Oklahoma Joe Pellet Grill Troubleshooting [5 Easy Steps]

In this Oklahoma Joe pellet grill troubleshooting guide, you’ll learn how you can check the following things:

1. Make sure there are pellets in the hopper.
2. Checking for ash buildup and clearing them.
3. Inspecting the auger and removing the auger jam.
4. Checking the temperature probe.
5. Inspecting the ignitor.

Apart from that, Oklahoma Joe rider DLX problems can also come up in the form of error codes. I’ll walk you through how you can solve each of them in this detailed guide. So, let’s dive in!

Oklahoma Joe Pellet Grill Troubleshooting [5 Easy Steps]

If your Oklahoma Joe pellet grill isn’t heating up or smoking properly, you have to come to the right place. This is a proper step-by-step guide you can use to troubleshoot your grill. Let’s go through them one by one.

01. Check Hopper For Pellets

When you run out of pellets, the grill will no longer be able to produce any heat. So before starting a cook, always make sure that you have enough pellets to carry out the entire cook. Especially if it’s going to be an overnight cook.

If you’ve run out of pellets or predict that you’ll soon run out of them, refill them. If they are emptied out in the middle of a cook, your food can easily be ruined, and you’ll have to redo it.

02. Check For Ash Build-Up

If there is nothing wrong with the supply of pellets, the next thing you need to do is check for ash buildup. Ashes that don’t get drained can end up clogging the system. The ignitor can get covered up, and it won’t be able to burn the pellets required for the cook.

The two parts that you’ll be mostly concerned with to prevent ash buildup issues are the firepot and the ash cup. You have to clean the firepot and get rid of the ashes by removing the ash cup.

Before checking the firepot, make sure you allow the grill to cool down. Otherwise, you may end up hurting yourself. If there are a lot of ashes there, you can tap the firepot with a screwdriver to shake the debris to the bottom.

You’ll also be able to see how much of the ash cup is filled from the top. Check if you can get a good look at the ignitor. If the level of ashes is already covering the ignitor or close to it, you need to get rid of the ashes. Open the ash cap from the bottom and discard the ashes.

03. Check The Auger

The next thing you should be on the lookout for is an auger jam. The main reason why the auger could be jammed is because it uses damp or low-quality pellets. If you leave pellets in the system in between cooks without running down the shutdown process properly, this will continue to be an issue.

But how can you tell if your auger is jammed? Here are the steps you can follow to diagnose this potential issue:

1. Get rid of the pellets through the quickdraw hopper. You should drain them enough to have a clear look at the auger.
2. Turn the pellet grill on and set it to ‘High”.
3. The drill should start operating and move for a while if you do that under normal operation. Then, it will pause for one and a half minutes and continue running normally again.

If you don’t see any auger movement even after a while, the auger may be jammed. When that happens, it will no longer feed pellets into the hopper. So, you’d have to clean that out.

How To Clear An Auger Jam?

The right system to clean an auger jam depends on what caused it in the first place. If it’s a minor auger jam, you can clean it with the shake method. However, if it’s a more serious jam, you’ll have to use the snake method. Let’s look into both of them in detail.

Method 01 – Shake Method Of Clearing Auger Jam

To ensure your safety, unplug the grill and make sure it has no power. Then, you’ll have to remove the steel guard that’s used for protection. You can do it by removing the four screws that hold it in place.

Next, slide the auger along with the line of the auger tube in both forward and backward directions in quick succession. The idea is to break the jam by doing that. Get your hands and the tools away from the auger, and restore the power supply to the pellet grill.

If the method works, the auger will start when you set the grill to high, like I have shown you before. If you still don’t see it moving, that means your problem remains, and you’ll have to try harder to solve it.

Method 02 – Snake Method Of Clearing Auger Jam

If the shake method doesn’t quite do the trick, you need to look into the snake method. After unplugging the grill, you’d have to take off different components, such as the baffles, grates, and warming racks.

