Oklahoma Joe ER5 Code: 5 Easy Solutions

If you see the Oklahoma Joe ER5 code come up on your smoker, it means that the unit is out of flame. Oklahoma Joe smokers are designed to go out of flame if the temperature in the cooking chamber goes below 100°F for a while. The most common reasons behind this issue are:

• All the pellets have been used up.
• The auger is jammed.
• The ash cup, or firepot, has been filled to the brim.
• The temperature probe isn’t functioning correctly.
• The igniter never ignited the fire in the first place.

Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through how you can solve each of these problems in this guide. Furthermore, you’ll also get an idea of how to solve other Oklahoma Joe error codes in this guide. So, let’s dive in!

Oklahoma Joe ER5 Code [5 Correct Solutions]

In this section, you’ll learn about all the main solutions to the Er5 code on Oklahoma Joe smoker.

i) The Unit Is Out Of Pellets

Pellets are the fuel source of many OJ pellet smokers. It’s obvious that the smoker will not keep on burning if it has run out of pellets. Thankfully, this problem is very easy to fix.

How To Fix:

Look at the pellet hopper where you put the pellets and see if there are pellets remaining there. If you don’t see any pellets, it means that the unit no longer has pellets.

You can refill the pellets and try to use the smoker again. Hopefully, that’ll solve the issue for you. If the pellets were not empty, there was likely another problem behind this code. You’ll have to keep diagnosing in that case.

ii) Excessive Ash Buildup

If ashes have settled on the firepot, they can cover up the igniter. So, it’ll no longer be able to burn the pellets and the unit will eventually go out of fire.

You need to check for the buildup of ashes in the firepot to know if this is the reason why your smoker is showing the ER5 code.

How To Fix:

You need to check and clean two things to solve this problem: the firepot and the ash cup. Once you’ve made sure that both of them are cleaned out and in order, you can continue using the smoker again.

i) Checking And Cleaning The Firepot

First of all, shut off the smoker and give it some time to cool down for a while. Doing so will prevent you from getting into any accidents. Then, take off the grates at the center and remove the baffles as well.

Shift the baffle to “Sear” mode and be on the lookout for unburnt pellets or ash build-up in the firepot. Use a screwdriver to move the debris from the bottom of the firepot. Then, you can put the baffles and the grates back together.

ii) Checking And Cleaning The Ash Cup

The ash cup is located at the bottom of your smoker, under the firepot. It’s very easy to spot and remove.  You can turn it by hand to separate it from the smoker and get rid of the ashes in it.

While the ash cup is removed, get as much dirt as you can out from the steel part in the smoker that holds the ash cup. Once again, you can use a screwdriver for this job and make the firepot clean. I hope that cleaning the firepot and the ash cup will solve the problem for you.

iii) Auger Jam

If you’ve already checked the first things, you should check your unit for an auger jam next. A common reason behind the ER5 error code on Oklahoma Joe smoker is when the auger is trapped and can’t move.

The auger transfers the pellets to the firepot at a regulated speed so that the smoker can keep on burning. So, when the auger can’t operate properly, it’ll stop feeding pellets to the firepot, and the smoker will show the code.

So, you need to check if the auger in your unit is jammed. You can do it by following these steps:

• Get rid of enough pellets from the hopper so that you have a clear vision of the auger and can easily watch how it moves.
• Turn the movement of the auger to high and see if it moves.
• Keep in mind that the auger starts to turn right away after a few seconds, and then it’ll stop the movement for around 90 seconds.
• Then it’ll start to spin like it normally does.

If you see such a movement, then an auger jam is not an issue in your case. However, if you don’t see the auger moving even after waiting for it for a few minutes, it’s highly likely that the auger is jammed.

How To Fix:

You’ll have to clear the auger jam to solve this problem. It does take a bit of know-how, and you should have some experience working with smokers if you want to do it yourself. Otherwise, you can contact Oklahoma Joe Support, and they’ll send the right person to help you with your issue.

How To Clear An Oklahoma Joe Auger Jam?

I’ll explain the steps as easily as I can so that you can follow along. So, here’s what you should do to clear an auger jam:

1. Unplug the smoker or the grill if it’s connected to a power outlet, and wait for it to cool down if you’ve been using it recently. Take out the wiring racks and the grates on the center and the left-hand side.
2. You’ll find a grease tent on the left-hand side. You have to remove it. There are about four screws in that area that hold the auger assembly securely in place. Remove the screws and open up the auger assembly.
3. Once you have access to the auger tube, use a vacuum or a screwdriver to get as many pellets out as you can.
4. Clear the tools and your hands from the auger tube, and test the auger again. If it moves following the regular pattern, you’ve successfully cleared the jam.
5. Restore the components you took out by reverse-engineering the process, and you’re all done here.

