Programming Homelink

[djarchow]

OK, this shouldn't be something I need help with but I just can't get my 2020 M4s Homelink to program. Before you tell me I am an idiot, though I feel like one, I had no issue programming the Homelink in my 18 m2 or my wife's 2020 Pilot. They both worked fine with our garage door openers.

Here is what I have done.

Tried following My M4s owners manual but the instructions don't match how my car's homelink behaves at all. It talks about green and orange flashing lights, I only have orange, and the sequences of lights don't match either

I tried following the instructions on Homelink's website but the 4 series isn't listed. I tried the 2 series and 3 series instructions but they didn't match my car either.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[neversettle]

Well, my AMG C63S was the same. Lights and sequence totally different from what was in the manual. Must be from the same supplier. Good luck

[SD ///M4]

Homelink can be extremely frustrating. There are so many different, contradictory, confusing instructions on how to link to your GDO to your car that it can be completely infuriating.

I had an old (1999) Chamberlin GDO that I upgraded by adding a new LiftMaster (same company) wall controller with an Internet gateway. In addition to my 2016 M4 we also have a 2006 Z4 M Roadster which I retrofitted with a Homelink visor controller that I bought on eBay. At that time we had my wife's 2011 335is Coupe. On that GDO you had to get a ladder and press a button on the GDO to pair with the car. Then we got my wife's 2018 M3. I was able to get them all working eventually but none of them worked on the first try.

In the fall of 2018 the old GDO crapped out and I was having problems with the second, smaller garage door, so I decided to replace both of them with two LiftMaster 8500 GDOs. It also had a wall controller with an Internet gateway but on this one you pressed a button on the controller to pair with the car. I was able to get the M4 and the Z4 connected almost immediately. However, the M3 would not connect, using the exact same procedure so my wife just used the handheld remote. I tried multiple times. One day I had the M3 for the day and decided to try again. It connected on the first try! Now I can open either door in all three cars No rhyme or reason to how or why these things connect or don't connect.

My neighbors got a new X3 a couple of years ago. They have the same GDO that I have but they couldn't get it to work. I went over and got it working on the first try.

My advice is to use the instructions that came with your GDO and try and figure out how to combine those with the BMW instructions about getting the car ready to receive the code. If you don't have them you can get the model number off the motor housing and do a Google search. Then it's just keep trying.

[joegie]

if you have a handheld remote opener use that also, pretty much on all newer cars that I've owned with homelink, 2013+, I've had to use the handheld opener to program. my garage opener is newish, 2010ish Chamberlain.

[djarchow]

I downloaded the instructions from the owners manual for multiple years of M4s and the ones for my old M2. None of the owners manual matched the way my mirrors homelink actually worked as far as how to erase all of the codes, status lights, how to get into programming mode etc.

I got it to work this morning through just trial and error. God help me if I have to program the opener again since I am not sure exactly how I got it to work.

[dcpatters]

Originally Posted by djarchow

I downloaded the instructions from the owners manual for multiple years of M4s and the ones for my old M2. None of the owners manual matched the way my mirrors homelink actually worked as far as how to erase all of the codes, status lights, how to get into programming mode etc.

I got it to work this morning through just trial and error. God help me if I have to program the opener again since I am not sure exactly how I got it to work.

Nice. I had the same issue with my M4. I found the following to work:

1. clearing the homelink buttons, hold both outer until cleared.
2. Then using the garage remote, Press and hold, along with one of the homelink preset buttons
3. And finally once homelink button is programmed, press the learn button on garage head unit, immediately pressing the programmed homelink button from step 2. did the trick.

In the end, varies by types of rolling code openers.

[Humdizzle]

I gave up on homelinking any of my cars 5 years ago lol

just throw the remote on the sunvisor and call it a day.

[karlskry]

All I can say is GOOD LUCK.

