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Using the remote fob as a Garage Door Opener

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by MashedPotato, May 14, 2005.

  1. MashedPotato

    MashedPotato New Member

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    I posted my dilemma over here, and got several great replies. I'm reposting here so as not to hijack the other thread.

    Short version: I want to make the panic button on the fob open my garage door.

    Long version: My wife asked that we be separated and I have moved out of the house. (I've seen the PriusChat community always offer words of support whenever such things are shared, and I thank you in advance. No such outpouring is necessary.) With SKS, I had gotten used to carrying only the FOB. The Homelink would open the garage, and I would walk into the house from the attached doorway.

    I am now in an apartment where the garage is a separate building, with no attached doorway. (It is a large complex, with a line of garages built across from the apartments). I enter and leave from the garage's big door. The Homelink works fine for opening and closing the garage. The only problem is how to open the garage when the Prius is inside. For now, I take in hand a GDO remote when I leave the apartment. I open the door, enter the garage and leave it in the Prius. When I return, I carry it back to the apartment with me, using it to close the door when I walk out of the garage. (When I'm in the car, I use the Homelink to open and close the door.)

    This tarnishes the wonderful freedom that SKS has given me and my pockets, so I've been dreaming of a better way.

    Naterprius suggested a couple of things, for which I thank him. A mounted GDO keypad isn't an option because the management won't allow anything to be mounted on the outside walls. A tiny "hidden" switch wired directly to the GDO isn't practical, because the garage is very visible, and eventually someone would see me pressing the switch and gain access to the garage.

    Skew has described a "channel expander":
    Forgive me for asking for more information, but I haven't been able to find authoritative information on how to implement this. It seems the channel expander ties into aftermarket alarm systems. Will I be able to find the appropriate signal in the wiring diagrams of the Prius? Maybe that's a question for [you]. DanMan has already replied in the other thread. He seems to be the expert on things of this nature, so I hope he continues the discussion.

    Having never used the fob's panic button, a perfect solution would be to have the red button open the garage door. Does the Smart Key ECU (which is the receiver for the wireless remote, I think) have an output trigger for the panic alarm?
     
    #1 MashedPotato, May 14, 2005
  2. skew

    skew Junior Member

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    I don't think you will be able to use the panic button because the the "brain" in the car is programed to flash the lights and honk the horn. The channel expander installs onto a lock or unlock wire in the car. It has 1 input and six outputs that you can program to activate. It senses how many times you press the lock button and activates that output. You can install a relay on this output to trip whatever you want to use.
     
    #2 skew, May 14, 2005
  3. DanMan32

    DanMan32 Senior Member

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    Yup, that would be the best option. Much of the communications between the ECUs is via network communications. Body electronics communicate over BEAN (Body Electronics Area Network), of which the body ECU (that operates the locks and alarm) does most. Actually, for non SKS the remote transciever connects directly to body ECU. SKS takes on the remote transciever and communicates with body ECU through BEAN as well as the same signals the tranciever would send if you didn't have SKS.
     
    #3 DanMan32, May 14, 2005
  4. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies.

    I am the last person to ask about wiring in the Prius.

    I simply took the directions that were given to me by those more knowledgable and after I had done the job, wrote them up in simple step by steps with pictures for someone with even less experience than I.

    I'm a teacher. Writing clear and simple directions with pictures is what I do.

    But an electrician I'm not. Don't even play one on TV.

    I don't even have homelink but at least my detached garage has a "people" door. That said....I'd just carry the remote. It's either that or find a new place with an attached garage.
     
    #4 Godiva, May 15, 2005
  5. Emilyjohn

    Emilyjohn New Member

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    If you'll go into homelink.com, you'll be able to buy a remote for your keychain. Sounds as though you're relieved to be out of the house. I'm a very lucky guy. My wife is the love of my life!
     
    #5 Emilyjohn, May 15, 2005
  6. Prius Noir

    Prius Noir New Member

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    How far is it from your home to the garage? Will the GDO remote work from your apartment entry way? Can you run a hardwire from the entry way or somewhere from your apartment to the garage door opener?

