Traeger Grill Keeps Shutting Off? Causes and How to Fix It

Quick answer: If your Traeger grill keeps shutting off, the screen tells you which problem it is. An LEr or Low Temp Error means the fire went out, usually from bad pellets, an empty hopper or ash in the firepot. HEr means it got too hot. A completely dark grill is a power problem: a tripped GFCI, a loose cord, or old app or firmware.

Look at the controller before you touch anything else. It’s the fastest clue you’ll get, and when I went through Traeger’s support pages on shutdowns, nearly every fix started from what the screen said.

Traeger’s grills shut down on purpose when the fire dies or runs too hot. That’s a safety feature. Not a breakdown.

In practice, I’d bet on fuel, cleaning or the outlet before any part.

Why It Happens

Here’s what Traeger’s support pages list, roughly most common first.

1. The fire went out. Bad pellets, a hopper that ran dry, or ash smothering the firepot. The grill then throws a low temperature error and stops.
2. Power was cut. A tripped GFCI outlet or breaker, a cord that wasn’t fully seated, or a weak extension cord.
3. Old app or firmware. Traeger says mid-cook shutdowns are most common on grills paired with an Android phone running an old app version.
4. A grease fire or flare-up. Older digital controllers shut off above 550°F and show HEr.
5. Wind. On grills with a downdraft exhaust, strong wind blowing straight in can put the flame out.
6. A part or wire fault. A damp power button, a loose harness, or a component shorting the controller.

Read the Screen First

This is the decision tree I’d follow. Match what you see, then go to that fix.

• Screen shows LEr: The temperature stayed below 125°F for more than 10 minutes on a non-WiFi digital controller. The fire died. Go to Fix 1.
• Screen shows Low Temp Error or ER02: A WiFIRE grill stayed below 120°F for more than 10 minutes, tried to reignite, failed, and ran its shutdown cycle. Go to Fix 1.
• Screen shows HEr: The grill passed 550°F, usually from a grease fire. Go to Fix 3.
• Everything is dark: The grill lost power. Go to Fix 2.
• It turns off the moment you press Ignite: Go to Fix 4.
• A touchscreen grill only stays on while you hold the power button: Go to Fix 5.

How to Fix It

Fix 1: The Fire Went Out (LEr or Low Temp Error)

Traeger’s first step for an LEr is simple. Power cycle the grill and see if it clears.

If it clears, the cause was probably outside the grill, like pellets or cleaning. If it comes back after a second power cycle, something needs a closer look. Either way, don’t skip the cool-down before you open it up.

1. Pull the grates, drip tray and heat baffle, and look in the firepot.
2. Firepot empty? The pellets ran out, tunneled in the hopper, or the auger jammed. On a brand-new grill, the auger may never have been primed.
3. Firepot overfull? The fire got smothered. Scoop the pellets out and vacuum the ash and sawdust.
4. Firepot full of ash or dust? Vacuum it, then empty the hopper and vacuum the sawdust at the bottom so it stops feeding through.
5. Check pellet quality. Good pellets are shiny and snap cleanly. Dull or swollen ones won’t light well.
6. Refill, prime the auger, and restart with the correct startup. On D2 WiFIRE grills that means lid closed, set the temperature, then press Ignite.

Ran out of pellets mid-cook? Traeger says to refill right away if the grill is still at temperature, and expect a short dip while pellets work through the auger. If it already shut down, let it cool, clear an overfull firepot, prime the auger and restart.

Then deal with the root cause. My take: this is where most repeat shutdowns end.

Clean the grill at least every 20 hours of cook time, store pellets dry, and always let the shutdown cycle finish. For the full list of heat problems that lead to these errors, see why a Traeger is not heating up.

Fix 2: The Grill Lost Power

Traeger calls a loose cord or a tripped outlet the most common reason a grill powers off mid-cook. I’d check these in order:

1. Did the house power blink, or did a breaker trip?
2. Is it a GFCI outlet? Press the reset button.
3. Push the power cord firmly into the grill. Traeger says detachable cords can need more force than you’d expect to seat fully.
4. Test the outlet with something that pulls real power, like a toaster or hair dryer. A phone charger won’t tell you anything.
5. Using an extension cord? Traeger’s rules are an outdoor-rated cord, at least 14 AWG, with a ground pin, on a GFCI outlet. Try plugging straight into the wall.
6. Traeger says the grill should be on an outlet with a 15A or 20A breaker. If you can, test a different outlet on a different circuit.

