Why Does My Traeger Keep Shutting Off + How To Fix [Solved]

You have an older Traeger or maybe a new one. It worked and served you for a long time and allowed you to cook some juicy and smoky food. Recently, your Traeger grill shuts off while cooking at 225. Or sometimes you may find your Traeger won’t turn on at all.

traeger keep shutting off

To fix this issue, you turn off your smoker and turn it on again. Then, it works fine. But the problem returns, and your Traeger keeps turning off.

So, you go nuts and ask- why does my Traeger keep shutting off when igniting? 

Error message LEr, a defective controller, tripped outlet, and issues with the hot rod are some caveats that keep the Traeger grill turning off during cooking foods. To know how to fix these problems, continue to read. 

Why Does My Traeger Keep Shutting Off [7 Reasons To Fix]

Don’t know why Traeger keeps shutting off. Below, we described the common reasons that stop your favorite smoker from turning on. 

1. Traeger Shows This Error Message: LEr

Your Traeger Grill displays this error message LEr. It means the temperature of your Traeger goes down to 125 degrees for 10 minutes, causing your smoker to shut off. Multiple reasons are working behind this issue. 

traeger grill displays show error message LEr

An empty firepot or its inside has only ash, the firepot is filled to the brim, and RTD temperature sensor gets faulty are the culprits that keep the grill turning off.

Therefore, windy weather, poor-quality pellets, and P-setting adjustment are also responsible for shutting your grill down. 

How To Fix:

First off, turn your Traeger Smoker off, detach it from the electric outlet, and let it cool. Then, check the firepot by removing the cooking grate, drip pan, and heat baffle.

If you find there are no wood pellets in the firepot, fill it with fuel. On the other hand, if your firepot is overloaded with pellets, reduce the fuel from the firepot. 

Secondly, verify that the RTD or thermocouple doesn’t get defective. It may start malfunctioning if the RTD gets bent or broken. In this case, test to see whether the thermocouple reads the ambient grill temperature or not. If not, replace it with a new one. 

The Traeger grill (the small one) struggles to maintain temperature if there is a strong wind. To fix this issue, bring your Traeger to a place where the wind can’t affect cooking. 

Also, make sure you put quality and shiny wood pellets into the firepot. And don’t forget to adjust the P-setting to a lower number if the temperature is low. 

2. Damaged Power Cord

If you find your Traeger won’t turn on or keeps shutting off unexpectedly while cooking, we bet it experiences power issues.

traeger damaged power cord

Your grill or smoker’s power cord may get damaged. If yes, your Traeger will not receive any power, let alone turn it on. 

How To Fix:

Make sure the grill power cord is undamaged and you plug it into an outlet fully. Avoid using an extension cord and plug the power cord into a standard electric outlet. 

3. Tripped Outlet

A tripped outlet is also responsible for not letting your Traeger turn on as it doesn’t deliver the power your smoker needs.

tripped gfi outlet

You can easily understand whether the outlet gets tripped or not by resetting it. Just press the center button and if the button has popped out, know the outlet gets tripped. 

How To Fix:

Replacing the GFI outlet or circuit box will be an easy fix to solve the issue. If you are not inclined with electrical knowledge, consult with a certified electrician to do this task for you. 

4. Traeger Controller Issues

A faulty controller can be the main problem that may stop your Traeger from turning on. Whether the controller gets faulty or not, you can understand it by checking it.

tTraeger controller issues

To do this, unscrew and pull the controller out of your grill. Then, plug it on and turn your smoker on.

Next, take an eye to the corner of your controller for the red light. If it doesn’t light up, the controller is the problem. 

How To Fix:

Changing the existing controller with a new one is the only option if the controller of your Traeger gets defective. You can call Traeger customer service for help. 

5. Defective Hot Rod

A defective hot rod is another culprit that may stop your Traeger from turning on. You can easily tell whether the hot rod of your grill or smoker gets faulty or not.

defective traeger hot rod

Just turn on your Traeger and keep your hand over the firepot. If you feel the heat, it’s fine. Otherwise, there is a problem with your Traeger hot rod. 

You can check out this article to know what causes your Traeger hot rod bad

How To Fix:

Just replace the hot rod and you will be ready to cook with your Traeger. If you don’t know how to replace a hot rod, watch this tutorial. 

6. Fuse Get Blown

Do you fail to turn on your Traeger? Then, check if the fuse within your grill gets faulty or not.

traeger blown fuse

Damaged wires or defective mechanical components are responsible for making the grill fuse blow out. 

How To Fix:

Start with locating the fuse of your Traeger. You can find it on the back of the controller in one of two places- a grey or green box with a lid and a black tube.

