In this article on Traeger error codes and troubleshooting, we’ll review all the possible problems and error codes your Traeger pellet grill may indicate.
We’ll explain what’s happening, how to troubleshoot the issue, and hopefully how to avoid the same issue in the future. Plus, we’ll look at some common problems Traeger grills sometimes experience and tell you how to solve them.
Let me guess: you did all your research (probably here), went out and bought a Traeger pellet grill, and you’ve been loving it. Then, one day recently, a weird message popped up on the digital display that seemed to have nothing to do with the meat under the lid?
Welcome to the world of error codes.
Or, maybe there’s no error code, but your Traeger is acting up. Are you experiencing temperature swings? Has your fire gone out (in your grill, not your soul?)
Of course, we sincerely hope you never, ever suffer through any hiccups with your Traeger, but it happens to the best of us, with all makes and models of pellet grills. Never fear! We’ve got this.
Contents (Jump to Topic)
Traeger Error Codes
While it’s great that your Traeger is self-aware enough to let you know there’s something wrong with it, it’s still not always obvious what the problem is.
As C3P0 once said, “I don’t know where your ship learned to communicate, but it has the most peculiar dialect.”
Allow us to translate:
HEr
Nope, your grill isn’t female. This one stands for “High Temperature Error.”
You’ll see this appear on your Traeger’s display if the temperature inside exceeds 550F for more than 45 seconds. If this happens, your grill will shut off the auger and the fan to start the cool-down process. Once the temperature falls below 450F, the auger will run for 2 minutes to clear any embers from the auger tube.
Power off the grill and let it rest and then clear any pellets from the fire pot. You’ll need to start the grill up yourself once you’re ready to fire it up again. This code is bad news and could signal the demise of your meat unless you act quickly to control the heat or remove the meat from the grill.
Root causes of this kind of temperature surge include low-grade pellets that don’t burn evenly, a build-up of grease, ash, or sawdust that’s burning, or simply a faulty temperature probe giving an incorrect reading.
The worst-case scenario is your temperature controller is malfunctioning. If you’ve eliminated the other possibilities, and you’re still getting this code, it may be time to contact the manufacturer for some help.
LEr
This code indicates a “Low Temperature Error”, the exact opposite problem of HEr. If this code turns up, that’s because the temperature in the grill has dropped below 125F for more than 10 minutes. That’s a heck of a long time, but, relative to a multi-hour smoke, it’s not that big a deal. (You’re unlikely to see this error unless you’re trying to cook low and slow.)
The grill will shut itself down, and then it’s up to you to restart. Clear the pellets from the fire pot and then begin the start-up sequence.
There are several possible reasons you might get an LEr code:
- The simplest explanation is that you’ve run out of pellets, so there’s nothing to burn.
- It may be that the outside temperature is so cold your Traeger can’t get up to temperature.
- There may be debris that’s plugging your fire pot and preventing ventilation (you need oxygen for a fire).
- Maybe you’ve got a bad batch of pellets that’s full of sawdust.
- It could be a faulty probe
- The temperature controller could be on the blink.
If it’s cold outside, try moving your grill somewhere that’s sheltered from the wind, or that’s in full sunshine to try and compensate.
If you use your Traeger in the winter a lot, consider buying an insulation blanket; Traeger has them for many of their more popular models. You might even try pointing a space heater at it. Just don’t bring it indoors, unless suffocating on carbon monoxide sounds like a good time.
The final issue to check is your “p” setting. “P” stands for pause, and it’s the length of time between pellet dumps into the fire pot from the auger. If you have a Traeger that’s a few years old, you can manually adjust this setting to one of three levels. Newer Traegers do not have this feature.
ERR
This is an easy one to diagnose, though it means you’re going to have to replace something. If this code pops up, it means your RTD probe needs replacing. Great — what’s that?
RTD stands for “Resistance Temperature Detector,” and it’s just a fancy way of referring to the sensor probe that measures the ambient temperature inside the grill.
Check the connection first to see if it’s just loose, but be prepared to order a new one.
ER1
Another code involving your temperature probe, this is a simple one. All that’s happened is you’ve got a loose connection. Try pushing the plug in or pulling it out entirely and plugging it back in again.
If that doesn’t do it, something may need tightening, or there’s a defective or broken part inside. Call Traeger and see if they can troubleshoot the problem with you.
