300+ degrees on smoke setting

[IanWatt]

When I set the temperature dial on my small Traeger, leave the lid open for ten minutes and then check the temperature (as Traeger suggested per phone) the temperture tickles 300 degrees - lid open mind you! - close the lid and it rockets to 380 plus.
Cleaned everything out top to bottom and cleaned the sensor rod - all to no avail.
How do I get it to set at the low smoke setting - or should I get a new sensor or, perhaps, a new temperature control box?
Thanks in advance from this newbie wannabe Aussie smoker!

 

[RayClem]

I have an IW885. I leave the lid open until smoke starts to roll from the fire pot, then I close the lid and allow it to come up to temperature. If you leave the lid open too long, the controller thinks it needs more heat and will then overshoot when you close the lid.

When you say that the "temperature tickles 300 degrees" do you mean that the controller says the temperature is 300F or that a third party thermometer says it is 300F?

Which controller does your grill have. I was under the impression that "Super Smoke" is only available on grills with the D2 controller such as the Ironwood, Timberland and corresponding Costco-exclusive models, not on the Tailgater models. The Tailgater does have a "Smoke" setting, but that setting does not provide any temperature control according to the Traeger manual. Although I do have a Super Smoke setting on my Ironwood, I have never used it. I just set my controller such that the chamber temperature as measured by an independent temperature probe measures around 200F. I have to set the controller to 225F for that to occur. Try that and see how your grill responds.

If you desire more smoke than you can get from cooking low and slow (around 200F), then you might want to see some of the threads on use of smoke tubes.

 

[Loopy Wafflebrains]

When I set the temperature dial on my small Traeger, leave the lid open for ten minutes and then check the temperature (as Traeger suggested per phone) the temperture tickles 300 degrees - lid open mind you! - close the lid and it rockets to 380 plus.
Cleaned everything out top to bottom and cleaned the sensor rod - all to no avail.
How do I get it to set at the low smoke setting - or should I get a new sensor or, perhaps, a new temperature control box?
Thanks in advance from this newbie wannabe Aussie smoker!

Maybe check your connections for the sensor. Mine recently worked it's way loose. (not sure how that happens). The first symptoms were temperatures too high, later it morphed into it going over temperature (Her error message) and my pellet hopper starting to smoke. (Glad I caught that early). Then I got an ER1 message. Looked that up (https://support.traeger.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407213026587-Err-Er1-Er2-Er4-Error-Codes) and found that the contact on one of the wires was completely loose.

It's been a few weeks. Have you had any luck?