Why My Z Grill Not Feeding Pellets + How To Fix [Solved]

You just finished assembling your new Z grill and trying to do your initial startup. But the heck is- Z grill not feeding pellets. Don’t be fret! During the first startup, the auger won’t turn on typically, and it’s normal. 

However, your Z grill auger won’t turn if it gets clogged by wet pellets or the auger motor gets defective. And when the auger fails to rotate, the auger fails to feed the pellets into the fire-pot.

And as result, you may also notice the auger making noise. Fortunately, we compile this Z grill troubleshooting guide just for you to solve these issues:

• Z grill not feeding pellets
• Z grill auger not turning

So, keep reading between the lines to discover the solutions to those auger issues. 

Why My Z Grill Not Feeding Pellets

This section will let you know the reasons why the Z grill auger is not turning or not feeding pellets into the fire pot. 

1. It’s Normal When You Startup the Grill For the First Time

It takes a while to get the auger loaded enough with wood pellets during the initial startup. The auger doesn’t typically turn on when you startup it for the first time. You should put a handful of pellets into the fire pot for the initial startup. 

The auger will cycle to add a few pellets to get the fire started without loading the fire pot with wood pellets.

Once it senses that the fire should be started, the auger should turn regularly to feed the pellets to the fire pot. Indeed, it’s normal, especially for the initial startup, if your Z grill is not feeding pellets for a while. 

2. Auger Gets Clogged

Your Z grill auger will not feed pellets if it gets clogged. The auger will get blocked if you use moisten fuel. Humidity in the wood pellets will stick with the auger and not allow it to turn. 

If the auger gets stuck with pellets, it fails to supply wood pellets into the fire pot. Therefore, the auger will get clogged if you put excessive fuel into the hopper. 

No matter what causes the auger to get clogged, you should clear the blockage. We will break down how to clean the auger below in this article.

3. Auger Motor Gets Burnt Out

Due to a jammed auger or some component fault, the auger motor may burn out sometimes. It will often release a burning plastic smell if the auger motor gets burnt out.

We recommend you check the auger motor for visual damage. If the motor gets burnt out, you can find brown discoloration on the motor windings or cables. 

How To Clean Or Replace the Defective Auger Motor on Z Grill?

Either for a jammed auger or a defective auger motor, you should disassemble the grill to fix the auger issue. Below, we will break down how to clean or replace an auger motor on the Z grill. 

• Ensure you turn off the unit and unplug the grill from electric power. 
• Use a plastic cup to bring out every single piece of wood pellet from the hopper. 
• Vacuum out all the pellets so that you can see the auger. 
• Next, head over to pull out the base cover. You can find six screws (three front and three rear). Once you remove those screws, the base cover will drop down.
• Now, use a Phillips screwdriver to pull out the two screws from the controller. Then, gently push and tilt the controller to release it through the hopper hole. 
• Afterward, disassemble the hopper box from the unit by removing the front and rear screws. Now, lift the hopper box up carefully and keep it sideways. 
• Check the fuse for blown out. If the auger motor fails, we bet the fuse gets blown out. You can find the spare fuse is zip-tied to the top of the green box. 
• Cut the white cable tie and remove the fuse from its house. If it gets blown out, get a new fuse from your local electric parts and hardware store. 
• In this stage, cut all the zip ties cable to free all the cables. Find the cable that is labeled as MOT which powers the auger motor. 
• Unplug the cable by holding its connector, not the wire.
• Once you remove the wire, it’s time to release the auger shaft. It should rotate freely. If it gets clogged, you should clean it. We recommend you use the screwdriver to break up the pellets in the auger tube. Also, you should remove the auger shaft and clean it if any wet pellets stick to it. In this way, you can clear the auger jam. 
• Pull out the white plastic bearing by removing the screw on the side of the tube. Now, you can rotate the auger shaft easily to access the black bolt.
• Eliminate the shaft bolt by using the pliers and Allen key.
• Now, replace the defective auger motor with a new one. Make sure you place the auger motor in the right place. Now, do the reverse to put back everything. 
• Connect the auger motor plug into the connector that is labeled as MOT.
• Now, zip ties all the cables and back everything into their places.
• Replace the controller in its place by securing it with two screws. 
• Finally, test the auger motor for operation

FAQ

Why are my pellets not dropping?

Make sure the hopper is filled with wood pellets. If the hopper is empty, a single piece of pellet will drop into the auger tube to get into the fire-pot. 

Why did my pellet grill stop working?

A defective controller, a tripped outlet, and no pellets in the hopper will prevent your pellet grill from functioning. 

Can you use Z Grill without pellets?

No, you can’t use a Z grill without pellets. However, you don’t need to put a lot of wood pellets when compared to gas or charcoal grills. 

Conclusion

Your Z Grill will not supply wood pellets if the auger motor gets jammed or stuck with pellets. Besides, a blown-out auger motor is also responsible for not feeding pellets into the firepot. 

Whether your auger gets clogged, or the motor gets defective, you should disassemble the unit. And above in this guide, we discussed how to clean or replace the auger motor to fix the auger issues. 

However, if you are not mechanically inclined, hire a professional to do this job for you.