    I have an attached garage but there is no entry into the house direct from the garage. I have a button in the entry hallway hardwired to the garage door opener. The main problem is that the garage can't be seen from the house so there are times my wife or I may have forgotten to close the garage and I have to walk out to check it's status. One day I'll install a surveillance camera.
     
    #6 Prius Noir, May 15, 2005
  7. Emilyjohn

    Emilyjohn New Member

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    Mashed, I'm truly sorry. I just went into the Homelink website and found that they no longer sell the key fob universal. They were selling a couple of units in January when I ordered a home lighting kit, but no more...
     
    #7 Emilyjohn, May 15, 2005
  8. MashedPotato

    MashedPotato New Member

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    Thank you for the replies.

    Prius Noir: It is quite a distance, and there is an access street to cross, so I can't run a hardwire. The GDO remote will work from my apartment, but I have no line of sight. Like you, one time I left the garage open overnight, because I was trying to use the remote from my apartment. I stopped doing that!

    Emilyjohn: Thanks for the info. I had found a Chamberlain GDO remote, a tad smaller than the size of the Prius Fob. So I'm carrying both in my pocket, and I will admit it isn't such a hard life...

    This is more of an academic mission than a real problem. Sorry if it comes across differently.

    After all the great ideas, I am going to take a GDO remote (i have an extra), wire the pushbutton to a relay's contacts, and tie the relay into the channel expander that skew spoke about, which in turn will be tied to the door lock actuator.
     
    #8 MashedPotato, May 16, 2005
  9. tleonhar

    tleonhar Senior Member

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    MashedPotato,

    We also have a detached garage, for our solution, I have a second GDO transmitter in the house. Then for the "Is the door open?" question, I got a device called a garage door monitor that's made by Chaimberlan (the garage door opener people), it consists of a transmitter that's mounted to the inside of the door with velcro and a receiver in the house. With the garage door closed there is a stesdy green LED lit up on the receiver, door open, a flashing red. The monitor is inexpensive, costs about $35.00. Hope this helps

    Terry
     
    #9 tleonhar, May 24, 2005
  10. naterprius

    naterprius Senior Member

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    I'm still waiting to hear the make and model of the opener so I can make a few more suggestions...

    Nate
     
    #10 naterprius, May 25, 2005
  11. MashedPotato

    MashedPotato New Member

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    Sorry, Nate, I didn't realize you were waiting. I'd love to hear your suggestions.

    The GDO is a Chamberlain Lift-Master Security+. (That's taken off the remote. I'll make a note of the GDO later).
     
    #11 MashedPotato, May 25, 2005
  12. DanMan32

    DanMan32 Senior Member

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    I believe the lift-master is the same as Sears Craftsman. I have a lift master that was installed in '89. Gears broke, my dad installed a gear kit, and mentioned it was the same as sears.
    My best friend had a similarly designed Craftsman with the same problem, so I knew to go to the nearest Sears parts store and get a gear kit.
     
    #12 DanMan32, May 25, 2005
  13. BobA

    BobA New Member

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    I don't know about the new Lift/Master and Sears... but I had a L/M and it broke.. I bought a Sears and when looking at the instructions they were the same as the Sears.. something in the switch didn't work (a long time ago.. and I'm old) but I called L/M as I had only changed the motor not the wall switch... got this nice lady in customer service.. gave her the L/M serial number and said the switch wouldn't work... she said the number didn't match the switch... this went on for a few minutes.. then she started to laugh... asked if I was one of the service guys testing her... so in short, I think the two GDO's are interchangable.. just don't call the wrong customer service..

    Bob Andersen
     
    #13 BobA, May 25, 2005
  14. naterprius

    naterprius Senior Member

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    #14 naterprius, May 25, 2005
  15. MashedPotato

    MashedPotato New Member

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    Thanks, Nate. That's what I'm using at the moment.
     
    #15 MashedPotato, May 27, 2005
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