Then, adjust the heat baffle to SEAR mode. Next, get a heavy-gauge wire and slide it into the firepot side opening of the auger tube. You’ll have to try to break the jam using that wire.

After removing the wire carefully, you can check whether it worked by turning on the grill and setting it to high. If the jam has cleared, then you’re all done. Just reassemble the grill to its original condition and enjoy your future cooks.

However, it’s possible that the auger jam is persistent and both of these methods didn’t work. In that case, the auger itself will likely have to be removed from the grill to clear the jam. As it’s a risky job, I recommend you get in touch with customer support in that situation.

If there’s no jam in the auger, you have to check the auger motor next. The process of checking it is the same as you saw in the last section. The only difference is that you’ve already made sure that there’s no jam.

If jam isn’t the issue, your auger motor has likely malfunctioned. You have to remove the control panel and tighten the connection to the auger motor. If the issue remains, you’ll have to get it replaced.

04. Check The Temperature Probe

The next thing you should check to see if all’s well with the auger is the temperature probe in your pellet grill. You can run a test to see if it’s malfunctioning. Here are the steps you can follow to inspect whether the temperature probe is okay:

1. Empty the pellets from the hopper, turn on the grill, and set it on the “Low” mode.
2. Allow the preheat cycle to continue until you see a temperature come up on the screen.
3. If the temperature rises, your temperature probe is fine. If it doesn’t, that means something is wrong with it.

The first thing you can do to fix it is tighten the wiring connections and repeat the test. If the temperature still doesn’t rise, the temperature probe is most likely faulty. It’ll have to be replaced to solve the issue.

05. Check The Ignitor

The last thing you should check in this general troubleshooting guide is the ignitor if you’ve made sure that everything else is okay in your pellet grill. You can follow these steps to test if the ignitor is working correctly:

1. Take out the racks, baffles, and grates of the grill.
2. Shift the heat baffle to Sear mode.
3. Set the knob to the “Low” settings and let it run for 3–4 minutes.
4. Take a look at the bottom of the wire and see if it’s red.

If it’s red, your ignitor is okay, and there are likely no major issues with your grill. However, if it doesn’t turn red and the ignitor still doesn’t light or ignite, either the wiring connection is loose or the ignitor is faulty.

Open the control panel of your grill by removing the four screws and tightening the wiring connection. Rerun the test. If the ignitor still doesn’t work, it’s likely faulty, and you’ll have to get in touch with customer support to replace it.

Oklahoma Joe’s Pellet Grill [Error Codes Solution]

Apart from the general Oklahoma Joe troubleshooting guide, you may also find yourself in situations where an error code pops up. Don’t worry, I got you, and I’ll show you how to deal with them. Here are the most common Oklahoma Joe pellet grill error codes along with their solutions:

i) ER0 Error Code

It indicates that the control knob isn’t in the right position. The main reason behind this is not following the correct guidelines when turning on the pellet grill. If you don’t set the knob to the Off or Shutdown position, you’ll see this error code.

How To Fix:

It’s really easy to solve this problem. First of all, turn the power off to the grill. Then, set the knob to the Off or Shutdown position. After you do that, turn the power on, and that’ll clear the error code.

ii) ER1 Error Code

This is a more serious error code, as it comes up when there are issues with the auger. The main reason behind it is when the system fails to detect the auger or the auger motor doesn’t function properly.

How To Fix:

If the system doesn’t detect the auger, it usually happens due to a loose connection. You can easily fix that issue on your own. Firstly, turn off the power to the grill. Then, remove the four screws that hold the control panel in place. Then you have to tighten the connection.

You can do it by detaching and reattaching the connector and making sure that it’s tight this time. Once you do that, reassemble the control panel by attaching the screws.

Hopefully, the error code will go away by now. If it still remains, that most likely means the auger is malfunctioning and it’ll have to be replaced. So, you have to contact Oklahoma Joe’s customer service unless you know how to do the replacement job yourself.

iii) ER2 Error Code

There is a lot of similarity in the Oklahoma Joe pellet grill troubleshooting codes from ER1-ER4. They come up when the system fails to detect a component or the part in question has gone bad.

