Problem with Masterbuilt electric smoker

[robert55]

Hi Just joined today, hope I am posting in right area,I have a masterbuilt electric smoker, after about 10 minutes of smoking it shuts down, I am getting ERR2 code which I am told is defective meat probe, but I am not using there probe, just purchased lower heating element and main temp sensor to no avail still get the fault, masterbuilt service is not very good. Thank you

 

[Winterrider]

Hang tight tallbm will be about soon to help. I would highly recommend wiring in an Auber PID controller to take away your pain as he may suggest. He has walked many of us through the easy wiring process.
And welcome to the forum from ND

 

[tbern]

Welcome to the forum from Minnesota! Winterrider has good advice and tallbm has helped many on here with their mes smokers.

 

[tallbm]

Hi Just joined today, hope I am posting in right area,I have a masterbuilt electric smoker, after about 10 minutes of smoking it shuts down, I am getting ERR2 code which I am told is defective meat probe, but I am not using there probe, just purchased lower heating element and main temp sensor to no avail still get the fault, masterbuilt service is not very good. Thank you

Hi there and welcome!
I never messed with an ERR2 code but one simple thing to do is to check the connections of the controller to the wire that comes out of the top and more importantly the connections of the wires to the controller board on the under side of the smoker. There is a compartment down there that is the access to a controller board.

My understanding of ERR2 is a broken meat probe or a disconnected one.
You could try to find the part online and replace OR you can always do the simple rewire of the smoker and use an Auber PID controller and bypass all of the crappy Masterbuilt electronics.
Rewiring and using an Auber PID controller would make your smoker a whole new 10x better performing animal.

FYI, I would have gotten to you earlier in the week but been processing 3 feral hogs, and 4 deer from a successful weekend of hunting :)

 

[PolishDeli]

Here is a en entire article about it.
Seems most likely be faulty wiring or a damaged controller board. Is your smoker new?

How Do I Fix Masterbuilt Smoker Error Code 2?: (5 Main Reasons & 7 Easy Solutions) | bbqblaze.com

Is your Masterbuilt smoker flashing error code 2? Then here you ca find primary reasons and quick fixes!

bbqblaze.com

 

[AbeFromanATL]

Hello forums, long time reader...first time posting. I also started getting that dreaded err2 message on my MES430 smoker (MB20076419). I only purchased a set of new Masterbuilt® Gravity Series® Meat Probe from the manufacture and still got the err2 message. I like to take the challenge on and rewire my MES430 and put a PID in before I start replacing more crappy Masterbuilt parts with more crappy Masterbuilt replacement parts.

If the bottom control panel is the one I need to bypass, I just would appreciate someone steering me in the right direction as to the wiring configuration. I read posts on


This is my Dad's smoker so early Fathers Day gift for me to attempt and repair it.

 

[dr k]

Hello forums, long time reader...first time posting. I also started getting that dreaded err2 message on my MES430 smoker (MB20076419). I only purchased a set of new Masterbuilt® Gravity Series® Meat Probe from the manufacture and still got the err2 message. I like to take the challenge on and rewire my MES430 and put a PID in before I start replacing more crappy Masterbuilt parts with more crappy Masterbuilt replacement parts.

If the bottom control panel is the one I need to bypass, I just would appreciate someone steering me in the right direction as to the wiring configuration. I read posts on


This is my Dad's smoker so early Fathers Day gift for me to attempt and repair it.

You came to the right place. I only helped one other person with this rare top, bottom and chip/chunk burner 440/430 Mes model so all can be used except the top or bottom 1,200 or 800 watt elements one at a time and the chip/chunk burner at 150 watts on an on/off/variable controller from Amazon or harbor freight so you dial the wattage for desired smoke level. You can trace/ohm and keep the bottom main element with tallbm simple no back rewire thread here and make the original power cord plugged into an AUBER PLUG AND PLAY CONTROLLER and make 14 guage power cords with lugs connected directly to the chunk burner legs and the ground attached/tightened to one of the access screws to ground chassis and the same with the top broiler element for three 3/14 plugs. One for each element. You can dial your broiler element with the 15amp router controller and the same controller alternating with broiler or another one dedicated for the chunk burner and run the PID on the main bottom element.

https://www.amazon.com/ALL-CARB-Electric-Rheostat-Variable-Controller/dp/B095JFPYSZ/ref=asc_df_B095JFPYSZ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=563646982761&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5113091788021319488&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9022120&hvtargid=pla-1635410624761&psc=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3Zml8reE_gIVdv_jBx2Big-aEAQYBSABEgI9HfD_BwE

 

[AbeFromanATL]