My neighbors still look at me funny from the profanity laced tirade that was programming the homelink on my M3. My wife's Volvo on the other hand- 30 second ordeal.

[Groganrocket]

I had the same problem, so I pressed the learn button on the main garage door unit and it worked.

[StanislavK82]

Originally Posted by dcpatters

Nice. I had the same issue with my M4. I found the following to work:

1. clearing the homelink buttons, hold both outer until cleared.
2. Then using the garage remote, Press and hold, along with one of the homelink preset buttons
3. And finally once homelink button is programmed, press the learn button on garage head unit, immediately pressing the programmed homelink button from step 2. did the trick.

In the end, varies by types of rolling code openers.

I use the same approach with my garage door opener. My opener is an old overhead door model.

[Arcades]

If I remember correctly with my 2015 M4 and 2018 M3 I did both the same way.

1. I first programmed my Homelink Button on my M4/M3 first. Making sure it was set into the button.
2. After making sure it was set, I drove my car out and left my car running while I ran over to my Garage Door and pressed it until it was in it's Learning Mode.
3. Ran back into my M4/M3 and kept on pressing the Homelink button until it learned and I was able to open and close the garage door with my car.

The pressing button part, I remember both times I had to press it multiple times before it learned and was set. Generally once or twice on a rolling code won't work. You just have to keep pressing (count in your head 1 or 2 one thousand).

[BzsBimmer]

To clear all existing codes, press the two outer buttons together (1&3) until lights blink rapidly

To clear just a single button, press the button for about 2 mins until the light blinks rapidly

To program a button on a rolling code (most, if not all, modern garages) hold the garage remote close to the rear view mirror, while pressing both the button on the remote and the desired home link button until the light blinks rapidly

Go to garage and press the learn button and then press the home link button for about 2-3 seconds and then release for about 1 second. Repeat at least 3 times and it should work.

[BMRSEB]

Originally Posted by dcpatters

Nice. I had the same issue with my M4. I found the following to work:

1. clearing the homelink buttons, hold both outer until cleared.
2. Then using the garage remote, Press and hold, along with one of the homelink preset buttons
3. And finally once homelink button is programmed, press the learn button on garage head unit, immediately pressing the programmed homelink button from step 2. did the trick.

In the end, varies by types of rolling code openers.

Sorry to revive an old post.. but was getting frustrated with the Homelink programming! And like others have said I read and watched various videos on this with no success.. I have owned a few BMW’s most recently a ‘16 328i, and had no issue programming.. Anyway, happy to report the above worked great and all set now..

[djpeetur]

Originally Posted by dcpatters

Nice. I had the same issue with my M4. I found the following to work:

1. clearing the homelink buttons, hold both outer until cleared.
2. Then using the garage remote, Press and hold, along with one of the homelink preset buttons
3. And finally once homelink button is programmed, press the learn button on garage head unit, immediately pressing the programmed homelink button from step 2. did the trick.

In the end, varies by types of rolling code openers.

Been figuring this out for 5 years. Thank you 🙏

[Milan]

I held 1 and 3 until it was all reset

then I held my garage door opener next to the homelink and pressed the button along with 1 on the homelink for 10 seconds or so

Then I pushed the learn button on the garage door opener motor and held 1 down until the lights flashed

[MethodRR]

One thing I recently learned (and am still experimenting with) is that some LED light bulbs will interfere with the transmitters. My homelink works intermittently, and so this is the next thing I'm chasing. Ordered some garage door specific light bulbs to see if that fixes the issue.

[B58*440i]

Two years, nine months, 27 days. Finally got Homelink to program. not sure what sure I was doing wrong.

[greysea]

I didn’t realize my garage door unit had a smartlink button on it. Once I pressed that button and ran to my car and hit the homelink button it finally worked. Guess I learned to research the garage opener unit model # to learn all the buttons on it.

[Monkey Throttle]

Trying to program homelink is like trying to teach a monkey to have sex with a football.