In the case of ER1, it was the auger. In the case of the Oklahoma Joe ER2 error code, the issue lies with the ignitor. The other possibility behind the error code is that the control board can no longer detect the ignitor or that it has gone bad.

How To Fix:

Turn off the power to the pellet grill and unplug it. Remove the control panel and tighten the ignitor connector. Restart the grill and see if the problem goes away. If it still remains, contact customer support for an ignitor replacement.

iv) ER3 Error Code

It is also known as the combustion error code, and it comes up when there are issues with the fan. Either the fan has malfunctioned or the system is no longer able to detect the fan.

How To Fix:

Make sure the power supply to the pellet grill is cut off, and remove the control panel. Tighten the connector of the fan and double-check that the wires aren’t damaged. If everything seems good, reconnect the control panel and restart your pellet grill.

If it works well and the error code goes away, you’ve just solved the problem. But if it still remains, it means that the fan has most likely malfunctioned. You’ll have to get in touch with customer support to fix this issue.

v) ER4 Error Code

This is also a similar error code to the previous ones, where the unit usually fails to detect a component. In the case of ER4, it means that the pit control system isn’t finding the temperature probe. It’s also possible that it’s getting an abnormal signal from the temperature probe or that it’s malfunctioning.

How To Fix:

Just like the previous codes, you’ll have to turn off the power to the grill and remove the control panel by removing the screws. Then, check the wiring of the temperature probe and make sure it’s not damaged.

Remove the connector and attach it again to make sure that it has a tight connection. Reassemble the control panel and restore power to the pellet grill. See if the error code goes away.

If the error code remains even after making a tight connection, the temperature probe is most likely faulty. You can clean the part of the temperature probe that sticks out with a paper towel and see if that solves the issue.

If it works, that’s great, and you’ve solved the error code. But if the code persists, you’ll have to replace it with a new one. If you don’t know how to do that, contact Oklahoma Joe’s customer support team.

vi) ER5 Error Code

From my experience with Oklahoma Joe’s pellet grills, I can tell you that this is by far the most common error code you can encounter. The Oklahoma Joe ER5 error code means that there is no flame in the combustion chamber.

This code gets triggered when the temperature stays below 100°F inside the pellet grill for a while. The most common reason behind it is running out of pellets. Since pellets are the fuel for cooking, it’s obvious that the pellet grill won’t be able to function without them. 

The other causes behind this code include too much ash build-up or an auger jam. On top of that, a faulty ignitor or temperature probe can also cause this error code in an Oklahoma Joe’s pellet grill.

How To Fix:

Thankfully, this error code is incredibly easy to fix. Once you know the right reason why the error code came up, you can take corrective action to make it disappear.

If the pellet grill is out of pellets, you just need to restore them. If there’s too much ash buildup, you have to remove them. The ash cup is located at the bottom of the grill. You need to open it and remove the residue.

An auger jam can also cause this issue. Using pellets that are not fully dry or crumbling can lead to this jam. Not running the shutdown process properly is also a common reason why this happens.

You should revisit the section on checking the auger if this error code has come up on your grill. I’ve shared the details on how you can diagnose the issue. If there is an auger jam, you’ll also see how you can fix it using the two methods I described. Hopefully, that’ll solve the error code in your pellet grill.

You’ll most likely be able to prevent this error code in the first place if you take good care of your grill. I recommend cleaning it after every long cook to make sure that there’s no unwanted build-up of items in there.

If the auger is okay, the fault could lie with the ignitor and the temperature probe. In that case, you have to start by tightening the connectors. If that doesn’t work, you’d have to replace the faulty component.

vii) ER6 Error Code

It is the exact opposite of the ER5 error code. While ER5 meant no flame detected, the error code ER6 comes up when the system is overheating. When the pit control system detects that the grill has been overheating for a while, you can see this code.