You came to the right place. I only helped one other person with this rare top, bottom and chip/chunk burner 440/430 Mes model so all can be used except the top or bottom 1,200 or 800 watt elements one at a time and the chip/chunk burner at 150 watts on an on/off/variable controller from Amazon or harbor freight so you dial the wattage for desired smoke level. You can trace/ohm and keep the bottom main element with tallbm simple no back rewire thread here and make the original power cord plugged into an AUBER PLUG AND PLAY CONTROLLER and make 14 guage power cords with lugs connected directly to the chunk burner legs and the ground attached/tightened to one of the access screws to ground chassis and the same with the top broiler element for three 3/14 plugs. One for each element. You can dial your broiler element with the 15amp router controller and the same controller alternating with broiler or another one dedicated for the chunk burner and run the PID on the main bottom element.

https://www.amazon.com/ALL-CARB-Electric-Rheostat-Variable-Controller/dp/B095JFPYSZ/ref=asc_df_B095JFPYSZ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=563646982761&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5113091788021319488&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9022120&hvtargid=pla-1635410624761&psc=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3Zml8reE_gIVdv_jBx2Big-aEAQYBSABEgI9HfD_BwE

Dr K,

HUGE thanks for the reply back. Just wanted to make sure of the steps:

1) This model smoker has 3 elements (top, bottom and chip/chunk burner) and all can be used except the top or bottom after I do the tallbm no back rewire? I see you suggest that I keep the bottom element using the tallbm method but this will remove using the top element all together, correct?

2) I will swing by harbor freight and pick up a variable controller but you suggested hooking this controller up to the chip / chunk burner power? Do you suggest I use the variable controller for the top and bottom element as well?

3) I looked up the AUBER plug and play via their website, do you have any suggested models to use? There were a few to choose from so if you have some suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again for helping me out.

 

[dr k]

Dr K,

HUGE thanks for the reply back. Just wanted to make sure of the steps:

1) This model smoker has 3 elements (top, bottom and chip/chunk burner) and all can be used except the top or bottom after I do the tallbm no back rewire? I see you suggest that I keep the bottom element using the tallbm method but this will remove using the top element all together, correct?

2) I will swing by harbor freight and pick up a variable controller but you suggested hooking this controller up to the chip / chunk burner power? Do you suggest I use the variable controller for the top and bottom element as well?

3) I looked up the AUBER plug and play via their website, do you have any suggested models to use? There were a few to choose from so if you have some suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again for helping me out.

Even with Mes 430 800 watt element on top and bottom, using both at the same time doesn't appear to be necessary just like not using both at the same time in your kitchen oven. You'll be using the bottom element much more so PID to control your cook precisely with the bottom element and the top element had the five or so original levels of broiling so make a power cord directly to the element on the top as I mentioned and let the power cord plug just hang out till you need to use it with the router controller to finish chxn and crisp the skin etc. The 150 watt chunk burner needs it's own power cord directly connected to it as well and a router controller to it so the bottom burner has the original smoker power cord with no back removal rewire that only heats the bottom element and the top broiler has it's own power cord and router controller and the chunk burner has it's own power cord and router controller. If you don't need smoke while broiling then you can get by with just one router controller and unplug from the chunk burner and plug the top broiler element into it. I use the WS-1510ELPM Auber with the multi purpose sensor so If you get a Mes 40 on FB Marketplace for cheap or free it'll run that 1,200 watt element.

 

[robert55]

Hang tight tallbm will be about soon to help. I would highly recommend wiring in an Auber PID controller to take away your pain as he may suggest. He has walked many of us through the easy wiring process.
And welcome to the forum from ND

Hi thank you for your reply, been a long time, have a masterbuilt Mb20077419 told the smoker probe is bad they dont make this part anymore, I can not use smoker I get Err2 fault and it shuts down, can I buy pass this with this auber pid dont know much about this product, Thank you

 

[tallbm]

Dr K,

HUGE thanks for the reply back. Just wanted to make sure of the steps:

1) This model smoker has 3 elements (top, bottom and chip/chunk burner) and all can be used except the top or bottom after I do the tallbm no back rewire? I see you suggest that I keep the bottom element using the tallbm method but this will remove using the top element all together, correct?

2) I will swing by harbor freight and pick up a variable controller but you suggested hooking this controller up to the chip / chunk burner power? Do you suggest I use the variable controller for the top and bottom element as well?

3) I looked up the AUBER plug and play via their website, do you have any suggested models to use? There were a few to choose from so if you have some suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again for helping me out.

Hi there and welcome!

I think dr k has good info for you. You will just need to figure out which wire ends belong to each other. This means finding where each wire end at a heating element runs to a wire end at the circuit board.

You'll want to unplug ALL the wire ends and then use a multimeter's continuity check function to find the matching ends and then label them with some masking tape and a marker.
If you don't unplug all the wire ends you may get some false positive readings and not know exactly which ends belong together because a number are hooked up in series. The main lower heating element HOT runs to the safety limit switch then to the circuit board, and is a good example of what I mean.

Once you know all the ends you can do the simple rewire so that the MES plug runs to the lower element and will be controlled by the PID controller.

The others will have their own plugs it seems and would be controlled individually with a simpler controller.

