Battery Types for Garage Door Remotes & Keypads

All garage door remotes and outdoor keypads use batteries to provide power for the accessory. The type of battery your garage door remote or keypad uses will be dependent on the brand and model of your opener.

While most keypads will light up when a button is pressed, some garage door remotes do not have an LED light, which makes it heard to diagnose a dead battery. In this article, we are going to discuss the different types of batteries available for garage door remotes and keypads.

What Type of Battery Does a Garage Door Remote or Keypad Take?

The most common types of batteries for garage door remotes will be the CR2016 and CR2032 coin batteries. These batteries lay flat, which makes them great for a remote application.

The A23 barrel style battery is used mostly in Genie remotes, while the standard 9V battery is most commonly found in outdoor wireless keypads. Genie keypads will commonly use AAA batteries.

Chamberlain & LiftMaster Remote and Keypad Battery Types

Chamberlain and LiftMaster remotes are going to take a CR2032 coin battery, which has been the standard for many years. LiftMaster and Chamberlain remotes will be identical in design and are usually interchangeable between the brands.

Older Chamberlain and LiftMaster remotes for orange and purple learn buttons will use the CR2032 coin battery as well. Most remotes will only take one CR2032 battery, but there have been some older remotes that use two batteries.

How to Change a Chamberlain or LiftMaster Remote Battery?

To change the battery in a Chamberlain or LiftMaster remote, you are first going to remove the visor clip from the remote. Next, you will use the flat end of the visor clip to pry open the remote case.

The remote will have a slot in the middle on one side where you can insert the flat end of the visor clip. By twisting the visor clip, you will be able to pry open the two-part case and get access to the battery inside, so it can be replaced.

Chamberlain & LiftMaster Keypad Battery Types

Chamberlain and LiftMaster outdoor wireless keypads are identical in looks, the only difference is the name at the top. They both use a 9V battery to power the keypad. If you slide the bottom front cover down, you will be able to get access to the battery, so it can be replaced.

Craftsman Remote & Keypad Battery Types

Craftsman garage door openers are manufactured by The Chamberlain Group, who also manufacturers Chamberlain & LiftMaster openers. The units were very similar in appearance, except for the remotes. Craftsman remotes had a unique design that set it apart from Chamberlain and LiftMaster remotes.

Craftsman remotes use a CR2032 coin battery, like found in the Chamberlain and LiftMaster remotes. The case is pried open the same as shown above in the previous section. The difference is the Craftsman cases had a defect in the design.

Once you pried open the case for the first time to replace the battery, the tabs on the inside would break. These tabs are used to hold the two parts of the case together when you snap it back.

This is the reason so many Craftsman remotes always had tape wrapped around them, to keep the case together, so the remote could be used. Otherwise, the two parts of the case would separate, making the remote unusable.

Craftsman Keypad Battery Types

Craftsman outdoor wireless keypads use a 9V battery to power the keypad. The battery is accessed at the bottom of the keypad, like with most other brands.

Clicker Remote & Keypad Battery Types

Clicker universal remotes which are now owned by Chamberlain will use a single CR2032 coin battery. The top and bottom covers on the remote can be pried open, like demonstrated in the Chamberlain and LiftMaster section of this article. This will provide you with access to the battery inside for replacement.

Clicker universal outdoor keypads will use a 9V battery. The cover at the bottom of the keypad can be removed using a small slotted screwdriver, which allows you to slide the cover down to gain access to the battery.

Genie Remote & Keypad Battery Types

All newer style Genie remotes like pictured above are going to use the CR2032 coin battery. The white Genie universal remote pictured above is compatible with all brands of garage door openers.

If you have one of the older Genie GIT-1 bullet remotes, as shown above, it will use the A23 barrel battery. This was one of Genie’s most popular remotes, as it was their only offering for many years.

How to Change a Genie Remote Battery?

Most newer Genie remotes will have a rear cover that slides open, so you can change the battery. The older GIT-1 Genie remote has a rear cover as well that pivots open, so you can change the barrel battery.

Genie Keypad Battery Types

Newer Genie outdoor wireless keypads will use (2) AAA batteries to power the keypad. The bottom of the keypad has a cover you can slide down to access the battery compartment for replacement.

Some older Genie keypads with a slide up front cover will use a standard 9V battery to power the keypad. The battery is located in the same location, which is at the bottom of the unit.

Linear Remote & Keypad Battery Types

Linear remotes will use a CR2032 coin battery to power the remote. To replace the battery, you will need to pry open the two-part case, so you can gain access to the battery inside.

