3800. It is basically a decontented unit aimed at the commercial market using the same primary opener but without as many accessories included. That is what drew me to the 8900W with its simple pushbutton control rather than the 880LM wall unit.

Online pricing shows the 8500W complete kit priced about $90 more than the 8900W. The price of the deadbolt alone will consume much of that difference. The LM 41A6102 deadbolt is $79 on Amazon, although I saw it for as low as $47 on eBay. One also needs to buy a remote control with the 8900W, and an 893MAX 3-button remote runs around $25. If you want the light kit as well, then the 8500W kit is a better buy. But it's possible to purchase the 8900W with included switch plus a deadbolt and 3-button remote for about the same as an 8500W (plus a simple switch) and eliminate the 880LM wall unit issue. I think I may go this way on my build.

 

[bjcouche]

AUTORX1:
If you are looking at costs... Maybe buy the 8500W and install a doorbell instead of the 880LM. Place the 880LM in a drawer for a year or two. There's guaranteed to be a market or them as "new old stock in say 12-24 months.....

Gerald O:

The NEXX unit you linked to, if you go to their website, the 8500 is on their INCOMPATIBLE list. I also could not find any installation manual or instructions as to how to install it on a opener that was compatible. The product page says it'll do everything including make you breakfast in bed.... The interface would have to be fairly complex, in order for the unit to monitor whether your door is open or closed.. Maybe they are adding additional prox sensors, I have no idea.
look back at post 238, any device that shorts the two wires will open / close the door, but there is no way to monitor it's present status...

Ro_Ja Boy:
The doorbell that you linked to might work. I would suggest a NON lighted button to be sure it will work. The light draws current, and if it draws enough, the opener will think the wires are always shorted. Any non lighted doorbell from any big box store should work.

Brian

 

[bjcouche]

Update: I read through some of the reviews of the NEXX unit, and indeed you have to install some type of switch / sensor so that the unit can tell whether the door is open or closed. IF there was an installation manual available for the darn thing we could determine if it opens and closes the door by shorting the wall button wires or by using a RF transmitter (masquerading as a vehicle remote)...

Brian

 

[2point2]

http://nexxgarage.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/05/nexxgarage_user_manual_v14.pdf

What would make in incompatible?

 

[jumblies]

you might take a look at opengarage or other open source projects. I've recently built a sonar sensor for garage door detection and you can use a simple wifi activated relay to trigger the wall switch. You do have to figure out how to secure these items via VPN or SSL/TLS connection. Lotsa people do these projects so if you need more info head to opengarage first.

 

[bjcouche]

I checked through the manual that was linked to above. From everything I can read, it should be compatible since it just shorts the wall panel wires together.
It is possible though that it's on the incompatible list because shorting the wires together while also having the wall panel installed, could cause the wall panel to power down, lock up, or reboot... But if your wall panel was already in the trash.... I think I remember reading somewhere in the 3800 documentation that you weren't supposed to install both a doorbell and the wall panel simultaneously...
Brian

 

[rite_accord]

...For people with 8500 openers or others openers where the vehicle remote receiver is built into the control panel and are experiencing repeated failures, I might suggest a workaround.
Liftmaster and others sell a "receiver" that is designed to add remote functionality to commercial garage and gate openers that do not have remote functions. These receivers simply have a relay that acts just like a momentary push button. Thus, throw your control panel in the trash, install a doorbell for manual operation, then the receiver to add vehicle remote functionality...
Brian

Although I had already replaced my 4-year old failed 888LM control that came with my 8500, I was deeply concerned about another 888LM failure down the road (I was lucky to be home when my last failure occurred, but I might not be so lucky next time).

I decided to take Brian's suggestion and replace my 888LM control with a 850LM universal receiver. The 850LM seems to work fine, I had no trouble pairing it with my three existing remotes.

The light that is paired with my 8500 does go on when the door is opened or closed and stays on about 5 minutes, but of course I no longer have the option to turn it on independently of using the opener - not a big issue for me as I have other lights in the garage, but some folks might be bothered by it.

I did have one other accessory that no longer works, and that is an 829LM Garage Door Monitor. I used to use the 829LM to let me know when the garage door was open from inside the house, but being a MyQ accessory, it won't pair with the 850LM receiver. I never had the 828LM MyQ Internet Gateway that allows the opener to be controlled by devices over the Internet, but I don't expect that would work with the 850LM either, which may be an issue for some folks.

All in all, I have less concern that my garage is going to open by itself, so I think I'm going stay with this set-up.

Thanks for the suggestion, Brian,

I will be looking to rig up garage door status monitor of some sort though, as my wife likes the idea of getting audibly notified when the garage door is opened, and it is nice to determine the state of the garage door from within the house at a glance. If anyone has a suggestion to replace the function of my 829LM, I'd like to hear about it.

 

[PoorOwner]

How about not having hardwired switch at all but just tape one of the 3 button remotes to the wall?