ER2
Well, this code sucks. If you see this nasty code, it means something is short-circuiting inside the controller. It could be to do with the RTD probe, or it may be an internal connection. Either way, you’ll want to call for assistance.
There are how-to videos on YouTube showing you how to correct this error, but they all involve taking the controller apart and pulling out the circuit board. You’d want to be pretty confident in your electrical skills before you go this route!
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Other Common Issues With Traeger Grills
Not all Traeger problems are accompanied by an error code. The best Traeger grills incorporate a few, but not all things can be measured and reported.
Here are a few non-display issues you might come up against and our best advice for getting past them.
Unusual Temperature Swings
It is totally normal for the temperature inside your Traeger pellet grill to vary by as much as 15-20F above or below the target you’ve set. That’s all part of the regular cycling on and off of the auger and the rod. When it cools down inside, more pellets feed in and ignite. When it’s too warm, they stop for a bit.
It’s important to remember that a temperature you set, is the target temperature that the grill aims for as an average over the entire time of cook! So 15f to 20f temperature swings are, according to the way it’s designed, perfectly natural.
Any dramatic swings outside that range, however, may indicate a problem somewhere. But what?
First, give some thought whether this might actually be perfectly normal. Remember, the 15-20F variance is an average across the entire cook under ideal conditions. If it’s really cold or really hot outside, your Traeger has to work hard to compensate. In such cases, you might find temperature swings outside that range that are not the fault of the grill itself. Do what you can to protect your grill from the elements to minimize the effects of the weather.
If you’re sure it’s not the weather, a good first place to look is your fire pot. The fire pot was designed for a series of holes for optimal airflow. If new holes appear thanks to our old nemesis corrosion, you’ll get too much air and higher temperatures as a result.
Speaking of corrosion, check the drip pan and the heat diffuser for damage. If there are less of these items than there should be, that could also lead to excess heat inside your Traeger.
Your pellets are possible suspects, too. Low-grade pellets may produce a lot of ash. Not only can ash mess with the ventilation holes but also, if there’s enough of it floating around, it can lead to false readings from the probe.
Try to use only quality pellets, such as those from our guide to the best pellets for pellet grills.
No Pellets in the Fire Pot
The automatic, rotating auger is supposed to pull pellets from the hopper to the fire pot when the controller says they’re needed. It’s an amazing system — unless it’s not working.
The problem could be a purely mechanical one. From time to time, pellets may jam and prevent the auger from turning. To fix this problem, just clear out the auger tunnel. This will require you to disassemble the hopper and the auger, but it’s not really that hard, and you’ll need just a few basic tools.
Don’t worry, though; this isn’t modding or DIY stuff. In fact, here’s an official Traeger video showing you how it’s done:
The other possibility here is the motor is defective or damaged in some way. If there’s no obvious jam, you may need a new motor. Contact Traeger for assistance if you can’t get things working.
Fire Goes Out in the Middle of a Cook
There are several possible reasons for a fire to go out in a Traeger. Once again, we have to check the fire pot to see if the air holes are blocked. Fire needs oxygen to burn, and without those holes, there’s no oxygen. This is another time when the pellets may be the problem. Our recommendation: buy good pellets right out of the gate!
A faulty connection with the probe or a bad reading could be the problem, also. If the controller is getting the wrong information, or none at all, it may not send enough pellets to the fire pot to keep the fire going.
While you’d expect to see an error code, such as LEr, remember if you’ve got your temperature up to, say, 400F, it’ll be awhile before it drops below 125F, even without any fire.
A third possibility is the fan. There’s a little fan in your Traeger that helps push oxygen over the fire pot to stoke the fire. If it’s not running for some reason, this could affect the ability to keep a fire burning. If you can hear the fan humming, you’re all good. If not, it is, yet again, time to call Traeger.
Traeger Grill Not Lighting
The power is on (this should be the first thing you check for any problem!), the auger is turning, the pellets are dropping in the fire pot — but nothing is lighting. Here’s an easy one to solve.
The most likely answer here is the igniter isn’t working. Try running the grill with no pellets, and remove the heat diffuser, the drip pan, and the grates, so you can see right into the fire pot. The tip of the igniter should glow red. If not, there’s your issue. You know what that means — call Traeger!