The main reason why it happens is that you are not cleaning your grill enough. If there’s too much grease buildup from the last cook, they can catch fire. So, the grill can be too hot from the inside and easily overheat.

Apart from that, excessive fuel inside the firepot or a faulty temperature probe can also lead to this issue.

How To Fix:

If you notice this error code come up on your grill, the first thing you have to do is turn it off. Then, close the grill lid, wait for it to cool down, and don’t touch it until then.

Once the grill has had time to cool down, you have to clean the grill to fix this issue. Remove the ash cap, and make sure that you get rid of the ashes. Take off the grates and heat baffle.

Inspect the firepot to make sure that it’s empty. If there’s stuff inside it, you can use a vacuum to clear the dirt in there. Finally, clean the bottom of the cooking chamber and remove all the blockage of grease.

Once you’re happy with the cleaning job, reassemble the grill and restart it. Hopefully, the error code will go away once you do these things. If it still remains, the temperature probe may have to be replaced. Call the support team for assistance in that case.

viii) ER7 Error Code

The ER7 error code is similar to the ER4 error code. The ER4 error code refers to the main temperature probe. On the contrary, ER7 indicates that there are issues with the grilling temperature probe.

It’s located in the area of the grill used for searing. If it gets dirty or starts to malfunction, the ER7 error code will come up. On top of that, it’ll also come up if the wiring connection gets loose or damaged.

How To Fix:

Firstly, turn off the power to the grill and remove the pit control panel. Then, tighten the connection to the grill temperature probe. Then, look at it to inspect its condition. If it’s dirty, clean it.

Reassemble the grill back to its original condition and turn it back on. If the error code goes away, you’ve solved the problem. If it remains, the probe needs to be replaced. In that case, you’ll have to get it replaced.

ix) 18H Error Code

This error code represents that you’ve left the unit unattended for a long period of time. I don’t know how long you have to not use the trigger to make the control panel trigger the error code.

I have done many long cooks, some of which have even lasted up to 20 hours. I didn’t do anything or even adjust the temperature settings. Yet, this code never came up for me. Even in the user manual of Oklahoma Joe’s, they don’t specify how long the grill has to be inactive for this code to come on.

How To Fix:

This is an error code that’s not serious at all and very easy to fix. You can follow these steps to get it to go away:

1. Turn off the power to the grill.
2. Set the knob to the Off or Shutdown position.
3. Turn on the power.

That should be enough to fix the error code. The main problem with this error code is if the grill goes inactive in the middle of cooking. So, if you’re cooking for more than 20 hours, then I’d suggest checking in once in a while to prevent this error code. Otherwise, you’ll be fine.

How To Clean The Oklahoma Joe Pellet Grill?

Keeping the pellet grill clean is an important step if you want to make sure that it works well in the long run. There are many things you should keep in mind when cleaning your pellet grill. Let’s look at all of them

Step 01 – Dumping The Ashes

The easiest clean-up job you have to do after every cook is getting rid of the ashes. If you don’t get rid of the ashes, they’ll pile up in the firepot and prevent the ignitor from coming on.

One of the main reasons behind the Oklahoma Joe pellet grill not heating up or starting is that the build-up of ashes prevents it. You can remove the ashes by unscrewing the ash cup at the bottom of the grill and dumping them outside.

Step 02 – Cleaning The Grates

You can clean the grates of the grill using a grill brush. I recommend doing all the adjustable grates on the top and bottom sides. Once you’re done cleaning the extra cooking grills, you can remove them one by one.

Then, you’ll get to the main cooking grate at the center, which looks like a circle. Repeat the same process and clean it with the grill brush. Similarly, clean the grates on the right and left sides of the central grill.

Then, you can remove them as well. You’ll have access to the cover plate at this stage. Pull it out and isolate it from the grill. You can clean it with the grill brush and get as much of the gunk as you can out of it. Cleaning the cover plate is important to ensure good airflow for your future cooks.

