Symptom check
The keypad does nothing when I punch in the code
A garage keypad that ignores your code usually has a battery worn down by cold mornings, or the opener is in lock mode. If the pad lights but the door stays shut, the code or pairing has slipped, and a reprogram fixes it.
Updated
Get in another way, then test the other controls
Use a remote or the house door to get inside rather than prying at the garage door. Once in, press the wall button: if it runs the door, the keypad is the only part with a problem, and the fix is a battery, a code or a new pad.
What usually causes it, in order
Whether the keys light up when you press them splits these causes into two groups.
- Most common
A battery weakened by cold
What you notice: The keys glow faintly or not at all, and the pad works on mild afternoons but fails on frosty mornings.
The repair: Put in a new battery of the size marked in the compartment, and replace the pad if its contacts have corroded. Garage Door Remote and Keypad Programming, from $105
- Common
Lock mode on at the wall control
What you notice: The keypad lights and beeps as usual, but neither it nor any remote will open the door, while the inside button still does.
The repair: Switch lock mode off at the wall control, then enter the code again. Garage Door Remote and Keypad Programming, from $105
- Common
A code that changed, expired or was never handed over
What you notice: The pad lights and takes key presses but ignores your code, often after a move-in, a guest code running out, or a reset by someone else.
The repair: Set a new code and pair the pad to the opener again, clearing any codes the last owner left behind. Garage Door Remote and Keypad Programming, from $105
- Less common
Rain inside the keypad
What you notice: Fog under the cover, green or white crust on the battery contacts, or keys that only respond in dry weather.
The repair: Clean lightly marked contacts, or replace the keypad and mount the new one where the trim or eave sheds water. Garage Door Remote and Keypad Programming, from $105
- Less common
Worn or sticking buttons
What you notice: The digits you use most are faded or mushy, and one or two need a hard press before the pad responds.
The repair: Replace the keypad, then choose a new code so worn keys no longer give it away. Garage Door Lock Repair and Security, from $115
Safe checks before you call
All of these happen at the keypad or the wall control, with nothing more than the battery door opened.
- Slide the keypad cover up and press any key to see whether the pad lights at all.
- Check the wall control inside for a lock or vacation setting that is switched on.
- Open the battery door on the keypad, look for crust on the contacts, and fit a new battery of the marked size.
- Look under the cover for fog or droplets, a sign that rain is getting inside.
- Try a remote while standing at the keypad; if it opens the door, the opener is listening and the pad is the fault.
Why cold and rain stop a Clark County keypad
Cold and rain do most of the damage to an outdoor keypad here: frosty mornings sap a tired battery, and long wet spells find any gap behind the cover.
The NOAA normals give Battle Ground about 70 freezing nights and more than 52 inches of rain a year, against roughly 45 freezing nights and 37 inches of rain at Vancouver's Pearson Field. A pad that sits flat on an exposed jamb with a worn cover hinge takes on water in every storm.
Moving the pad under the eave, or onto trim that sheds runoff, does more than any battery. A sealed replacement mounted out of the weather usually ends the cycle of fog, crust and dead keys.
Changing the keypad code after you move in
Change the keypad code and clear the opener memory as soon as you get the keys, because the last owner, their family and their contractors may all know the old code.
On most keypads a new code is entered at the opener's learn button, and some models also hold temporary guest codes that expire on their own. Clearing the opener memory drops every remote and keypad it knew, so pair your own afterward and write the new code somewhere safe inside the house.
What a keypad repair or replacement involves
Most keypad calls end with a fresh battery and a reprogram, or a new pad paired to the opener and mounted where it stays drier.
A replacement keypad has to match the opener radio system, so a photo of the model sticker up on the opener lets us bring the right pad. We mount it, pair it, set the code with you and test it from the driveway. If the opener predates current keypads, an external receiver or a new opener comes next.
Keypad not working: questions and answers
Why is my garage door keypad not working after changing the battery?
Usually the new battery is the wrong size, faces the wrong way or is not touching clean contacts, so check those first. Some pads forget their code when the battery comes out and need pairing to the opener again. A pad that stays dark with a fresh, correctly fitted battery has failed and needs replacing.
Why does my garage keypad light up but the door will not open?
A pad that lights but does nothing is working as a keypad and failing to reach the opener with a code it accepts. Lock mode at the wall control, a changed or expired code, and lost pairing are the usual reasons. Turn lock mode off first, then enter the code slowly.
Can rain ruin a garage door keypad?
Yes, water that gets past the cover corrodes the battery contacts and the circuit board, and a pad that works only on dry days is the telltale. Light crust on the contacts can be cleaned off. A corroded board means a new keypad, ideally mounted where the eave or trim keeps rain off it.
How do I reset a garage door keypad that stopped taking my code?
On most models you set a new code at the opener's learn button, following the steps for your keypad. Some reset from the pad itself; Marantec says its wireless keypads clear all codes when the batteries go back in with the enter key held. Our programming guide covers the common brands.
Does cold weather drain a garage door keypad battery?
Cold does not empty a battery, but it cuts the power a weak one can deliver. That is why a pad that limps along in autumn can quit on a frosty January morning. If your keypad fails on cold mornings and recovers by afternoon, replace the battery before it dies outright.
Where to go next
Nearby service areas
This call comes in from Five Corners, Kalama, Meadow Homes and the rest of our Washington service area.
Want a price before anyone drives over?
Call and describe what the door is doing, or text a photo of the door and the spring above it. You hear the likely repair and where its price starts, then decide.