The older Linear MDTK outdoor wireless keypad uses a standard 9V Battery to power the keypad. The bottom front cover can be opened by removing the two screws on the bottom of the keypad to gain access to the battery.

The newer Linear LPWKP-G outdoor wireless keypad uses (3) AAA Batteries to power the unit. All you have to do to replace the batteries is slide down the front cover.

If you install new batteries in the Linear LPWKP-G keypad and the backlight is not shining, make sure the batteries are lined up correctly with the contact terminals. I am not a fan of this new keypad design because the batteries can shift around, causing the keypad not to function.

If you have an opportunity to purchase the older Linear MDTK keypad, do it. We have used that keypad for years with very few issues. We have had to go back several times after installing the newer keypad due to the batteries not lining up correctly.

Marantec Remote & Keypad Battery Types

Marantec remotes are going to use the CR2032 coin battery to power the remote. To change the battery, you pry open the middle of the case with a flathead screwdriver and separate the top and bottom case. This will provide you with access to the battery inside.

Marantec outdoor wireless keypads will use (2) AAA batteries to power the keypad. The batteries can be accessed on the back of the unit behind the battery cover. To gain access, you will need to pull the keypad off its mounting bracket, which is attached to the garage door jamb.

Guardian Remote & Keypad Battery Types

Guardian is all over the map when it comes to the types of batteries used in their remotes. The remote pictured above will use the A23 barrel battery.

Other remotes offered by Guardian will use either (2) CR2016 coin batteries or (1) CR2032 coin battery. Splitting the cover in half allows you to see what model of battery is inside.

Guardian outdoor wireless keypads are going to use (2) AAA batteries to power the keypad. The batteries can be accessed by sliding down the bottom cover on the front of the keypad.

How Do I Change the Battery in My Garage Door Remote or Keypad?

Most garage door remotes will need to be pried open using a flathead screwdriver or the visor clip to gain access to the inside where the battery resides. Some models, like the newer Genie remotes, will have a slide down cover on the back of the remote that allows for access to the battery.

The majority of all outdoor wireless keypads will have a front cover on the bottom of the keypad that can be removed to gain access to the battery. This cover usually slides down and some require a small screwdriver to remove a screw to gain access.

The Marantec brand is the only brand I know of where the batteries are accessed on the back of the keypad. To change the batteries, you must pull the keypad off the mounting bracket, so you can get to the batteries on the rear of the keypad.

Do I Have to Reprogram the Garage Door Remote After Changing the Battery?

This will depend on the brand. Most Chamberlain, LiftMaster, and Craftsman remotes will not need to be reprogrammed after replacing the battery. But, we have found in some circumstances they do.

In our experience, Genie remotes and keypads typically require reprogramming after replacing the battery. This is a common characteristic with the Genie lineup of openers.

I Installed a New Battery and My Remote or Keypad Is Not Working?

If you installed a new battery in your garage door remote or keypad, and it is not working, try reprogramming the accessory to the circuit board. To accomplish this, you will usually need a stepladder so you can access the learn button on the motor head, unless your wall control is equipped with this feature.

I Had My Battery Tested and the Remote or Keypad Is Still Not Working?

If you had the battery for your remote or keypad tested and your remote still doesn’t work, first try installing a brand-new battery. We have seen on many occasions where customers have told us their battery was good because it was tested, and it actually wasn’t.

If a new battery doesn’t resolve the issue of your remote or keypad working, first try reprogramming it to the circuit board. If you can’t get the remote or keypad to reprogram, then it will most likely need to be replaced.

If all of your remotes and keypads are not working, then you may have a bad circuit board in your garage door opener. The receiver on the circuit boards are usually one of the first things to go out.

Lastly, don’t count out remote interference issues. We have seen on more than a few occasions where interference in the home was causing the remotes not to work.

My Garage Door Opener Is Beeping. What Does That Mean?

If your garage door opener is beeping, then you most likely have a battery backup equipped opener. Backup batteries are typically located behind a cover inside the Motörhead. Most units will beep every thirty seconds letting you know the backup battery needs to be replaced.

Conclusion

All garage door remotes and outdoor keypads use batteries to provide power for the accessory. Many homeowners we speak to are surprised by this fact and often contact us when their remote or keypad no longer works.

Replacing the battery in your garage door remote or keypad is an easy process that does not require for you to call a service company. By simple prying open the remote case or sliding down the front cover on your keypad, you will easily be able to replace the battery and move on with your day.