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Troubleshooting

Traeger error codes: what each one means and what to do first

Nearly every Traeger code points at fuel, fire or a loose connector. Let the shutdown finish, power cycle once, then check the pellets, the firepot and the three parts that make the fire.

In this guide
  1. Low temperature codes: LEr and ER02
  2. High temperature codes: HEr and ER01
  3. Sensor and probe codes
  4. Fan, ignitor and auger codes
  5. How Traeger checks the hot rod, the fan and the auger
  6. Shutting down and restarting the right way
  7. When Traeger tells you to call

A Traeger error code means one of three things: the fire died or ran away, a sensor or motor is not talking to the controller, or the auger cannot move pellets. Whatever the code, Traeger's first instruction is nearly always the same: let the shutdown cycle finish, power cycle, and see whether it returns. An LEr usually clears that way.

If it returns, work in Traeger's order: pellets and firepot, airflow, hot rod, fan and auger, connectors, and only then a part or a phone call. Traeger says a new part is rarely needed. The table groups codes by meaning, since the fix is the same on every controller.

CodeWhat Traeger says it meansWhat to do first
LErBelow 125°F for 10 minutes, grill shut downPower cycle, then check pellets and firepot
ER02, Error: 0002Below 120°F for 10 minutes after a reignite attemptRestart lid closed, check pellets and firmware
HErPassed 550°F, usually a grease fireCool, unplug, clean, check baffle and drip tray
ER01, Error: 0001Above 550°F, most often a grease fireLet the cool-down finish, then clean
ER03, Error: 0003Low ambient temperature, reduced performanceUpdate firmware. Call if it shows above freezing
Err, Er1, 510Bad RTD to controller connectionUnplug, reseat the RTD wires
Er2RTD has failedContact support for a new RTD
ER06, Error: 0006No signal from the temperature sensorReseat the sensor plug, or run SELF-TEST
ER04Meat probe reads too hot, usually out of the foodRetrieve with tongs, cool, reinsert
ER05, Bad ProbeShort circuit in a wired meat probeSeat it fully, clean the plug, swap jacks
Er3, Er5Ignitor disconnectedUnplug, reseat the ignitor connector
ER07, Error: 0007No temperature rise during ignitionCheck pellets, firepot and lid, then the hot rod
ER10, Error: 0010No current from the ignitorTouchscreen: update firmware. Woodridge: reseat the plug
Er4, ER09Induction fan not detectedReseat the fan connector, confirm it spins
Er6, ER13No signal from the auger motorER13: reseat the connector, check for a jam. Er6: replace the motor
Er7, Auger OvercurrentAuger jammed, almost always wet pelletsEmpty the hopper, run the clear-auger routine
ER44Woodridge could not find the network enteredRetry on a 2.4 GHz network

Low temperature codes: LEr and ER02

LEr means Low Error Reading: a non-WiFIRE grill dropped below 125°F for more than 10 minutes and shut down. WiFIRE grills show Error: 0002, ER02 or Low Temp Error at 120°F for the same 10 minutes, after a reignite attempt.

Traeger names the same causes for both: old or wet pellets, an empty hopper, tunneled pellets or an auger jam, a firepot too full of pellets or ash for the hot rod to light, airflow blocked by foil past the drip tray, a tight chimney cap or food packed against the walls, cold or windy weather, and a bad start. WiFIRE grills add outdated firmware.

So unplug, let it cool, and look into the firepot. Empty means fuel never arrived. Overflowing means the fire never caught, often because the last cook was not shut down properly. Ash and sawdust mean the grill needs cleaning first, hopper bottom included, since sawdust rides the auger into the firepot. A grill that stays lit but runs cool or wanders is covered in pellet grill temperature swings.

High temperature codes: HEr and ER01

HEr means High Error Reading: the grill passed 550°F and shut off. WiFIRE grills show Error: 0001, ER01 or High Temp Error at the same point and start a special cool-down. Traeger's most common cause is a grease fire in a dirty grill. The rest of its list: an incomplete shutdown that left a full firepot to light at once, a heat baffle or drip tray installed wrong, wind into a downdraft exhaust, and running 500°F with a sear grate when Traeger recommends 475°F.

What to do during a grill fire belongs to Traeger's Grill Fires support page. Read it before the first cook, not during one. A HEr before the grill reaches 550°F is a sensor problem, and Traeger's answer is to call.

Sensor and probe codes

The RTD is the temperature sensor in non-WiFIRE, Woodridge and Westwood grills. Err, Er1 and 510 mean a bad connection between RTD and controller. Unplug, remove the two controller screws, loosen the green terminal block brackets, and reseat the RTD wires. There is no polarity to get wrong. Er2 means the RTD has failed. ER06 is the WiFIRE version: no sensor signal, usually a loose connector to reseat. On a D2 grill the connector has a + side, and Traeger says to match + peg to + socket.

Meat probe codes ER04 and ER05 are gentler. Reinsert a probe that fell out once it has cooled. For a short circuit, seat the plug flush, rub off tarnish with a dry cloth, then swap probes between jacks: if the error follows the probe, the probe is bad, and if it stays, the controller is.

Fan, ignitor and auger codes

Er4, ER09 and Fan Disconnected mean the controller cannot see the induction fan. Unplug, reseat the fan connector, then watch it through the hopper panel during ignition. Error gone means a loose wire. Error still showing with the fan spinning means the controller. A fan that does not spin needs replacing.

Er3, Er5, ER10 and ER07 are the hot rod family. Traeger says ER10 on a touchscreen grill is almost always firmware older than v.01.04.00, so update first. ER07 means no temperature rise during ignition. Traeger's causes, in order: pellet problems, the lid left open during preheat, a disconnected or worn hot rod, and a tripped GFCI, usually an ignitor buried in ash, which Traeger says means call before doing anything else.

Er6, ER13 and Auger Disconnected mean no position signal from the auger motor: a loose plug, a seized motor or pellet buildup. For Er6 on a non-WiFIRE grill, Traeger skips the reseat and goes straight to a new auger motor, then to Customer Service if the code stays. Er7, Auger Overcurrent and Auger Jam mean something is stuck in the tube, almost always swollen wet pellets. Empty the hopper, discard the pellets, vacuum the firepot, then run the clear-auger routine: Menu, Auger, Clear Auger on D2 grills, or DOWN and IGNITE held together on an older digital controller. If the tube will not clear, the auger has to come out, and Traeger's auger-jam page owns that procedure and its warnings.

How Traeger checks the hot rod, the fan and the auger

Remove the grates, drip tray and heat baffle, ignite, and watch the firepot. The auger should turn in pulses, not continuously, dropping pellets from the tube. The fan should be audible, with air moving over the firepot. It runs constantly on non-WiFIRE grills and cycles on WiFIRE grills, so a pause is normal. The hot rod should put heat you can feel over the firepot. Traeger says the tip need not glow red, runs for five minutes after Ignite and comes back on only if the fire goes out. It should be clean and exposed 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

Whatever is not doing its job: unplug, reseat its plug, ignite again. If that changes nothing, the part is the suspect, and Traeger says to contact Customer Support to confirm and order it.

Shutting down and restarting the right way

Many codes above trace back to a cook that was not shut down properly. Traeger's reasoning: switching off without the shutdown cycle leaves the fire burning and a full firepot for the next start to flare on.

The cycle differs by controller. Digital controller: knob to Shut Down Cycle, lid closed, about 10 minutes until the fan stops. ARC: hold the centre button through OFF and COOL DN, 5 to 15 minutes. D2: hold standby 3 seconds, then 15 to 25 minutes. Touchscreen, Woodridge and Westwood: hold the dial or button 3 seconds and leave the power switch alone until the countdown ends.

A power cycle is not just a restart: off and unplugged, power switch on for 30 seconds, switch off, plug in, power up. On D2 grills restart with the lid closed, and if the hopper ran dry, prime the auger first or the restart fails.

When Traeger tells you to call

Traeger hands you to Customer Support at specific points: Err or Er1 after reseating the RTD wires, any Er2, a HEr before 550°F, a fan, auger or ignitor that still does nothing after reseating its connector, a GFCI that keeps tripping, Westwood auger priming past two minutes, and ER03 when it is not freezing outside. Touchscreen grills built before June 2023 add one: call before opening the hopper panel, whose screws strip without a manual impact driver.

The ER rows are the codes the Woodridge Pro and Westwood show. The Er rows belong to older grills without WiFIRE. Both use an RTD, and on both a disconnected sensor shows as ER06, so Traeger's ER06 page has the panel and connector steps for each.

Common questions

What does LEr mean on a Traeger?
LEr stands for Low Error Reading. It appears on non-WiFIRE Traeger grills with three-digit digital controllers when the grill temperature drops below 125°F for more than 10 minutes, and the grill shuts down. Traeger says a power cycle usually clears it. If it comes back, check the pellets, the firepot, the induction fan, the hot rod and the auger before suspecting a part.
Is ER02 the same thing as LEr?
Same fault, different controller. ER02, Error 0002 and Low Temp Error are the WiFIRE versions, triggered when the grill falls below 120°F for more than 10 minutes. A WiFIRE grill tries to reignite first and only shuts down if that fails. Traeger lists the same causes for both, plus outdated firmware on WiFIRE grills.
Can I keep cooking after a HEr or a high temp error?
Not until the grill is cold and clean. Traeger says a HEr shuts the grill off above 550°F, and a WiFIRE high temp error starts a special cool-down. The most common cause is a grease fire, so Traeger wants a thorough cleaning and a check of the drip tray and heat baffle before the next cook. A HEr that appears before the grill reaches 550°F is a sensor problem and Traeger says to contact support.
How do I clear an auger jam on a WiFIRE Traeger?
Empty the hopper first and discard wet or swollen pellets, since Traeger says they cause almost every jam. Clean the firepot, then run Menu, Auger, Clear Auger. The routine turns the auger backward and forward until you cancel it and can take 15 minutes or more, so have a scoop ready for what it pushes into the firepot. If that fails, the auger has to come out, and Traeger's auger-jam page owns that procedure and its warnings.

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