Step 03 – Cleaning Inside The Grill

After cleaning the grates and the cover plate, you’ll have to clean the inside of the grill. Don’t use a garden hose to clean the insides, as it’ll lead to a lot of unwanted moisture. So, you’re better off avoiding that.

Instead, a much better way to solve this issue is by vacuuming the grill. A word of advice for you is to refrain from using regular vacuum cleaners for your Oklahoma Joe pellet grill.

The ashes inside the pellet grills can destroy a normal vacuum cleaner. They can get into the filters of the vacuum cleaner and clog them up. Besides, it can also ruin the motor of the cleaner and destroy it completely.

The solution is to invest in vacuum cleaners that are designated for use in fireplaces. Yes, there are special-purpose vacuum cleaners for this job, and I recommend you get one of them as you’ll have to clean the grill a lot of times.

Adjust the unit to sear mode so that it opens up access to the firepot. You can get most of the ash out of the firepot by doing that when you start vacuuming the grill. You can vacuum the pellet grill and finish the job.

However, if you want to clean it further, the stationary and rotating chambers can also be removed. That’ll ensure better cleaning inside the firepot. But I’m not going to discuss that as it’s more advanced and you may have trouble putting the grill back together later on.

Step 04 – Reassemble The Grill And Take Preventive Measures.

Finally, when you’re done cleaning the grill, you can reassemble it by reverse-engineering the steps you took to get to this point. Once you put it back together, you can spray some canola oil on the grates of the grill.

Canola oil has a high boiling point, and it’ll prevent the buildup of grease in the grill. After thoroughly spraying the grates and surfaces of the grill with canola oil, turn the heater on. Then, smoke it at around 200 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes.

Doing so will allow the oil to seep into the different parts of the grill and protect the inside. That’s all you have to do to keep your grill clean. Besides that, remember to season your grill before each cook, as it’ll prolong the life of the grill by a significant margin.

How To Run The Shutdown Cycle Properly?

By now, you should have realized that shutting down your pellet grill properly after each and every use is very important. It can prevent many problems from coming up in your grill. Here are the steps you should follow to make sure you do it correctly:

Turn the knob to the Shutdown position once you’ve completed the cooking.

1. The shutdown process will get activated in a few seconds, and you’ll know when it starts because the control screen will flash the message “DRN HOP”.
2. Drain the pellets that are remaining in the hopper.
3. The panel screen will then flash the message “Coo-ling” which means that the grill has started the shutdown burn and the cooling process.
4. It’ll burn the remaining pellets in the auger tube and make sure the system is clean for future use.
5. The total process can take as long as half an hour, and the grill will turn itself off when the process has been completed.
6. When the grill becomes cool, you can remove its connection from the power outlet.

How To Use Oklahoma Joe Pellet Grill Correctly?

If you want to avoid issues with your OJ pellet grill, you have to know how to use it correctly. Here are some detailed instructions on how you can go about using it, including your first start-up when using the grill.

Step 01- Inspecting The Pellet Grill

You should run this inspection before your first cook and, ideally, before every cook. But let’s be honest—you may not always have the time for that. So, try to do it as often as you can. The goal is to observe the key components of the grill and see if they’re working properly.

Remove the racks, grates, and baffles of the grill. Plug the grill into a power outlet and turn it on. Adjust the control knob to the “Low Setting” and let it run. Peek at the hopper and make sure the auger is running properly. If it turns, that means it’s working fine.

Take a look at the blower fan next. You can listen to it when it gets activated. You’ll also feel the air moving when it’s working.

Look at the ignitor next to see if it’s okay. If it’s glowing inside the firepot, it’s working well. Give it up to five minutes for the ignitor to get to that state. Finally, check if the ash cup is secured tightly. After checking all these things, you can shut down the grill.

