Question 1

my grill keeps shutting off randomly in the middle of a cook, no error code, just goes dead.

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS A complete, silent shutdown points to a loss of power, not a grill error. The prime suspect for the portable Tailgater is the power source, especially if you're using an extension cord or a portable power generator. FIX Eliminate the extension cord first. Plug the grill directly into a known-good, grounded household outlet. If it runs fine, the issue was your cord. Pellet grills draw a significant amount of current, especially on startup. You need a heavy-duty, 14-gauge (or thicker) extension cord that's as short as possible. A cheap, long, thin cord will cause a voltage drop that can make the controller reset or shut down. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK If you're plugged directly into a house outlet and it still shuts off, check your circuit. Is the outlet on a GFCI circuit (one with test/reset buttons)? These can sometimes trip with the grill's motor load. Try resetting the GFCI. Also, ensure nothing else high-wattage is on the same circuit (like a fridge or microwave) that could be overloading it. HEADS UP If you're using a portable power station or generator, it must provide a pure sine wave output. Many cheaper generators and power stations produce a modified sine wave that can damage or confuse the grill's sensitive digital controller, causing these random shutdowns. Check your power source's specs.

Question 2

just assembled my new tailgater and it won't turn on at all, no lights on the controller.

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS This is almost always a simple power connection issue or a safety switch that wasn't engaged during assembly. The Tailgater has a few key links in the power chain that are easy to miss. FIX Let's trace the power. 1) First, check your outlet with a phone charger to make sure it's live. 2) Follow the power cord from the outlet to the grill. Ensure the cord is firmly plugged into the port on the back of the grill. 3) Now, the most common culprit: the hopper safety switch. Open the pellet hopper lid. Look on the inside top edge of the hopper box—you should see a small, black plastic plunger. When you close the lid, it pushes this plunger in. This switch tells the grill it's safe to operate. Make sure the lid is fully closing on it and that the plunger moves freely. Sometimes it gets stuck during shipping. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK If you have power and the hopper switch is engaged, check the fuse. There's a small, automotive-style fuse holder on the back of the controller, which is behind the hopper. You may need to remove a few screws to access it. Pull the fuse and check if the little wire inside is intact. If it's blown, replace it with an identical 3-amp fuse. HEADS UP Always, always make sure the hopper lid is fully closed when operating. If that switch isn't depressed, the grill won't start as a safety feature to prevent you from reaching into a running auger. It's a good feature, just frustrating on first setup.

Question 3

the fan on my traeger sounds really weak or sometimes stops, and then the temp drops.

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS That fan is the combustion blower, and it's critical. It feeds oxygen to the fire. If it's weak or intermittent, the fire will smother and your temperature will plummet. On the Tailgater, this is often a simple obstruction. FIX Let's check for blockages. Power off and unplug the grill. The blower is located at the back, near the bottom. You'll see a vent. 1) Use a flashlight to look into the vent for obvious debris like spider webs, leaves, or pellet dust. 2) Use a can of compressed air (like for keyboards) to blow into the vent and dislodge anything. 3) You can also carefully vacuum the vent from the outside. Often, a good cleaning is all it needs to get back to its normal, steady hum. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK If the fan is clean but still not running consistently, the issue could be electrical. Check that the plug is fully seated in the outlet and you're not using an overly long extension cord, which can cause voltage drop. If it's still faulty, the blower motor itself may be failing. You can confirm this by starting the grill and feeling for a strong, consistent stream of air coming from the exhaust vent on the left side. HEADS UP Don't run the grill with a failed blower. Without proper airflow, pellets will smolder and produce excessive dirty smoke (creosote) and can even back-burn into the auger tube, causing a major jam. If the fan is dead, it's a replaceable part.

Question 4

how do i clean the grease drain and cup on this thing? it's a huge mess and always leaks.

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS You've found the Tailgater's messiest design flaw. The grease management system—the channel in the drip tray and the little hole that drains into a cup—clogs easily, leading to overflow inside the grill and a real cleanup headache. FIX You need to be proactive. 1) After every 2-3 cooks, or after any particularly greasy cook, let the grill cool. 2) Pull out the drip tray. 3) Use a putty knife or grill scraper to push the congealed grease and gunk from the channel toward the drain hole. 4) Detach the grease cup (a standard aluminum tin) and empty it. 5) I line my cup with heavy-duty foil for easy cleanup—just crumple and replace. 6) Before reassembling, ensure the drain hole in the tray is completely clear by poking a stick or grill tool through it. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK If grease is still leaking from places other than the cup, the drip tray might be warped or not seated perfectly. Make absolutely sure it's pushed all the way back and is sitting flat. Also, avoid pouring liquids or overly watery marinades directly on meat, as they thin the grease and make it run everywhere. HEADS UP Never let the grease cup overflow. A full cup can drip onto the hot firepot or the auger motor assembly underneath, causing a flare-up or, worse, a grease fire inside the base of the grill. Check it religiously during long cooks.