Remember that an auger jam can happen for several reasons. The most likely reason is using damp or moist pellets. They’re not going to burn effectively and make it hard for the auger to push them to the firepot.

Leaving pellets in the smoker or grill after using them can also cause this issue, as they can be damaged when they’re out for so long. Run the shutdown process properly so that your auger stays free all the time and you won’t have to deal with this problem again in the future.

iv) Faulty Temperature Probe

If there are no issues with the auger motor, you should look into the temperature probe next. If it’s faulty, it won’t be reading the correct temperature inside the firepot.

So, it won’t signal the control system that the heating is still active. A faulty temperature sensor can also show a lower reading than the real one. Over time, the control system will think that the temperature has been low for a while. That’ll pop up the ER5 error code.

Thankfully, checking whether the temperature probe sensor is functioning properly or not isn’t a big deal. You can do it by following these steps:

1. Empty the pellets from the hopper completely and set the grill to the H1 setting.
2. Let the preheat cycle complete and you’ll see the reading in the pit control system change to “PRE”.

3. Start a fire using a lighter and direct the heat to the internal temperature sensor’s tip at the left side center heat baffle.
4. Check if the temperature reading in the Pit control screen increases after a while. If the temperature still doesn’t rise, there’s a strong chance that the temperature sensor is faulty.

How To Fix:

If the temperature doesn’t rise, check the wiring connections first. Turn off the grill and unplug it. Then, remove the pit control panel and check the wires. If the wires are loose, then reconnect them tightly and test the temperature probe sensor once again.

If it works, you’ve solved the problem. But if the wires weren’t loose and tightening them didn’t work, the temperature probe sensor is most likely at fault. In that case, you’ll have to replace it.

I recommend contacting OJ customer support and having them send a replacement part. Then, you can replace it with the old one and I hope that’ll be the right Oklahoma Joe ER5 code fix for you.

v) Bad Ignitor

The last thing you should check if you’re getting the Oklahoma Joe error code 5 is the ignitor. If the ignitor doesn’t ignite and light the fire, the smoker will go out of heat. So, you have to check the ignitor and see if it’s working properly. Follow these steps to check the ignitor:

1. Turn off the power of the smoker and wait for the heater to cool down if you’ve been using it recently.
2. Remove the grates and baffles, turn the power back on, and run the smoker on low settings for a few minutes.
3. Inspect the bottom of the firepot and look at the color of the ignitor.

If the ignitor glows red, then it’s working perfectly fine, and the issue is something else. But if the igniter doesn’t change color, the first possibility is that the wiring connections are loose.

Tighten all the loose wires, and retry the process again. If the ignitor still doesn’t glow red, it’s certainly faulty.

How To Fix:

If the igniter is bad, you’ll have to replace it. You can follow these steps to replace the igniter on your own:

• Remove the ash buildup in your heater and get rid of all the pellets and dirt in the firepot.
• Remove the front lever and the screws that hold the igniter in place.
• You’ll have to remove a lot more screws to eventually isolate the igniter.
• Then, you can replace it with a new one and restore the components you removed to complete the job.

It’s understandable if you need more detailed instructions on replacing the igniter. I’ve gone through this process in a lot more detail in my solving the ER2 code in the OJ smoker guide. You’ll find a dedicated section on replacing the ignitor there.

Follow it to the T, and you’ll be able to replace the igniter on your own. However, if you’re not comfortable doing it on your own and are unsure whether you’ll be able to do it properly, you can get in touch with OJ customer support. They’ll send a qualified technician to help you with your problem.

FAQs:

Conclusion:

How to fix the Oklahoma Joe ER5 code? Now, you know all about the five reasons and how you can solve each of them. Based on my experience, the unit usually runs out of pellets or has an auger jam.

If it’s the pellets, you can just load them up again and that’ll solve the issue. But it’ll take a lot more work if there’s an auger jam. Hopefully, it’ll be an easy issue that you can easily fix. Check out my guide on troubleshooting an Oklahoma Joe pellet grill if you’re facing any issues with it.