Calibrating Your Flatrock Fuel Sensor

Learn how to calibrate your fuel sensor and fix problems you may encounter with this sensor.

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• Learn more about the Flatrock's fuel sensor: Fuel Sensor
  
  

When to Calibrate Your Flatrock's Fuel Sensor

Calibrating your fuel sensor should be done upon first use. You shouldn't have to recalibrate future tanks, provided they are all filled to the same capacity. 

Calibrating Refilled Propane Tanks vs Propane Tanks from a Tank Exchange

When you calibrate your tank, it assumes the tank contains 17.5 lbs of propane.

Why is this?

When you refill a tank, the tank is usually filled to 20 lb; however, tank exchange services (Blue Rhino, Amerigas, etc.), usually fill tanks only to 15 lbs. In order to accommodate both types of propane tanks, we designed the Flatrock fuel sensor to calibrate in the middle of the two weights.

What does this mean for me?

This means that customers who use an exchange service instead of refilling may find that the fuel sensor still shows one dot when the tank runs out.

We suggest using a refill service instead of an exchange. If you do use an exchange service, use the last dot as an indicator to replace your tank soon.

How to Calibrate Your Fuel Sensor

When you calibrate with a full tank, the griddle remembers this weight—so there’s no need to recalibrate as you replace future tanks. For a successful calibration experience do the following before starting:

• Remove the propane tank before calibrating the fuel sensor
• Always calibrate with a full tank
• Calibrating will only work when plugged into an outlet -- this feature is disabled when powering the griddle with a 9V battery.

1. Plug your grill into a grounded electrical outlet and set the main power switch on the back of the grill to ON (I). The power switch will illuminate when turned on. Make sure you have your propane tank nearby for the next step.
   
2. With the tank OFF the hook, press and hold the tank calibration button for three seconds. You will hear a beep and the fuel level indicator LEDs will sweep back and forth. The beep may sometimes be delayed, but as long as the fuel level indicator LEDs sweep back and forth, you can proceed with the next step.
   Next, place your propane tank on the hook, found under the grill.
   
   • Timing: You only have 30 seconds to place your tank on the hook after you hear the beep. If you fail to do so, your grill will exit the calibration mode.
3. After your grill reads the weight of your tank, all five LEDs will blink and you’ll hear a beep to confirm your fuel sensor has been calibrated.
   If you do not hear a beep and see the flashes, remove the tank and repeat steps 2 and 3.
   
4. Attach your regulator hose to the propane tank. You’re all set!
   
    

How to Exit Calibration Mode

If you accidentally enter calibration mode, you can exit calibration mode by simply pressing the tank calibration button. This will restore your previous calibration values or, if your fuel level sensor has never been calibrated, this will restore the default value.

Fuel Sensor not Calibrating

Symptoms

When attempting to calibrate your fuel sensor, you experience one of the following:

• The lights continue to oscillate and don't register the tank when placed on the hook
• The fuel sensor doesn't beep after holding the calibration button
• Te fuel sensor lights don't flash 3 times

Causes

• Powering the griddle with a 9V battery 
• Starting calibration with the tank already on the hook
• Tank not mounted properly
• Taking too long to place the tank on the hook
• Missing load cell shim spacer 
• Bad load cell

What to Do if the Fuel Sensor Isn't Calibrating

1. Make sure the grill is plugged into a working outlet and is powered on.
   
   • The fuel sensor will only work when powered via an outlet. Powering the grill with a 9V battery will not engage the fuel sensor.
2. Check if the control panel's LEDs are working.
   The self check will flash Flame Sensor LEDs and Fuel Level LEDs.

   1. Press and hold the IGNITE and Calibration buttons for 5 seconds.

   2. Verify the fuel sensor calibration lights swipe back and forth.

   3. Press the calibration button.

   4. Verify the flame sensor LEDs swipe back and forth.

   5. Press the calibration button again to exit self test.

   6. If the fuel sensor lights don't turn on, contact Traeger Support to send possible replacement parts.

3. Power cycle the grill by turning off the grill, unplugging it, waiting 10 seconds and then plugging it in and turning it on again.
4. Attempt to calibrate again
   1. Before pressing the calibrate button, make sure the tank is nearby, but not on the tank hook.
   2. Press and hold the calibrate button for three seconds. You will hear a beep and the fuel level indicator LEDs will sweep back and forth.
      
      • Sweeping means the five LED lights are moving back and forth, not blinking.
   3. Place the tank on the tank hook. Make sure this is completed within 30 seconds of the beeping.
      
      • Calibration times out after 30 seconds. You will have to start over if you wait more than 30 seconds.
   4. The lights will blink three times to confirm a successful calibration.
5. If unsuccessful, power cycle and try again.
6. If the calibration fails again, turn off and unplug the grill so we can check the wiring connections to the motherboard.
7. Access the grill's internal components: From underneath the grill, find the control housing and remove the two thumb screws holding its access panel in place. Slide the panel toward the front of the grill to remove and gain access to the interior of the control housing.
8. Check component wiring connections
   1. Controller UI Board: Make sure the Controller UI board is connected to the motherboard.
      
