Pit Boss Auger Not Turning (3 Causes + How to Fix It)

Sharing is caring!

Imagine your grilling some delicious, finger-licking stuff and, then all of a sudden the auger on your Pit Boss grill won’t turn. What do you do? But most importantly, how did this happen?

It could be due to a few reasons, an obstructed auger fan, a build-up of meat particles/food particles, rust build-up, or wet pellets in the auger tube.  

Luckily, an auger jam is pretty easy to resolve or unclog – no need to panic! This article will share the exact steps to unclog your pellet auger. I will also show you how to clean and replace an auger.

Pit Boss Jammed Auger Troubleshooting

First, we will look at what causes jammed augers, then we will show you how to fix it.

Note: Before taking apart your grill, you should speak with Pit Boss customer service.

What Causes a Jammed Auger?

The main causes of a jammed auger are one of the following:

A buildup of meat particles/food particles

Rust buildup

Wet pellets in the auger tube

Wet Pellets

One major cause of the auger getting clogged is wet pellets. Your pellet auger can get clogged due to humidity or rain getting into the auger when the pellet grill lid is open in the rain.

It can also be due to adding wood pellets to it while they’re wet. This can result in a jammed or motionless auger.

It is ok to leave pellets in the hopper but just ensure you keep your pellet grill away from sunlight or rain and store it in a cool and dry place.

How to Fix a Pit Boss Auger Jam

If you’ve dabbled in some sort of mechanical work, you can follow the steps below. Otherwise, you should call a professional or speak with the Pit Boss customer service team before trying the below.

Always ensure to disconnect the grill from the power source/power supply/power outlet before initiating the process.

First of all, you need to check if all the connections are correct. If they are, then check if your auger feed tube is jammed by looking through your fan blade/grill fan or auger system vent (attached to the auger feeder tube).

Also, check the burner pot to ensure there are no obstructions and it’s having enough air intake. Replace your burner pot if it’s eroded.

If your auger is jammed, you have to remove a few parts of your pit boss grill like the control board, motor, and hopper’s access panel. You also have to unscrew the auger collar set screws before using a pipe wrench to pull out the auger push rod.

Note: Once you’ve done all your check you should follow the steps below. 

The Tools You Need to Fix a Jammed Auger

• Screwdriver
• Chisel
• Socket wrench
• Vacuum
• Angle wrench

Step 1: Remove the Bottom Panel of Your Pit Boss Pellet Grill

To remove the auger from the Pit Boss Grill, you should first remove the bottom panel because the auger is located at the control panel of the pit boss.

So, you would have to lay your Pit Boss upside down to make it easier. 

Step 2: Adjust the Control Board

Remove the screws from the control board on the top and bottom of the control panel. Then, feed the control board through the hopper.

Leave them to be dangling at the bottom of the hopper. As long as you can remove the auger, it’s fine.

Step 3: Remove the Hopper Access Panel 

Remove both the front and the back screw on the pellet hopper lid and place it on a flat and steady surface.

Like the control board, the pellet hopper is connected to the Pit Boss through a power cord, so you won’t need to remove it completely. 

Step 4: Remove the Bolt

Next, you remove the Allen head nut by using your ratchet wrench, and you only have to use the right wrench size. You can’t remove the auger motor without first removing the Allen head nut.

After removing the bolt and nut, you can now let it hang at the bottom of the Pit Boss.

Step 5: Remove the Auger Screw

You would have to take this final step to unclog the auger. Now that the motor is removed, use a pipe wrench to remove the auger motor screws holding the auger in place.

This process turns the auger counter-clockwise, making it easier to pull out.

However, if the auger is too jammed up, it may need a little bit more working force by turning the screw to pull the auger rod free. Now you can replace the auger by reversing the steps.

How to Clean Your Pit Grill Auger

First, remove all the pellets from the auger. Then use your shop vac or vacuum cleaner to clean up the broken pieces and paper towel to clean any debris and grime remaining.

When the auger gets easy to slide in and out, it means it is now clean. You can then reassemble everything back and stand the Pit Boss Grill back up.

Always use dry pellets in your hopper to ensure your Pit Boss always works. This will save you the stress of unclogging your auger.

Any time you disassemble your Pit Boss Auger Grill, always remember to keep the screws in a safe place, the last thing you want to is to lose them!

Smoke On!

Charlie

Hungry For More?