It’s also possible this is a fan issue. If the fan isn’t working, there may not be enough oxygen in the environment for the pellets to catch. Listen for the hum of the fan motor to determine if it’s working.
Final Thoughts
Now that we’ve been through all the Traeger error codes and four further potential issues, you might be concerned that Traeger pellet grills are doomed to failure?
We assure you this is not the case!
You may own your grill for years and never have a single problem. Maybe you’ll experience a couple of the minor issues on rare occasions. Traeger grills are excellent products, but even the best-built gear can suffer from defects or be at the mercy of uncontrollable outside influences.
Now that you know what the most common issues are and how to deal with them, you can go back to loving your grill. Keep calm and Traeger on!
Thanks for picking us to help you troubleshoot your Traeger pellet grill. If you have any questions, please do drop them in the comment section below.
Happy grilling!
Got grill set up going through start up steps on 4 can not get the hot rod to turn red. Left on. For 20 min temp never got above 86deg.
@Stacey and @Bart: Beyond anything that’s in the article above, it’s best to call Traeger and get advice straight from the horses mouth (so to speak.) What you don’t want to do is try anything that could void your warranty! Traeger support are good and should be able to help.
Same thing happened to me today. I was told to disassemble and return it.
My hot rod quit, so I ordered another. Plugged it in, still didn’t work. And now my fan won’t come on?
Trying to fire up the Traeger for the first time. It keeps saying ER1. We have tried pulling the plug and pushing it in again and doesn’t seem like anything is loose. Anyone have a suggestion?
Mine acts up every once in a while. Yesterday while using it, it went out. I vacuumed it out, restarted it, and no problem. However, I jiggled the wires around, then the temperature went a little crazy. Can I buy new wires for it? Does this sound like the problem? Can anyone answer me?
Jim.
Hi James. Have you contacted Traeger support? They’re very responsive, and it’s always best to get things ‘straight from the horses mouth’ if you can.
I have a Traeger Timberline 850, only cost $1800. First the Wi-Fi doesn’t work at all. Now it keeps shutting off for no reason. Traeger customer service is totally unresponsive! This company used to be great, this is my second grill from them and also my last!!!!
They’re usually very good. There are likely issues right now with staffing, lockdowns etc. during the global pandemic and lockdowns. It’s affecting a lot of companies in a big way worldwide.
The auger will only run for 45 seconds then shut off. If I turn off and back on it starts right away and shuts down after 45 sec. When the auger is running during the 45 sec, I can turn temp to off and the auger stops and will start again when I turn temp back up, for 45 sec.
Trying to BBQ prime rib on 4th of July. Everything stops and says ‘888.’ You have nothing about this code in your troubleshooting? A little late for help as guests are here. Just waited since Dec. 2019 to get this working as the fan was on the blink from the purchase date. VERY DISSATISFIED. What to do now? Tired of fooling with this.
Sorry to hear this, Kneeland, I understand your frustration.
888 is not a code I’ve come across before. So it’s one for contacting Traeger themselves I’m afraid.
My wife covered my smoker two days after I smoked some chicken wings. Four days later on Saturday, we noticed the grill cover was burned on the chimney end. The damage was bad enough I had to throw it away.
Has anyone ever had your smoker turn on by itself?
When I started our Traeger yesterday, it began screeching loudly and wouldn’t stop. I removed all pellets, cleaned it out and started it again. The noise continued unabated. I saw that the auger was working and everything looks OK, but I haven’t tried to take it apart yet. Do you have any ideas to what might be the problem before I do anything else?
Hi Alan,
It’s not something I’m come across before, but if it’s ‘screeching’ it does sound mechanical and something to do with the auger. Have you tried calling Traeger to see if they have any advice?
No, the issue occurred over the weekend and Traeger Support isn’t available on weekends, so I didn’t call (yet). I was hoping to get some guidance from people like you while I waited for Monday to arrive. I plan to call Traeger shortly. Thanks!
Sure. Sorry, not this time :-(I hope it’s an easy fix for you eventually!
My grill loses temperature and when I take it apart the fire pot is full of unburned pellets I clean it out restart and seems okay, but it has done this the last three times I used it. I keep it very clean as far as the ash in the fire pot.
Thanks,
Michael Beschinski.