Dr k makes a good point that no oven runs both top and bottom element at the same time so I would follow that approach since it is pretty standard for ovens.

Hi thank you for your reply, been a long time, have a masterbuilt Mb20077419 told the smoker probe is bad they dont make this part anymore, I can not use smoker I get Err2 fault and it shuts down, can I buy pass this with this auber pid dont know much about this product, Thank you

Hi there and welcome!
You can bypass the current issue with a simple rewire and use an Auber PID controller to control the heating element for sure.

You just have to do the proper rewiring so that the lower heating element can be controlled by the Auber PID.

dr k has a good suggestion for AbeFromanATL that I would suggest you follow.
It all comes down to identifying the wire ends and then doing simple rewires (cut ends off wires and splice with wirenuts or similar connectors).

I took AbeFromanATL 's circuit board picture to show which wires do and do not matter.
The ones in the green circles matter for the rewire.
The ones in the red rectangles do NOT matter for the rewire and will be useless after the rewire.



So once you find out where these ends connect to the elements and the safety switch as well as the MES power plug. You will be able to know which wires to connect together.

Abe posted the back image of his smoker for this setup. Simpler MES smokers have way less wires. This newer one has 3 elements instead of a single element so Abe's smoker is a little more complex:


The rewire makes it where the MES plug feeds power straight to the main heating element with no control at all. So it will heat up and go until it burns down.
This is why the Auber PID controller is needed.
Once rewired you plug the MES plug into the Auber PID controller.
Then you plug the Auber PID into your home electrical outlet and clip the Auber PID temperature probe/sensor to the bottom rack of the smoker.

You now enter the smoking temperature into the Auber PID and it will take power from the wall and feed it to the MES plug/heating element until it hits and holds that temperature for you to cook.

Simple!

All you have to do is identify the which wire ends belong to each other using the continuity setting on a Multimeter (a $7-$10 tool). Then connect the correct wire ends together and you are done :D

I hope this info helps :)

 

[dr k]

Hi there and welcome!

I think dr k has good info for you. You will just need to figure out which wire ends belong to each other. This means finding where each wire end at a heating element runs to a wire end at the circuit board.

You'll want to unplug ALL the wire ends and then use a multimeter's continuity check function to find the matching ends and then label them with some masking tape and a marker.
If you don't unplug all the wire ends you may get some false positive readings and not know exactly which ends belong together because a number are hooked up in series. The main lower heating element HOT runs to the safety limit switch then to the circuit board, and is a good example of what I mean.

Once you know all the ends you can do the simple rewire so that the MES plug runs to the lower element and will be controlled by the PID controller.

The others will have their own plugs it seems and would be controlled individually with a simpler controller.

Dr k makes a good point that no oven runs both top and bottom element at the same time so I would follow that approach since it is pretty standard for ovens.



Hi there and welcome!
You can bypass the current issue with a simple rewire and use an Auber PID controller to control the heating element for sure.

You just have to do the proper rewiring so that the lower heating element can be controlled by the Auber PID.

dr k has a good suggestion for AbeFromanATL that I would suggest you follow.
It all comes down to identifying the wire ends and then doing simple rewires (cut ends off wires and splice with wirenuts or similar connectors).

I took AbeFromanATL 's circuit board picture to show which wires do and do not matter.
The ones in the green circles matter for the rewire.
The ones in the red rectangles do NOT matter for the rewire and will be useless after the rewire.

View attachment 661768

So once you find out where these ends connect to the elements and the safety switch as well as the MES power plug. You will be able to know which wires to connect together.

Abe posted the back image of his smoker for this setup. Simpler MES smokers have way less wires. This newer one has 3 elements instead of a single element so Abe's smoker is a little more complex:
View attachment 661769

The rewire makes it where the MES plug feeds power straight to the main heating element with no control at all. So it will heat up and go until it burns down.
This is why the Auber PID controller is needed.
Once rewired you plug the MES plug into the Auber PID controller.
Then you plug the Auber PID into your home electrical outlet and clip the Auber PID temperature probe/sensor to the bottom rack of the smoker.

You now enter the smoking temperature into the Auber PID and it will take power from the wall and feed it to the MES plug/heating element until it hits and holds that temperature for you to cook.

Simple!

All you have to do is identify the which wire ends belong to each other using the continuity setting on a Multimeter (a $7-$10 tool). Then connect the correct wire ends together and you are done :D

I hope this info helps :)

I was just thinking of getting two short 14 guage extension cords without female plugs and soldering lugs to the hot and neutral wires. I guess as long as the PID stays plugged into the smoker's original power cord then no need for a ground wire on the top burner power cord or the chunk burner power cord. The ground wire with a circle lug wouldn't hurt and may help eliminate pulling on the hot and neutral if the ground was the shortest of the three wires. MB designed this model so top and bottom element couldn't operate at the same time. I was thinking of this for the top broiler element power cord and the chunk burner power cord: