Runaway Auger ?!?!?!

[Robert208]

I bought a KC Combo this past Friday (4 days ago). I couldn’t wait to try it out from watching just about every BBQ show on Tv and watching countless hours of YouTube. I made a beer can chicken on the day of purchase came out awesome ! 3.5-4 hour smoke with apple pellets then Sunday I smoked two pork Boston butts that also came out AWESOME!! Slight temp fluctuations but nothing crazy and I expected/assumed it was because I was constantly checking them being my first time ever smoking. Totally hooked. Bought a rack of ribs today to smoke after work and turned my smoker on the S setting to warm it up and get started (per manual) then raised temp to 200 and I came back out to the unit maybe 15 minutes later and it was almost at 280 degrees! Fought for hours playing with temps and they were just everywhere from 275 all the way to 350 and I had the temp set to 200-225 back to smoke then back to 200 to see if anything would change ! Called pit boss and the guy suggested a new control board ? AFTER THREE DAYS ?!?!? This can’t be

 

[Mike From R.I.]

Yes, it can be a bad controller, it's electrical, and stuff happens.

 

[Cowboy1955]

Welcome from Texas to the group!
They’ve been having issues with controller’s lately

 

[Robert208]

Welcome from Texas to the group!
They’ve been having issues with controller’s lately

Thank you ! They also sent me instructions to remove the in box temperature probe which I had done already as it is simple. Going to try to clean it today with warm soapy water as the customer support agent suggested. He said to clean that and to empty out my hopper/auger tube and firepot and go ahead and try it again while waiting on the controller and it may work and then I have a spare controller handy just in case. Or else it’s going to be a long few weeks waiting for controller

 

[Robert208]

Yes, it can be a bad controller, it's electrical, and stuff happens.

I know this I work on diesel vehicles upfitted to be an ambulance I run into these issues frequently just a bit disappointed as it’s been used twice and it’s four days old! I’m hoping it’s just a dirty probe or dusty auger ! Will clean up and try again while waiting for the board! Thanks for the reply

 

[hollrusl]

Make sure you’re keeping the fire pit cleaned out. I’ve seen that cause similar issues. My first cook went great. My second did almost exactly what you’re describing. I’ve started cleaning the fire pit out every cook since then and haven’t had that issue again.

 

[Robert208]

Make sure you’re keeping the fire pit cleaned out. I’ve seen that cause similar issues. My first cook went great. My second did almost exactly what you’re describing. I’ve started cleaning the fire pit out every cook since then and haven’t had that issue again.

After my first cook I cleaned the ash tray and wiped the firepot out. At least I thought I cleaned it well.. I even shop vac the ashes out of the main box. Also I forgot to add I noticed ash coming out of the vent stack with the ashes collecting on top of the lid all while the temps were 70-100 over and climbing all over the place!

 

[Robert208]

Make sure you’re keeping the fire pit cleaned out. I’ve seen that cause similar issues. My first cook went great. My second did almost exactly what you’re describing. I’ve started cleaning the fire pit out every cook since then and haven’t had that issue again.

Yours was climbing above 300 on second cook? Even though you had it set to smoke or a lower temp?

 

[Cowboy1955]

Thank you ! They also sent me instructions to remove the in box temperature probe which I had done already as it is simple. Going to try to clean it today with warm soapy water as the customer support agent suggested. He said to clean that and to empty out my hopper/auger tube and firepot and go ahead and try it again while waiting on the controller and it may work and then I have a spare controller handy just in case. Or else it’s going to be a long few weeks waiting for controller

Congratulations!
Hopefully you’ll be all set up

 

[Freedbyjc]

I bought a KC Combo this past Friday (4 days ago). I couldn’t wait to try it out from watching just about every BBQ show on Tv and watching countless hours of YouTube. I made a beer can chicken on the day of purchase came out awesome ! 3.5-4 hour smoke with apple pellets then Sunday I smoked two pork Boston butts that also came out AWESOME!! Slight temp fluctuations but nothing crazy and I expected/assumed it was because I was constantly checking them being my first time ever smoking. Totally hooked. Bought a rack of ribs today to smoke after work and turned my smoker on the S setting to warm it up and get started (per manual) then raised temp to 200 and I came back out to the unit maybe 15 minutes later and it was almost at 280 degrees! Fought for hours playing with temps and they were just everywhere from 275 all the way to 350 and I had the temp set to 200-225 back to smoke then back to 200 to see if anything would change ! Called pit boss and the guy suggested a new control board ? AFTER THREE DAYS ?!?!? This can’t be

Have you checked your new smoker for the PitBoss air gap issue and done the air gap mod to fix it yet?

Air Gap Modification - Models Affected: Austin XL 1000 and Rancher XL 1000, 1000SC, 1000t2, 1000t3, 1000t4, ProSeries 1100, KC Combo, Charleston, PB 500, 1250 and 550 Sportsman, ProSeries 600, ProSeries 1150, 1600 Pro and Elite, and Navigator 550 & 1150 and Laredo 1000.

Unfortunately there is a well known, but easily corrected, design anomaly in some units ... a gap between the bottom of the drip tray and the top of the left side grease tray lip that allows firepot heat to blow directly on the digital temperature probe... it’s causes slower startups, flameouts and other temperature related issues.

