Door Bumpers

My original use for these door or drawer bumpers was on the remote starter of my previous vehicle. That remote is not pictured here but it was similar to the right most remote in the photo above. The problem with the previous remote was that it had recessed buttons. The buttons themselves were not the problem. It was that with only four buttons on that old remote one was dedicated to locking, one to unlocking, one to opening the door and lowering the ramp and one to the lifting the ramp and closing the door.. The only way the installers could program the module to start the van was by pressing the lock and unlock keys simultaneously. Because they were recessed this presented a problem for me.

It wasn't that I couldn't do it but I required a surface to set the remote on while I pressed each button with my two thumbs. When I had something on my lap, or no firm surface to rest the remote on, it was difficult. And, when do you need automatic vehicle starting the most? In the winter when it's cold and you don't want to be fumbling with a remote longer than necessary. Self-adhesive door bumpers cut to fit each button was my solution.

It worked but was not ideal because making the buttons that much easier to press made for accidentally unlocking or locking the doors and only once accidentally starting the van. This was also before the time of two-way communication between the vehicle and the remote -- you  now receive notification that your vehicle has started -- so it wasn't until an undetermined amount of time that I realized the van had been started.

Thankfully the buttons on my current remote, pictured left, have just the right amount of tactile resistance and are raised only slightly, requiring a one second press before activating the function. All buttons function as indicated by their symbols but two consecutive presses of the unlock button, with a two second pause between, opens my door and lowers the ramp or picks up the ramp and closes the door. This is a much more convenient way than depending on the door bumpers but they did work when I needed them to.

Source: Department, hardware, and dollar stores.