Timberline XL Displays Incorrect Temperature

[Trae Bar IV]

Thanks Ray for the link to the article. It was very helpful and has explained a lot about the temp fluctuations now. I'd love to calibrate my XL probes if possible. Not sure if I can do it using this method on the XL. I'll have to check it out when I get home.

 

[RickW]

+1 for Fireboard.
I don't work there but have been using one for a while. It just wroks. T 1300 is off by 15-30 so I never consider that as accurate and never use the included probe. kissmyassorfixit

 

[BillS]

There is no menu option for probe calibration on the Timberline XL. Traeger refuses to fix the problem and insists everything is perfect. I'm contacting an attorney next since they can't seem to support their own warranty and instead insist I'm somehow wrong in saying the temperature reading on the console is incorrect. I use the Fireboard Pro's ambient probe and have found the ambient temp in the Traeger is close when the grill is set to 225. As the setting gets higher - say 275 or 300, the difference becomes significant. I'm seeing differences of 40-60- degrees higher on the console than in the grill. As a result, if I were to relay on the console reading the food would take far longer to cook. I need to set the grill to 375 to maintain 275-300. There is definitely a problem with either the motherboard or the firmware and they refuse to replace the motherboard or the thermocouple insisting the grill is fine. I don't believe the grill could ever heat to 350 or 400 since the setting would have to be so high the grill would shut down. There seems to be nowhere else to go other than the legal route and get the grill removed and refunded.

 

[GrillGuyMilwaukee]

Did some research on this, as my IW885 was set at 350, but reporting 300ish on the grates. More accurate at lower temps. After placing one of my aftermarket probes as close as possible to the RTD, discovered, that when at 350, temp was no only off 5-10 degrees. IMO, it's a combination of the short RTD, and what appears to be a hot wall of air blasting up the side of my grill. Assuming it gets worse at high temps due to the fan speed being increased. So it's accurate, but appears to be bad placement.

Would assume it is impossible to have an "accurate" reading across the entire grill. I've noticed the left side is also much hotter, probably cause of the grease chute and the air flow there.

I'll just be adjusting temp as needed using an aftermarket probe near where my food is cooking. Remember, there will be hot and cool zones throughout the grill. Just need to learn how to use them!

 

[BillS]

That's nice, but the problem is the grill will never be able to be used to heat product over 350. I needed to set the grill at 500 to get anywhere near that temp and it shuts down when it thinks it is 500+ in there. This is a major flaw in the design that needs to be corrected either by some way to calibrate or by some firmware update. The problem is the folks at Traeger don't seem to think it's a problem - they keep saying the grill is fine and I must be mistaken. Nobody should buy this Timberline XL until they resol;ve this issue and stop calling their customers idiots.

 

[BillS]

By the way, I don't believe they us an RTD - they use a thermocouple. It could very well be a placement issue since the thermocouple is mounted behind a partition in the back of the grill. Hotter air could certainly be going up that way before entering the main body of the grill. If that's the problem, the thermocouple should be mounted inside the open area, not behind a partition.

 

[jfumes]

I was given the Timberline XL as a birthday present in October of '23 and have been noticing the same issue as you all have, namely, at lower temps, controller seems to read a somewhat acceptably close interior temp but once raised above 300, the difference is anywhere between 50 to 75 degrees low. Hell, my first Traeger purchased at Costco for $375 more than 15 years ago ran at a truer temp! Does anyone have any updates to post as I just got off the phone with Traeger and can already see the path the are going to try to take me down . . . look forward to any help provided!

 

[BillS]

Buy something else. I bought a Yoder YS640S for about the same price and I'm very happy with it. The XL is a flawed product and Traeger seems unable to acknowledge that or fix it. I gave mine away.