Customer Reviews

Genie Garage Door Opener Replacement Keypad and Ribbon for KEP-1

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this to replace a keypad that died. Installation was easy even though it came with no instructions and I had to reuse the old screws. I found these instructions on another site and now it works great!

TO REPROGRAM YOUR KEP-1:
Unplug the transformer for 2 minutes, this will reset the board and erase old code.
Place the set / run switch to SET (found inside main interface box)
Chose your pin number (1 to 8 numbers or letters). Do not use the * in your pin. Enter chosen pin.
Press * button once to lock in pin number.
Move the set / run switch to RUN. Programming is complete.

*Be sure the knotch in the flat ribbon faces the Set/Run switch or your code will not be stored.

This was the second replacement keypad I've had to purchase for my Genie KEP-1. The flaw in them is in the ribbon cable which connects the keypad to the control module. For something that was meant to be mounted outdoors, the cable is susceptable to water damage. I think a more weatherproof connection should be designed for this appliance.
I will give Amazon high marks for having this item in their inventory because if you have a KEP-1 you're going to need a replacement keypad at sometime.

Our old one (that looked identical) must have gotten moisture under the keypad and stopped working. We live in the fog. Everything else worked fine. After reading other reviews we calked around this keypad between the black plastic and gray plastic face, and again around the outside edge of the unit. It has been perfect.

I had an old keypad that died after a winter storm. Water entered the keypad, corroding the bottom row of blister buttons.

When I replaced it, I applied a bead of grey caulk between the button face membrane and the frame on the front of the unit and between the ribbon cable and frame on the back. Hopefully, this will prevent a similar failures in the future.

Overall, it's not a very robust design and I would recommend placing it in a weather-protected location if possible.

It's May 7, 2010. I'm in the process of purchasing my 2nd Genie Universal Opener in 3 years. The first unit lasted just under 1 year. Genie replaced it under warranty. The replacement unit was installed on May 25th of 2009. It just shot craps. Genie says that the warranty on the 1st replacement unit actually doesn't exist. The warranty is only applicable to the original unit - which means the replacement unit they sent out has no warranty - which makes me wonder what the difference is between the replacement unit and the original and which also means that I'm paying for this, the third unit or second replacement unit. Did ya catch that? Well, it makes sense to the people at Genie, who maybe spend too much time in their magical bottles. I suppose the good news is that when this new one dies in May of 2011, I'll get a replacement unit under warranty for the - uh - 3rd unit I guess, and that will take me to May 2012. I'll just have to plan on spending $ 45 every two years to open my garage, or I can park in the street. Do ya think if Barbara Eden would have given Larry Hagman this much hassle, he'd have stuck with her as long as he did?

I bought this to replace a keypad that died. Installation was easy even though it came with no instructions. I unplugged the unit from the wall before attempting the change-out. I did not have to reprogram and just used the previous code to test. All worked just fine. I guess it was less than 2 minutes that the unit was unplugged and the old code worked. I guess that tells you how easy it was to install.

My old keypad would not work, and re-setting it made no difference. I was not sure if the problem was in the circuit board or the keypad, but decided to try replacing the keypad. It was super easy to install, it took maybe 3 minutes, and it now works perfectly. Very satisfied with this replacement part.

I could hardly believe this keypad was available. Inexpensively. It appeared to be an identical replacement for the old one which must have been there 25 years. The conductive traces under the membrane were getting corroded which made it non-functioning.

It was easy to remove the original keypad. Then having some experience with electronic devices, I opened up the control box and simply yanked the original ribbon cable from the onboard connected. its 8 wires are not soldered in.

One ribbon edge is marked. Its important to note which way it goes into the connector before you pull it, so you install the new one properly.

I had to feed the ribbon out through a joint between the wood pieces which make up the door frame. I ended up wedging in a screwdriver and physically bending wood pieces to open up a 1/32 inch space for the ribbon cable to exit.

>>>>Note: I didn't do this, but here is a great idea: Fasten a long string to the cable before pulling it through the frame. The other end of the string stays in the garage interior. Detach the old keypad and attach the new. Now you can pull the string back through the frame, dragging the new cable through the frame with minimal trouble.

The cable and keypad are permanently wired together. I could not mount the keypad right away. First I had to maneuver the new cable from the outside, through the wood frame, to the garage interior. This is a tricky process and risks ruining a new keypad if you're not careful.

Again I had to carefully poke a screwdriver between nicely finished and painted wood surfaces, and physically bend the wood a little, until there was a path to poke the ribbon cable from the outside through to the garage interior. Took some trial and error. Had to force the cable a bit, though I tried to minimize stressing and pinching the flat conductive metal traces.

Fortunately the new cable was as long as the old. It reached to the circuit board. The new cable is a push fit although it's up to you to make sure each wire goes into its slot of the connector on the circuit board.

The cable must not be installed the wrong way (as I seem to remember doing by mistake). I neglected to note how the original cable was installed. Looked for markings, but guessed wrong the first time. Since I didn't ruin the control unit I was lucky.

The new keypad went in exactly the same space as the old. The screws went in the same holes. At all times I had to be careful to avoid crimping and pinching the ribbon cable while maneuvering the keypad.

I'm glad I found this keypad. I didn't want to go to a garage door installer, because professionals like to replace entire systems. They say it's the only way they can offer a warranty on their work.

This is the second time I've needed to replace the keypad in 2 years and it's getting to be a pain and not cost-effective. It appears to go bad after winter and I think, as others have pointed out, it's the ribbon that's getting affected. I noticed that sections of the metallic strips have become brown, perhaps due to water damage. How water would get in through the plastic is beyond me but, perhaps, poor materials used in manufacturing are to blame.

Anyway, I decided to stay away from this altogether and bought the Slimline Hardwired Combination Garage Door Keypad available here on Amazon Slimline Hardwired Combination Garage Door Keypad. It took me 10 minutes to drill a 1/2" hole from the outside to the inside of the garage, at an angle, and then thread the wire (not flimsy ribbon) through. I sealed the hole with wood putty and, as an added precaution, caulked around the keypad, although this may be unnecessary. The added benefits of this keypad is that it's lit and has a button on the control box that allows you to open and close the garage door from inside the garage. It uses three small batteries that are supposed to last 3 to 5 years. It worked immediately upon installation. Now, we'll have to see how long it lasts!

We bought a house with one of these keypads installed and mounted nicely on the front. It began to malfunction after about 20 years of use, so I had been trying to find a replacement. I finally got my head out of my butt and searched it on Amazon, and voila! Anyway, using it as a replacement, it took just a few minutes to install, and I was back in business.

So, take what you will from the other reviewers, but as I mentioned, the original one worked for twenty years, not just a few months. Buy with confidence.