If your garage door car remote has been stolen, you are probably quite concerned and for good reason. Now the thief has an easy means to enter your garage where you have valuables stored and may even gain access into your home this way. Maybe your car was stolen with the remote inside, maybe your car was broken into or maybe your just forgot to lock your doors. Now this person has access to your home.
Many people tend to keep their car registration in their glove box or the centre console. This gives the thief everything they need. They can get your information, including your home address from the registration. You could still be shopping while the thief is robbing your home! It is very important to always lock your doors, even if you are just running in to pay for gas or quickly stopping by a convenience store. Burglars are always looking for opportunities and it doesn’t take them long to snatch a remote and find your address.
Once you have noticed that your car remote is missing what can you do about it?
Disable the Remote
Once you notice that your remote has been stolen, you can disable it. Your door opener should have a Smart button located on the motor housing. If you press and hold this, it will disable all remotes and keypads associated with the opener. This way the remotes will now be useless and unable to open the garage door any longer.
Reprogram
If you have another car remote, or purchase one, you can reprogram the opener so that they work but the previous ones do not. The method will vary depending on your opener, you can refer to the user manual for your model. Simply unplugging the opener to reset it will not usually work. Many openers use a battery that will store all information in case of a power outage so that everything doesn’t need to be reset if the power ever goes out.
Prevention is Always Best
Although it is convenient to keep your garage door car remote on the sun visor, this is not a good idea. It is best to keep it out of sight, or even better, keep it on you. When you leave your car, take it. If a thief cannot see valuables or useful items, they will be less likely to attempt breaking into your car. In addition to this, do not keep your car registration in your car. Ideally you should store it safely in your wallet. Another great idea is to get a mini car remote. These remotes are small and go on your keychain so you will always have it on you.
If you have had a garage door opener remote stolen and need assistance with disabling and reprogramming give us a call. We are experienced with all models of Liftmaster, Chamberlain and Craftsman openers. ONC Doors services Mississauga, Toronto, Oakville, Brampton, Etobicoke, Georgetown, Burlington, Milton, Woodbridge, and Caledon.