Step 02- Seasoning The Pellet Grill

It’s a very good habit to season the grill if you want to get the most flavor from your cooks. It’ll also burn off any residues and keep the grill surfaces clean. The process is simple. You can follow these steps to do it:

1. Fill the hopper with pellets. The OJ grill can handle as much as 20 lbs in the hopper, and that’s more than enough for an overnight cook.
2. Make sure the lid of the grill is closed and shift the heat baffle to sear mode.
3. Then, turn on the power of the grill and run it at a low setting. You have to wait for a while for the auger to fill up and get to the firepot.
4. Once you see a puff of smoke and the grill starts to burn clean, you can start preheating the grill by setting your desired temperature.
5. You’ll see the letters PRE on the control panel when the preheating mode has started. Wait for the temperature to rise, and it may take up to 30 minutes.

That’s how to season an Oklahoma Joe pellet grill. Once the preheat cycle has completed, you’re all set to cook your favorite meals.

Step 03 – Cook Using The Grill

Once the temperature is set and the seasoning is complete, you want to add the food you want to cook on the grill. I’ve used OJ pellet grills many times, and I can tell you that they tend to go a bit beyond the temperature you set.

The difference isn’t anything major. But if you’re looking to do an overnight cook, set the temperature on the lower end. Apart from that, there’s not really much to the cooking. It’ll do it on its own.

Step 04 – Shutting Down The Grill

You have to make sure that you follow the proper shutdown cycle so that the grill stays healthy in the long run. I’ve already covered how you can do it in detail in an earlier section. Make sure you follow the instructions thoroughly and follow the shutdown cycle after every cook.

How To Solve Oklahoma Joe Pellet Grill Tripping Breaker?

If your OJ pellet grill is tripping the breaker of the GFCI outlet, the first thing you need to consider is whether the outlet itself has gone bad. You can do it by checking the outlet with a multimeter. If it’s the outlet that has malfunctioned, you need to replace it with a new one.

There’s also the possibility that the outlet you’re using doesn’t have the proper amperage to support the pellet grill. In that case, you’ll have to replace the power outlet with a higher amperage one.

Hopefully, one of these solutions will do the trick for you, and you’ll be able to cook without any issues. However, if the breaker continues to trip, get in touch with OJ customer support and ask them for help.

How To Control Heat On Oklahoma Joe Pellet Grill?

Controlling the heat and switching between the sear and smoke modes is really easy to do on an OJ pellet grill. There’s a heat baffle inside the cooking chamber that allows the grill to switch instantly between sear and smoke.

You’ll find a lever in front of the pellet grill that you can turn to switch quickly between the two modes. During Sear mode, the heat baffle stays open, and it stays closed when you switch to Smoke mode.

As for controlling the heat, you can easily do it by adjusting the control knob near the control panel. You can increase or decrease the temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit using that knob.

The pellet grill won’t need any further assistance after you’ve set the grill to the desired temperature. It’s designed to maintain that temperature without any wide fluctuations.

However, there are guidance tools on the grill to assist you in your cooking. You can cook using the timer mode. As the name suggests, you’ll be able to set a countdown timer, and you’ll be alerted when that time is up.

On top of that, you can also cook in temperature probe mode. Two additional temperature probes come with the OJ grills that you can stick in the meat you’re cooking. Then, you can monitor the internal temperature using that, and you’ll be alerted when the desired temperature is reached.

How To Prevent Grease Build-Up In Oklahoma Joe Pellet Grill?

When doing low-temperature cooking, the probability of grease buildup on the heat baffles goes up a lot. You can minimize that by running a high heat burn-off after every two to three slow cooking sessions.

The process of doing it is quite simple. All you have to do is turn the pellet grill to the high setting for about 20 minutes after you’ve done smoking. It’ll burn off and vaporize the grease before letting it set on the heat baffles.

FAQs:

Conclusion

Now, you know how you can solve certain problems in your grill using this Oklahoma Joe pellet grill troubleshooting guide. Make sure you follow them sequentially to detect where the problem lies.

You also know how to solve the most common Oklahoma Joe rider DLX error codes if they come up. Hopefully, the issue that you’re facing will be easy to fix. If not and you need to get a component replaced, contact their team for help.