I have an older Texan and now it’s throwing a P 5 code before start up and the hot rod doesn’t heat, everything else works, just put in a new hot rod and still no fire
Thank you for this troubleshooting guide, I was able to figure out my problem by reading your technical knowledge. Very helpful, new replace part on the way. Happy grilling
I have had my Traeger (Pro Series 22 Lil Tex Blu Model TFB57PUB I bought 04/20/2018) and have had problems with it staying lit ever since I bought it. I have worked with Traeger and also took it back to where I bought it. Neither worked. Although Traeger personnel helped all they could on the phone, none of their tips helped. As to the advice from where I bought it, that didn’t work either. The problem I have with it is when I try to smoke something at 225 – 250 degrees, the fire goes out. Sometimes within 15 minutes, other times 4 hours. If I put it on smoke, 9 times out of 10 it will go out with in 5 minutes. If I put it on a higher temperature, it usually continues to operate. It is cleaned every time I use it (not very much since it goes out all the time) Pellets are Traeger pellets and are dry. I have bought new bags of pellets, emptied and refilled the box to no avail. Please give me some ideas on how to make it work well. If I needed it to just run at 400 degrees, then I can use my charcoal grill, which I do. Please help me get this fixed or replace my existing Traeger.
I have the same problem, and I am very close to giving up. I can say without any doubt, I will never buy a Traeger again.
Thanks for your input, I got the low temp error and after reading your input I learned apparently I had let the powder from the bag of pellets get into the hopper and the firebox failed. Kudos to you and again thanks, my pork butt is smoking again
What a scam, my Traeger grill has nothing but problems from day one. What scares me is the shut-down sequence. Mine won’t shut down. It cooks OK, but I shouldn’t have to check it for three hours after shut down, so it doesn’t burn down my house.
I never use the Traeger for steaks, real charcoal is 100% better than the Traeger. I build and engineer and a lot of tools, In my opinion, Traeger grills are a total scam, junk, very poor engineering and cheaply made.
My grill is hot, however my phone temperature controls not working. Message says FLAME-OUT DETECTED. PLEASE CHECK PELLETS AND RESTART GRILL. Called Traeger, they were unable to help, tech was going to call me back. Never did
Bad probe signal coming in. I don’t know.
The temp probe on my Traeger doesn’t work. The 1st time I plugged it in it flashed the temp, but that’s it. Plugging it in/out doesn’t work. I hear a beep when I plug it in. I can’t seem to get it to work. Suggestions?
Plugged my temp probe in the very first time and got a “bad probe” code.
My treater shuts off in the middle of grilling
My grill is brand-new. Never been turned on. I followed the first time instructions. The auger is not turning. There has never been anything in it yet.
Second time in a row that I’ve gotten an Ler code and the pot has been overrun with pellets. Both times were when I had been cooking butts for about 8 hours. Any ideas as to what might be causing this issue
Clearing the pot and restarting the treater has worked each time. I’ve had this teenager for about 3 years and haven’t had this issue before. Any ideas???🤔
Have had my Ironwood 885 Series 2 for a few months. Done quite a few cooks, both low and slow’s, and high temp steaks and burgers.
Today smoking a 9lb Pork butt. 3 hrs at 225 with super smoke on.
At the 3 hr mark, pulled the meat, panned, temp probed, foil wrapped, and back on the grill.
Turned super smoke off, and temp dropped to 120 over several minutes.
Turned super smoke back on and off.
Nothing. Turned warm mode on and off. The fire kicked back on, and ran the temp up to 320 before turning back off.
Temp dropped to 220, and then the controller resumed firing the pot, to stay within 5 degrees of 225, as normal.
Really weird. I could have finished the cook in the oven, as the pork was foil panned and wrapped. But wanted to see if the grill would correct itself, and resume normal operation.
My grill is not sending me a notice when the grill is up to the temperature that I set
I bought a series 22 Traeger from Costco 3 months ago. Today, the outside temperature is well into the 90 Fahrenheit range. I fired up my grill a couple of hours ago and low and behold, error code HEr appeared and my grill powered down twice with salmon and scallops halfway cooked. I let it cool down, shut it off and restarted it. I get my grill very clean, no grease buildup or excessive ash accumulation. My grill has a 450 degrees Fahrenheit maximum temperature setting. I put it on 450 Fahrenheit and let it run. Within 5 minutes error code HEr appeared again, and it powered down again. My fish and scallops were cooked enough to eat but having owned this grill only 3 months I’m questioning whether I should return it to Costco and get a full refund or call Traeger for technical support.