Also thinking about if I can use an external power supply to power the 888LM so the motion sensor light still works, but it is not wired to the door opener, will that work? What voltage and AC/DC does it use?

 

[Gerald O]

How about not having hardwired switch at all but just tape one of the 3 button remotes to the wall?

Why would you even do that? The 3 button remote talks to the 888LM. The 888LM has its own opener button.

 

[bjcouche]

Tite Accord:
Thank you for replying and sharing your experiences, it's sure to help others.

Of the three doors on my shop, I have the 3900, 3800 and an older non electronic commercial opener for which I installed the 850LM installed. I have a 3 button vehicle remote to control all 3 doors.
Have you noticed that the 850LM has better wireless range than the previously? My range is short, caused by me having metal on both the inside and outside of the building, effectively blocks radio and cell reception too.... Another advantage of the 850LM is that it has a removable, upgradeable, or remote antenna. If my range was an issue I could run the antenna through the wall and mount it to the outside of the building.
The 850LM isn't the only option, there are other manufacturrers that make similar products. It just happens to be the one I have first hand experience with..
Another thing... The 850LM actually has 3 output channels, so you could install one unit to control three separate doors... Just thought of another reason to do that... If you had a genie on one door and a liftmaster on the other, you could use a single 2 button remote to control both doors.
Brian

 

[PoorOwner]

Why would you even do that? The 3 button remote talks to the 888LM. The 888LM has its own opener button.

Are you saying if I get rid of the 888lm with a 2 wire button, my remotes won’t work then ?

 

[48548]

Are you saying if I get rid of the 888lm with a 2 wire button, my remotes won’t work then ?

Yes.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[2point2]

Do the remotes really talk to the 888LM? Or is this a safety feature?

eg. if you don't have a wall control you wont have a method to stop or reverse the garage door if someone with a remote actuates the opener.

 

[driftpin]

Quote:
Originally Posted by PoorOwner View Post
How about not having hardwired switch at all but just tape one of the 3 button remotes to the wall?
Why would you even do that? The 3 button remote talks to the 888LM. The 888LM has its own opener button

I did just that to avoid hard-wiring a switch at the door to the house of my attached garage. It serves two LM8500's and I have the 888LM wall units.

 

[rite_accord]

Tite Accord:
Thank you for replying and sharing your experiences, it's sure to help others.

Of the three doors on my shop, I have the 3900, 3800 and an older non electronic commercial opener for which I installed the 850LM installed. I have a 3 button vehicle remote to control all 3 doors.
Have you noticed that the 850LM has better wireless range than the previously? My range is short, caused by me having metal on both the inside and outside of the building, effectively blocks radio and cell reception too.... Another advantage of the 850LM is that it has a removable, upgradeable, or remote antenna. If my range was an issue I could run the antenna through the wall and mount it to the outside of the building....
Brian

I was concerned about the range, due to where I had to mount it - since it is not powered from the 8500 opener itself like the 888LM, but rather from an 85LM "wall-wart" (sold separately), it had to be fairly close to an AC outlet.

I put the receiver a little bit under the opener itself, mounted on the backside of the garage door frame, and plugged it's wall wart into the same duplex outlet that the opener is plugged into.

I should also mention that my garage has aluminum siding, and the garage door itself is a double steel skinned insulated affair.

But even with all that metal around, I've seen no issues having sufficient range for what I need, and it may actually perform better in that respect than the 888LM wall panel due to the 850LM's external antenna.

I was prepared to drill a hole through the wall, make a coax cable and relocate the antenna outside, but I've seen no need so far.

 

[Jasonoff]

Just had this failure on one of my 888LM controllers for an 8500C . Build date 11/14, installed 04/15. Left bay opened at 5am, thought I had to go down and take care of business in my gitch lol. Pulled the unit apart and one of the caps had shorted.

Thanks to this thread, I had tons of ammo to back up my communication with Chamberlain.

They confirmed the problem has been addressed...

The 888LM door control panels have been updated and fixed so that they no longer cause Phantom operation.

...and are sending me 2 new units (my other controller has not failed yet) at no cost to me.

Sure, slightly annoyed, but they seemed to handle the issue accordingly. Like some others have said, lucky I was home when it happened.

 

[Y2KFirehawk]

Appreciate everyone sharing their stories. I had done the 888LM control panel retofit on my two openers not long ago with the Internet Gateway 828LM and they have been overall good. Recently one of the control panels started acting strange (constant beeping) and I ended up tracing it back to a **** splice job the original installers did on the wire run to the control panel.

 

[bp460]

Can anyone confirm from firsthand experience that the 8500W will indeed work with a generic doorbell switch?

Thank you,

Brad

 

[48548]

Can anyone confirm from firsthand experience that the 8500W will indeed work with a generic doorbell switch?

Thank you,

Brad

I am sure it will. I touched the wires when my controller failed. But as posted above you will lose the remote control functions.

looking for a pebble 4766 or any 47xx pebble hinged handle