RussWalker

First, a little background;
Some time ago, GM began offering a universal garage door opener - the Homelink. About 2007 GM (apparently in the effort to save a few pennies at customer expense) replaced the Homelink with the Generation 1 Lear CAR2U system. The Homelink can be identified by the single light in the middle as opposed to the CAR2U that has three lights, one for each button. About 2012, Lear began supplying the Generation 2 CAR2U system. A sequence of button presses will tell you if you have the Gen I or the Gen II.

Now, from my experience and from what I have seen on this and other chat boards, the Homelink worked VERY well but there have been quite a few complaints about the Lear system - mine being the lack of compatibility with my gated community opener.

A conversation with Lear proved that I had the Gen I opener and that it would not work on my gate and that the Gen II unit would work. They promised to send me a new visor with the Gen II opener "when available". Well, I have been waiting for 8 months and they tell me that they have not had one single unit available in the last 8 months.

I have been talking to Chevrolet about a warranty replacement of the unit but their answer is that the unit is working properly and that it would not be covered. My position is that they advertised this unit as a "universal opener" and it definitely is NOT and does not even work as well as older units. I am very frustrated with this whole situation! I think that when you spend $50k - $60k for a new car the damn opener should work ESPECIALLY if the previous system did work.

I know a lot of people have had issues with this new system and have had to spend money to make it work and some like me cannot get it to work at all. I have been told that GM people will be looking at chat boards to see if this really is an issue or if they are just pissing off a few customers like me.

PLEASE post your experiences and frustrations here and perhaps we can get some action!

Thanks!

mforman42

In my experience with both (Homelink on '05 and '07, Car2U on '08 and '09) they work equally well. The Car2U is much easier to program on rolling code devices, while the Homelink is easier on fixed code devices. Because most garage door openers are rolling code, this may be an advantage.

As a comparison, getting my Homelink programmed to work with the entry gate for our complex (fixed code) took a few seconds versus 15 minutes for the Car2U (at least the first time). For my rolling code garage door opener, the Homelink took about 5 minutes, while Car2U took less than one minute.

Just my experience, of course.

haljensen

Solution?

Craigs List! or EBay!

Sell your Lear and buy a Homelink.

RussWalker

I guess the CAR2U does work with some gates, just not all of them!

RussWalker

Not many other options!

6Speeder

I have three vehicles with the three button remotes, and three separate garage doors with openers. The $20,000 Hyundai remote works perfectly on all three doors, my $60,000+ Vette and my $60,000+ CTS-V work intermittently, if at all. I have to carry the handheld remote in the GM vehicles. LEAR CAR2U SUCKS!

pcguy2u

Our 05 Coupe and 10 Silverado work great and from any distance. However, our 09 ZR1 has very limited range and sometimes have to tilt the visor even when within a few feet of the opener.

I believe you can pop the Lear out and just plug a Homelink device in without much of a problem. Thought about doing that but just haven't gotten around to it - should be able to get one from the dealer or maybe you have to buy the whole visor??

Flame Red

The Lear SUCKS

Same experience here. Homelink works better, and is easier to program.

If you check around (Flea-bay etc), you can find one to replace the crapulant Lear. Only problem is doing surgery on the visor is not that easy unless you have some serious skills. At the time, I was unable to find a Homelink complete Visor in the Boneyards and GM replacements come with the Crapulant Lear.

BayouCountry

It seemed about the same with both for me. It took a while to program on my '06 and took a while to program on my 2012. Up and down the later at least 5 times pressing the button on my Genie and running back to the corvette. I did have to put the visor down on the 2012 to get it to take. It was good exercise!

montereyredvette

I have an '06 with homelink .........just replaced my garage opener with a new one with rolling code. Worked fine with the old one, can't get it to work with the new one.

RussWalker

Well, here is my solution, at least for the time being! It is a Homelink unit from an old Trailblazer but HEY, it works! Too bad you have to do this with a brand new $50,000 Corvette. Shame on you Chevrolet!

RussWalker

Well, I fixed my problem. I traded the Corvette for a new Dodge Charger and the remote works perfectly and took 10 minutes to program all three buttons. Thanks for nothing Chevrolet.

1FUNC5

With that kind of attitude over a visor control unit you are probably better off with a dodge! You stress too much over little things. Why is it gm's fault "your" gate is not compatible. They gave you something compatible with 95% of the entry equipment out there. Good luck and enjoy your glorified rental program car!

1bdvet

Have 05, with no problems. Have one of the new garage openers were you push the button on garage motor, and then hit the home link button till the garage door moves, done.

Flame Red

That is because the 05's came with HomeLink - the good one. Later years came with the Crapulant Lear.

vettn71

I haven't been able to get my 2011 to link up with my new Genie garage door opener. POS

Jim

Gearhead Jim

The new units do have problems connecting with some openers; but the new unit in our 2009 works just fine with our old dip switch opener.

For us, the new unit was actually easier to program, has normal range (Homelink was only good 2 car-lengths from garage, for us), and less sensitive to "push time" on the button.

When we traded the 2006 for a 2006, I was going to keep the old visors but got too busy and let the car go without the swap.
Lucky for me..

z51vett

My 2012 z06 gave me a headache as well I have a new top of the line Genie with lights and buttons. Lear took 3 months to finally get back to me with the program work around to make it work.
z51vett

cclive

Yes, that's an inexpensive solution.

cclive

You're doing something wrong because I have programmed a couple of these to new Genies in less than one minute. The most amount of time was taken up finding a small ladder to get up to the Genie.