The information on your webpage, especially the first section on error code HEr has helped me understand what’s going on seeing this was not included in my owner’s manual.
I’m very appreciative for the insights you’ve provided me on this issue.
Thanks for your good work!
Call Costco, they will take it back up to a year after purchase, sometimes even longer. I have 2 grills, one for camping and one for home. I had to return the camping grill twice before I got a working one, the person at the return desk said they get a lot back. I bought the Timberline 885, worked fine for the first two smokes, but now the Wi-Fi is no longer connecting. I am going to call in the morning, but if it does not get fixed over the phone it’s going back!
I just bought my grill a few weeks ago, and the temperature probe has never worked properly. Very frustrating any ideas.
My BBQ fan keeps shutting off and won’t reach over 290-ish. I’ve replaced the auger motor and fan motor and also the circuit board controls and still happening. Hot rod is new as well. Never had issues like this before. Is this a common thing?
We tried our Traeger for the first time with a full chicken. Had it up to temp 250 for 3hrs then it suddenly dropped to 60. We checked and pellets were gone.
Got an re2 code and unit will not turn on
The grill is the Costco Traeger. It has been great, we have had it about 1-year, and now during our last use it shut off, like the power shut off, and screen or nothing works now. I’ve been looking online at what troubleshooting there is, but nothing covers that problem. Hope you can help.
You’d have to speak with Traeger support I’m afraid.
I’ve had a 575 Pro for a year and change, and I absolutely love it. The only thing I do not love is the dial on the controller is very difficult to set at times — especially as the temps are descending. I can turn it to increase the temp, and it will typically climb 5 or 10 degrees as expected. The unfortunate part is that when I try to lower the temp, I can rotate the dial counter-clockwise and watch the temp bounce all over the place. Normally it ends up being higher than what I started out with, and I have to restart the unit to set the temp to the new lower setting … I’m growing exceedingly annoyed with this problem, and I’m hoping some insight can be provided. Help, please!
I have an Ironwood 885. I vacuum clean it about every 1.5 bags of pellets. I only use it 6 months of the year as we live in a different country in the winter. It’s two years old, and at about 12 months, I noticed I had to keep setting the temp higher to get it to fire up. It now won’t fire at all. What’s up with this thing?
My Traeger never shuts off during shut down mode. No error codes, I keep my grill clean and in excellent condition. This is troublesome
I signed up incorrect info how do I edit it and put in the right info?
You’d have to contact Traeger support.
TFB88PUB When I start it up on the smoke setting it smokes like hell, but I’m getting error codes that are vacillating between 55 and 56…auger and fan are both working
During the Seasoning process my grill keeps shutting down no error code just shuts off
My auger continues to run an will not stop causing the temperature to continue ti climb and the pot to overflow.
I just received my new control panel after 2 1/2 weeks, put it in.. and wala! It’s working…! So so very happy!!! After i was done smoking a pizza, i turned the grill to cool down… and it put a new code on the screen that I’ve never seen, it read 5dn. What’s that mean… is there something else wrong with my grill… or does that mean it’s in cool down mode? Please assist! Thank you and traeger on! You all are rock stars!
I like a heavier smoke flavor when I put it the smoke setting the machine shuts down after about an hour, and I have to restart it again. Why won’t it stay in the smoke setting for only a short time, the outside temperature is not cold, and I have plenty of pellets, and the inside is clean and get plenty of air?
It kicked off wile cooking, only used it 6 months and now it’s not reliable enough to leave cooking with out constant monitoring. I do not recommend this
Er2 shows when turning the unit on. May appear to be a controller problem. What now
The tempture reads -41 degrees no matter what setting too
Great article 👏…I’m definitely a Traeger fan and always recommend Traeger products to anyone that loves a awesome electric grill/smoker.
Every time I cook for a gathering, mine seems to fail. When I bought it, you could call on weekends, but I understand you cant anymore. Strange error codes are showing up this time, and after 2 hours it shut down. Thank the Lord for an oven.