Discuss, share information, ask questions, and show off your expertise on Yoder ACS Pellet Cookers.

Click the links below to go directly to available resources:
**Pellet cookers** - YS480, YS640
**Competition Pellet cookers** - YS480 Comp, YS640 Comp, YS1500 Comp, Cimarron Comp
**Pellet Cooker Warranty**
July 11th, 2021, 12:06 pm
#1
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: January 4th, 2019, 9:34 am
  • Posts: 3

I started having issues with my 640 igniting in the past 3-4 months. About 30% of the time it wont ignite and I have to clean out the pellets and try again. It ignites on the 2nd attempt most of the time, sometimes takes 3.

So I ordered a replacement igniter to fix it and while replacing the igniter I noticed quite a few pellets behind the igniter?? I vacuumed them out and finished the replacement of the igniter. I installed the burn grate and notice it has about 3/8" of play left and right which I didn't remember having. When its fully right, there is a gap on the left some of the pellets would fall behind the burn grate. I thought that before there was very little to no play in the grate when it is in place.

Remembered I kept my old burn grate when I did the ACS, burn grate and igniter upgrade. The burn grate has straightened upward shortening it by about 3/8" left to right. See attachment. Need a new one. Im guessing that my problem is when the grate is up against the left side it doesn't ignite and when it is against the right, it ignites but a few pellets fall in the behind the burn grate.

One thing to note is I have been using the Yoder griddle quite a bit over the last 3-4 months without the burn grate diffuser in place and running at 325 to 425 degrees. When I do this, there is quite a bit of flames under the grill as it is trying to heat up and the temps overshoot the temperature setting. Can't remember how high the temp gets but I think its 500-550. I also leave the griddle in place a lot when I smoke and just put the diffuser fire box plate in place and slide the griddle back in place. My guess is because the solid grill doesn't allow the heat to move toward the grill temperature sensor so it keeps adding pellets at too high a rate. Therefore the burn grate sees really high temps and gradually straightens.... just a theory.

Maybe there should be a separate start up logic when using the griddle. On startup when I have the griddle in place, I'm going to slide the griddle to the right and get the grill to temp and then slide the grill back in place and hopefully avoid this....

Hope this helps someone having a similar problem. As to why and what the fix is ? as my wife says I should leave it to the experts !

July 12th, 2021, 7:19 am
#2
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: January 4th, 2019, 9:34 am
  • Posts: 3
July 20th, 2021, 2:33 pm
#3
* Kingman ** Kingman *
  • Joined: September 3rd, 2014, 11:04 pm
  • Posts: 422

Wait, you have the burn grate (The bent metal piece where the pellets fall) removed?????

July 20th, 2021, 3:45 pm
#4
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: January 4th, 2019, 9:34 am
  • Posts: 3

No, I just have the diffuser on top of the burn grate removed when I use the griddle.

I received the new burn grate and the old one was definitely bent to where it could slide to the left and cover enough of the igniter so it wouldn't light, slide to the right and ignites but some pellets fall behind the burn grate. With the new one it doesn't have the play in it to slide right or left, so it ignites and pellets do not fall behind the burn grate.

It definitely helps on startup when using the griddle to slide it over to the right until you reach temperature...

Return to ACS Pellet