I have a Prius on order. I looked at the very interesting threads on garage door openers, and was left with a question. I have a Liftmaster, with, of course, a remote. I may not want to go to the trouble of programming the key fob as an opener, and so I may want to just continue to use the conventional garage door opener. Someone told me that a garage door opener will not fit on the Prius's sun visor Can this be true?
I am sure this may depend on which garage opener you may have, but I can see no reason why most would not fit. I currently have a Liftmaster garage door opener and prior to programming the Prius I had it on the visor and it fit just fine. Like previous years there is a mirror on the visor that may restrict exactly where on the visor it would go, but I am sure there are many places that it would fit perfectly well.
Liftmaster makes two sized remotes. The standard sized one does not fit, but their 'compact' cone does, as it is barely larger than the Prius Keyfob. You mention programming the keyfob as an opener. Which keyfob are you referring to? I do not think that any of Toyota's fobs can be programmed to open your garage. If you are referring to programming the homelink mirror, as found on the IV, V (and possibly III?), then it is a breeze to program, and makes the need to carry the fob (and fumble for it when arriving) go away. I love having it programmed on my mirror.
If you follow the instructions, it's very easy to program the Homelink buttons on the rear view mirror (you don't program the key fob), so I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to do it.
I'd say that it's easy if you read and follow the directions closely and don't rush. It took me a few attempts, but I got the Homelink to function well. The range is quite good, too.
I echo Eglmainz and Stream's sentiments. I had my garage opener programed on my previous car, until I upgraded one of my door openers. Now I can program both versions of my LiftMaster door openers on the Prius. The Prius security system prevents (helps prevent a Prius from being stolen. Why put a removable garage opener and your address in a car for someone to take if they go to the trouble of breaking into you car and find they can't take the car? Second prize - they get into our home? --TK
Model II that the OP has on order does not come with homelink. And yes - regular garage door openers don't fit the visor very well.
Well darn, Pulse. I jumped to the conclusion that Southjerseycraig asked about programing his Fob was a technology misunderstanding since his Prius is still on order. Thanks for catching that; although I wouldn't have known a Prius II didn't have Homelink. --TK
Yes, I should have emphasized that my Prius is a II, and so I take it that it will not have homelink.