   2. Load Cell: Find the load cell connection (labeled, Weight Sensor) on the motherboard; disconnect it from and reconnect it to the motherboard.
      
      1. Load Cell Shim: Follow the load cell wire from the motherboard up to where the load cell is installed. Find the load cell housing tube and verify the load cell shim is installed. 
         
      2. If the shim is missing, contact Traeger Support to get a replacement shim.
9. Turn on the grill and attempt to calibrate again.
   If calibration fails, contact Traeger Support to troubleshoot further.

Fuel Sensor not Displaying Propane Tank Fuel Level

On new griddles, the fuel sensor will not turn on/light up until you calibrate the first time. After calibrating for the first time, the fuel sensor should always turn on once weight is added to the tank hook.

Symptoms

• The fuel sensor is not displaying a tank level when plugged in and after it has been calibrated already
• The fuel sensor at one point showed fuel level but is no longer showing it anymore

Causes

• Powering the griddle with a 9V battery 
• Sensor not calibrated correctly
• Tank not mounted properly
• Bad load cell

Troubleshooting

1. Make sure the grill is plugged into an outlet and powered on.
   • The fuel sensor will only work when powered via an outlet. Powering the grill with a 9V battery will not engage the fuel sensor or any lights on the control panel.
2. Verify the griddle has power.
   • The Power Switch and the Traeger logo on the UI board should both light up.
   • Ignitors should spark/click when pressing, IGNITE.
   • If having power problems, consult Flat Top Grill not Turning On. 
3. Conduct an LED Self Test to confirm the control panel LED lights are working.
   
   1. Press and hold the IGNITE and Calibration buttons for 5 seconds.
   2. Verify the fuel sensor calibration lights swipe back and forth.
   3. Press the calibration button.
   4. Verify the flame sensor LEDs swipe back and forth.
   5. Press the calibration button again to exit self test.
   6. If the fuel sensor lights don't turn on, contact Traeger Support to send possible replacement parts.
4. Attempt to calibrate the tank again.
   Note: Calibrating the fuel sensor using partially full propane tank will calibrate thinking the current weight is full and may lead to an inaccurate fuel level until recalibrated with a new tank.
   
   1. Remove the propane tank from the hook and set nearby. 
   2. Press and hold the calibrate button for three seconds. You will hear a beep and the fuel level indicator LEDs will sweep back and forth. 
      • Sweeping means the five LED lights are moving back and forth, not blinking.
   3. Place the tank on the hook within 30 seconds of the beeping. 
      • The calibration will time out after 30 seconds. You will have to start over if you wait more than 30 seconds.
   4. The lights will blink three times to confirm a successful calibration.
   5. If unsuccessful, power cycle and try again.
      • Note that calibrating the fuel sensor using partially full propane tank will calibrate thinking the current weight is full and may lead to an inaccurate fuel level until recalibrated with a new tank.
5. If the fuel sensor still doesn't light up, contact Traeger Support to troubleshoot further and determine if you need to replace the load cell.
   
   

Fuel Sensor Displaying an Inaccurate Fuel Level

Symptoms

• The fuel sensor is showing a fuel level that seems inaccurate to the amount of fuel in the tank.

Causes

• Using an 'exchange' propane tank instead of a refilled tank
  • When you take your tank somewhere to be filled, they will fill it to about 20 lbs. However, tank exchange services (Blue Rhino, Amerigas, etc.) usually only fill their tanks with 15 lbs.
    
    • To accommodate this variance, the griddle fuel sensor assumes starting weight when calibrated is 17.5 lb of propane. So exchanged-tank users may encounter slight variance when approaching empty, especially if they've used some propane prior to calibrating.
• Calibrating a partially full tank
• Tank not properly mounted
• Bad load cell

Troubleshooting

1. When you calibrated last, were you using a full tank?
   • Calibrating a partial tank will tare the scale to think that the partial tank's weight is the full weight, which will produce inaccurate reading.
2. If you are using a different tank than the last time you calibrated, is it the same type of tank (refill or exchange service)? 
   
   • Refilled tanks usually have 5 lbs more of propane than tanks from exchange services. If your most recent calibration used a different type of tank, you may be observing the difference.
3. Ensure that tank is correctly hung on the hook, the back brace is in position, and that there are no other objects that may be adding load to the tank or restricting its movement.
4. Remove the tank from the tank hook and place back to see if the reading changed.
5. Calibrate again using a full tank.
6. If your fuel sensor continues to read incorrectly with a new tank after calibrating again, you may need to replace load cell. Contact Traeger's Customer Support to verify further.