Since the firepot heat is blowing directly on the digital temperature probe, It’ll cause the smoker to flameout for no apparent reason. It’ll cause a flameout because the digital temperature probes temperature readings are falsely reading too high; it causes the digital temperature probe to register higher than your set temperatures. And that’ll cause a flameout every time … shutting down the auger and starving your fire of pellets

The air gap mod is a big deal on the Austin XL , the pro series 1100, PS2 1150, 1600, Laredo and basically ANY 1000 inch barrels AND the YOUR KC Combo. It takes them forever to settle down especially in the Smoke setting, and that's why, when people have them set to Smoke they're wondering why it's up around 250 or 300 degrees ... and it's all because the firepot heat is all blowing on that digital probe. Do the mod and it registers the temperatures correctly and it settles them right down.

Additionally, a QUICK and simple foil fix will work ... Fold sufficient aluminum foil to cover the gap from side to side and put in place. Try 4-5 layers … Done right, the foil will fold over and sit on top of the drip tray and this quick fix blocks the firepot heat from blowing directly on the temperature probe.

A detailed Instructional Video is below ... AND the Video is also in Announcements section of this page ... and if you’re interested, the prefabricated mod plate available at https://smokeslikeaboss.com/

This video explains better ..

 

[Robert208]

Have you checked your new smoker for the PitBoss air gap issue and done the air gap mod to fix it yet?

Air Gap Modification - Models Affected: Austin XL 1000 and Rancher XL 1000, 1000SC, 1000t2, 1000t3, 1000t4, ProSeries 1100, KC Combo, Charleston, PB 500, 1250 and 550 Sportsman, ProSeries 600, ProSeries 1150, 1600 Pro and Elite, and Navigator 550 & 1150 and Laredo 1000.

Unfortunately there is a well known, but easily corrected, design anomaly in some units ... a gap between the bottom of the drip tray and the top of the left side grease tray lip that allows firepot heat to blow directly on the digital temperature probe... it’s causes slower startups, flameouts and other temperature related issues.

Since the firepot heat is blowing directly on the digital temperature probe, It’ll cause the smoker to flameout for no apparent reason. It’ll cause a flameout because the digital temperature probes temperature readings are falsely reading too high; it causes the digital temperature probe to register higher than your set temperatures. And that’ll cause a flameout every time … shutting down the auger and starving your fire of pellets

The air gap mod is a big deal on the Austin XL , the pro series 1100, PS2 1150, 1600, Laredo and basically ANY 1000 inch barrels AND the YOUR KC Combo. It takes them forever to settle down especially in the Smoke setting, and that's why, when people have them set to Smoke they're wondering why it's up around 250 or 300 degrees ... and it's all because the firepot heat is all blowing on that digital probe. Do the mod and it registers the temperatures correctly and it settles them right down.

Additionally, a QUICK and simple foil fix will work ... Fold sufficient aluminum foil to cover the gap from side to side and put in place. Try 4-5 layers … Done right, the foil will fold over and sit on top of the drip tray and this quick fix blocks the firepot heat from blowing directly on the temperature probe.

A detailed Instructional Video is below ... AND the Video is also in Announcements section of this page ... and if you’re interested, the prefabricated mod plate available at https://smokeslikeaboss.com/

This video explains better ..

Wow makes a ton of sense. I removed and cleaned the temperature probe and reinstalled yesterday. Busy today couldn’t mess with it but I will do that trick tomorrow and see what happens

 

[Jagman]

Have you checked your new smoker for the PitBoss air gap issue and done the air gap mod to fix it yet?

Air Gap Modification - Models Affected: Austin XL 1000 and Rancher XL 1000, 1000SC, 1000t2, 1000t3, 1000t4, ProSeries 1100, KC Combo, Charleston, PB 500, 1250 and 550 Sportsman, ProSeries 600, ProSeries 1150, 1600 Pro and Elite, and Navigator 550 & 1150 and Laredo 1000.

Unfortunately there is a well known, but easily corrected, design anomaly in some units ... a gap between the bottom of the drip tray and the top of the left side grease tray lip that allows firepot heat to blow directly on the digital temperature probe... it’s causes slower startups, flameouts and other temperature related issues.

Since the firepot heat is blowing directly on the digital temperature probe, It’ll cause the smoker to flameout for no apparent reason. It’ll cause a flameout because the digital temperature probes temperature readings are falsely reading too high; it causes the digital temperature probe to register higher than your set temperatures. And that’ll cause a flameout every time … shutting down the auger and starving your fire of pellets

The air gap mod is a big deal on the Austin XL , the pro series 1100, PS2 1150, 1600, Laredo and basically ANY 1000 inch barrels AND the YOUR KC Combo. It takes them forever to settle down especially in the Smoke setting, and that's why, when people have them set to Smoke they're wondering why it's up around 250 or 300 degrees ... and it's all because the firepot heat is all blowing on that digital probe. Do the mod and it registers the temperatures correctly and it settles them right down.

Additionally, a QUICK and simple foil fix will work ... Fold sufficient aluminum foil to cover the gap from side to side and put in place. Try 4-5 layers … Done right, the foil will fold over and sit on top of the drip tray and this quick fix blocks the firepot heat from blowing directly on the temperature probe.

A detailed Instructional Video is below ... AND the Video is also in Announcements section of this page ... and if you’re interested, the prefabricated mod plate available at https://smokeslikeaboss.com/

This video explains better ..

New here is this issue with the PB700FB1 model ??

Thanks

 

[Robert208]

New here is this issue with the PB700FB1 model ??

Thanks

I cleaned my temp probe and did the foil trick as this guy said to try and my smoker seems to be working as designed now no control board needed. Now I have a spare control board in my garage

 

[Jagman]

I cleaned my temp probe and did the foil trick as this guy said to try and my smoker seems to be working as designed now no control board needed. Now I have a spare control board in my garage

Thanks