If an outlet trips with a toaster plugged in too, the problem is the house wiring. Call a licensed electrician. Don’t keep resetting a GFCI that trips with every appliance.

Then update the Traeger app and the grill firmware. If it still shuts off on the latest versions, Traeger suggests running the grill from the controller instead of the app while you contact support.

Fix 3: HEr or a Grease Fire

HEr is a safety shutoff. It means fire, not failure. Traeger says the most common cause is a grease fire, and it can also follow an LEr from the previous cook, when too many pellets sat in the firepot and lit all at once.

Switch off, unplug, and wait until the barrel is cold to the touch. Then:

• Give it a thorough cleaning, grease included.
• Check that the drip tray and heat baffle are installed correctly and have no rust holes.
• Make sure the temperature sensor isn’t bent against the barrel wall.

If HEr shows up long before the barrel could plausibly reach 550°F, Traeger wants you to call support. That pattern points to a sensor or controller fault rather than a real flare-up.

Fix 4: It Shuts Off When You Press Ignite

Traeger lists four causes. Old firmware, a bad outlet or tripped GFCI, loose wiring, or a faulty part.

Its steps: update the firmware, reset any GFCI, test the outlet with a high-wattage appliance, then power cycle and try again.

If the controller still dies the moment you press Ignite, a part may be shorting it. Traeger’s test is to unplug the grill, disconnect each component from the controller, and reconnect them one at a time until the controller cuts out. I’d only do this if you’re comfortable with wiring, and always with the grill unplugged.

Fix 5: A Touchscreen Grill Won’t Stay On

If the grill only stays on while you hold the power button, Traeger points to moisture or dirt around the button. Wipe it dry, power cycle, and try again.

Snow followed by rain is a known trigger. Odd, but documented.

Traeger suggests removing the button and letting it dry somewhere warm as a temporary fix. If it still won’t latch, the button likely needs replacing.

When to Call a Technician or Traeger Support

Call Traeger Support if any of these happen:

• LEr or Low Temp Error keeps coming back with fresh pellets and a clean firepot.
• HEr appears below 550°F.
• The fan, auger or hot rod won’t run when you test them.
• The power brick light or power switch stays dark or flickers.

And when you find the outlet itself keeps tripping, I’d call an electrician, not Traeger. While you sort it out, Traeger suggests finishing the food in a preheated oven. For more pellet grill guides, see Grills & Smokers.

Why My Traeger Grill Keeps Shutting Off in Wind

Wind is the sneaky one, and I think it’s the cause people blame last. Traeger says that on grills with a downdraft exhaust instead of a chimney, wind stronger than 30 mph blowing directly into the exhaust for more than 10 minutes can put the flame out.

When that happens you may see a Low Temp Error, a flame-out error or even a fan error. The fix is placement: turn the grill so the exhaust faces a wall or sits out of the wind’s path, then restart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Does My Traeger Shut Off in the Middle of a Cook?

Most often the fire went out, which triggers LEr or a Low Temp Error, or the grill lost power at the outlet. Check the screen, then the pellets and firepot, then the cord and GFCI.

What Does LEr Mean on a Traeger?

LEr means Low Error Reading. Traeger says it appears on non-WiFi digital controllers when the grill stays below 125°F for more than 10 minutes, and the grill shuts down the auger, fan and igniter.

Does a Traeger Turn Itself Off Automatically?

Yes, in two cases. It runs a shutdown cycle after a Low Temp Error it can’t recover from, and older digital controllers shut off above 550°F. Woodridge and Westwood grills also go into sleep mode after a normal shutdown.

Can Running Out of Pellets Shut Off a Traeger?

Yes. With no pellets reaching the firepot, the fire dies and the grill throws a low temperature error. Refill, clear the firepot if it’s packed, prime the auger and restart.

Is It Safe to Restart a Traeger Right After It Shuts Off?

I’d let it cool and check the firepot first. Restarting on a firepot packed with unburned pellets can cause a big temperature spike or a lid burp when they all light at once.

Last updated: November 10, 2026. Sources: Traeger: WiFIRE Grill Shuts off Mid-Cook, Traeger: LEr Error Code, Traeger: Low Temp Error ER02 and Traeger: HEr Error Code.