Question 5

my tailgater struggles to get over 300 degrees, it just sits around 250 even when i set it to 350.

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS The Tailgater is a smaller grill, so maintaining high heat can be a challenge, but this usually points to one of three things: a dirty temperature probe, poor pellet quality, or ambient conditions. FIX First, clean the RTD temperature probe. It's that thin, silver rod sticking into the cooking chamber on the left side. After the grill is completely cool, use a bit of fine steel wool or a damp scrubbing pad to gently scrub all the carbon and grease off the metal probe. A coated probe gives false low readings, causing the controller to under-fire. After cleaning, try your high-temp test again. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK Check your pellets. Low-quality pellets with too much filler (sawdust) or pellets that have absorbed moisture won't burn hot enough. Make sure you're using 100% hardwood Traeger or another reputable brand, and store them in a sealed container. Also, high heat is harder to achieve on very cold or windy days. Try positioning the grill out of the wind. HEADS UP The 'High' setting on the Tailgater is designed to get you to about 450°F, but real-world results vary. Consistently missing your target by 50+ degrees after a probe cleaning points to a failing controller or a weak induction fan, which are less common but possible fixes.

Question 6

i can't get my traeger app to find or connect to my tailgater grill, it's just stuck searching.

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS The Tailgater 20 uses a WiFIRE controller, but its signal isn't as strong as the bigger models. Connection problems are super common, and it's almost always about proximity and setup order. FIX Let's do a reset. 1) On the grill's controller, hold down the center 'ignite' button for about 10 seconds until the display resets. 2) On your phone, forget the Traeger Wi-Fi network in your settings if it's saved. 3) Bring your phone and grill much closer together—like within 10 feet. 4) Now, start the grill pairing process in the app fresh. Make sure your phone is connecting to the grill's direct Wi-Fi signal (it'll look like 'Traeger-XXXX') during setup, not your home network. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK The issue might be your home network. The Tailgater's module sometimes struggles with modern routers using combined 2.4GHz/5GHz networks under one name. Try logging into your router and temporarily separating the 2.4GHz network with its own name (like 'Home-2G'), then connect the grill to that. The grill only works on 2.4GHz. HEADS UP Even when connected, the range is limited. If you walk your phone too far from the grill, it'll drop the connection. Think of it as a Bluetooth-style connection for control, not a true long-range Wi-Fi link. For monitoring a long cook, keep the grill within a reasonable distance of your router.

Question 7

why does my tailgater make a loud, annoying clicking sound every few minutes while it's running?

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS That rhythmic clicking is completely normal and is the sound of the auger feeding pellets. It's not a problem, but it can be surprisingly loud on the Tailgater because the whole unit is more compact. FIX There's no 'fix' because it's not broken. The auger is a corkscrew-like rod that turns in short bursts to push pellets from the hopper into the firepot. That 'click... whirr... click' is the electric motor engaging and disengaging. To confirm this is what you're hearing, stand next to the grill and watch the hopper when you hear the click. You'll likely see the pile of pellets shift slightly as the auger turns. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK If the sound is more of a constant grinding or a loud screech, that's different. A constant grind could mean the auger motor is struggling because of a jam. A screech might be a dry bearing. For a suspected jam, you'd need to power down, cool, and vacuum out the auger tube from the hopper end (using a flexible hose) to clear any damp, swollen pellets. HEADS UP If you ever stop hearing that click entirely during a cook, that's a bigger concern. No clicking means the auger isn't feeding, and your fire will go out. Check for a jammed auger or a tripped GFCI outlet on your power source first.

Question 8

my traeger tailgater 20 just shows 'err' on the controller and won't heat up, what do i do?

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS That 'ERR' code is the grill's way of saying it can't reach or maintain the set temperature. For the Tailgater 20, this is almost always a problem with the flow or ignition of pellets in the firepot. FIX First, power the grill completely off. Let's clear the firepot. 1) Unplug it and let it cool. 2) Open the grill and remove the grates and drip tray to access the firepot (that small cup at the bottom). 3) Use a shop vac or the Traeger-approved vacuum to suck out all the ash and any unburned pellet fragments from the pot. 4) Make sure the holes in the pot aren't clogged. Plug it back in, start it up on 'Smoke' with the lid open, and listen for the fan and the sound of pellets dropping. You should see ignition within 5-10 minutes. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK If you cleaned it and it still throws an ERR, the issue might be with the hot rod igniter. It's a small heating element that lights the pellets. Over time, they can fail. You can check it by starting a cycle, waiting a minute, then (carefully) looking into the firepot to see if the rod is glowing red-hot. If it's not glowing, it's likely dead and needs replacement. HEADS UP Always start your grill with the lid open. Starting it closed can cause a dangerous over-pressure situation that blows pellets and ash everywhere and almost guarantees an ERR code. Lid open until it's clearly smoking and up to temp.

Traeger Tailgater 20 Portable Pellet Grill

Other Grills & Smokers