Once you figure out the fuse location, inspect every wire thoroughly to check the visual damage on wires. 

Turn your Traeger off and unplug it from the outlet. Then, inspect the power cord, fan wires, auger wires, and hot rod wires.

Unplug every wire one by one and then reconnect it to the specific Molex connector. Next, turn on your Traeger and see whether the fuse pops out or not. If it gets popped out, call Traeger customer service. 

7. Cold Weather

Cold weather can also be the crook that may shut off your Traeger Grill. If the outside weather is freezy, your smoker will fail to reach and hold the proper cooking temperature. 

shut off traeger grill while cooking in cold weather

How To Fix:

Just cover the outside of your grill or smoker with an insulation blanket while grilling in winter. It will keep the inside warm and protect the exterior of the smoker from cold weather.

Indeed, it helps to hold the proper temperature needed for operating your Traeger smoothly. 

How Do You Reset A Traeger Grill?

Follow the below steps to reset your Traeger Grill:

reset your traeger grill
  • On your Traeger Controller, head over to Menu > Setting > About the Grill
  • Press on the IGNITE button and hold it until you can see the Traeger icon
  • Power off your Traeger grill and wait for 5-10 seconds and power on your grill again.

These steps will reset your Traeger WiFire grill. 

Traeger Customer Service

If any of the solutions we mentioned throughout this article don’t work for you, you can reach out to Traeger Customer Service. They will help you by fixing any issue you carry with your Traeger smoker. 

FAQ:

Why does Traeger not ignite after cleaning?

Sometimes an overloaded firepot with wood pellets will be the culprit that could stop your Traeger from turning on. In this case, cleaning the firepot will help to solve the issue. However, if your Traeger won’t ignite after cleaning the firepot, you may experience other issues. For instance, a tripped GFCI on the outlet can cause your Traeger to not ignite. 

Can you leave a Traeger outside in the winter?

No, you can’t leave a Traeger outside in the winter. If you do so, your Traeger fails to hold the ambient temperature you need for cooking the food. 

Why is my smoker not getting up to the temperature?

If you cook in extremely cold weather conditions, your smoker will struggle to hold the ambient temperature you need for smoking food. To solve this issue, just cover your grill with an insulation blanket. 

Do you close the vent on a smoker?

Keeping the vent open will keep your smoker well-ventilated and allow you to cook food evenly. But if the fire gets too hot, you can close the vent.

Why Traeger keep tripping the breaker?

Damaged wires or faulty mechanical components may cause your breaker to trip or blow out. 

Conclusion

We hope you get the answer to this question: why does my Traeger keep shutting off? Internal wire damage, faulty hot rod, tripped outlet, and the blown fuse within your grill are some reasons that stop your Traeger from turning on.

Follow the guideline we mentioned above to fix those issues. And lastly, don’t hesitate to reach Traeger customer service if you fail to solve the Traeger grill issues. 

About William

William is the founder of Fireplacehubs.com. He has real life practical skills in fixing smoker & heating appliance issues. He loves to share his knowledge & helps others in fixing their appliances & saving their money. William firmly believes that anyone can repair his or her unit with the correct guidance & knowledge. See more at about us.

5 thoughts on “Why Does My Traeger Keep Shutting Off + How To Fix [Solved]”

  1. There is an ongoing issue with the timberline 1300 just shutting off during a cook. Extensive troubleshooting has been done and it has been determined that when the grill is connected to the wifi it will just shut off. No cool down, No notification. Traeger has replaced controller, power supply and even a got a brand new grill from the Traeger dealer. It has been over 4 months and there is no resolution and doesn’t seem to be a solution in the works. The Grill was specifically for the app so that it can be monitored even when I am not home. I would have been better buying something for half the price. BEWARE.

    Reply
    • Hi Dave

      Generally, such type of issue can happen due to one or more reasons like an error message LEr, a defective controller, tripped outlet, issues with the hot rod, a blown fuse, or cold weather.

      Well, to fix the problem, first, check all the above-mentioned issues one by one to find out the main culprit behind your smoker’s shutting-off issue.

      Then, fix it following our solution guide in the article.

      Hopefully, your smoker issue will be solved.

      Best of luck!

      Reply
  2. I have replaced both the RTD and Controller… after 2 uses, it still shuts down in the middle of a long smoke… more than once. It is the Tailgater and this is getting frustrating… doing the same thing after changing parts. Followed all trouble shooting guides and still it shuts down.

    Reply
    • Hi Mike

      In such case, it’s worth contacting the manufacturer’s customer support center to inspect your grill to find out the main culprit behind the shutting off issue & fix it.

      Best of luck!

      Reply

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