Sienna homelink button repair – a cheap alternative

2004-2010 Toyota Siennas suffer from a frustrating problem – the home link (garage door opener) buttons break, leaving the affected buttons inoperative.  Here the #1 and #3 buttons are broken:

Replacement of the entire overhead console was a repair option for this Eden Prairie owner, but an expensive one he had already declined at the dealership. CARspec offered to repair his Sienna’s buttons and wanted to share the process as an alternative to complete replacement. During this repair we were able to put the buttons back into service, but not without a speed bump (read on for more info).

The first step is to remove the overhead console, disassemble it, and expose the circuit board and buttons:

Here you can see the white button contacts the broken buttons depress.  In this photo the #1 button is missing it’s white contact cover.  At some point part of the contact, the white plastic button contact, went missing.  This button cannot be repaired without a new unit. Unfortunate, but the #3 button was still able to be repaired (it’s contact was intact).  Below is the backside of the buttons.  The tabs above are what break.  Normally a flexible plastic, they brittle over time and break after repeated presses.  The solution is a bit of hot glue – it maintains the flex needed for the button to work but keeps it in place:

CARspec reinforces all the buttons during the repair. The part was reassembled and returned to service, now with repaired buttons.  As Eden Prairie and Chanhassen’s Toyota and Lexus repair specialist we are happy to offer this service most dealership Toyota mechanics don’t, repairing them in house to respect the owner’s budget.