15+ Masterbuilt 560 Problems with Troubleshooting Guide

Masterbuilt 560 is a gravity-fed charcoal smoker that stands out from its peers in many ways. It’s an efficient digital smoker with a set-it-and-forget mechanism. 

Plus, it has some compelling features to deliver an incredible smoky essence to your food.

But there is no denying that this very smoker also comes with some common issues. Sometimes, it might bother you with a faulty control panel and sometimes, it doesn’t connect through the app, Bluetooth, or wifi.

Whatever the problem is, there is a solution. With the following troubleshooting guide on Masterbuilt 560 problems, you can easily fix your smoker at home without any expert help.

So, be careful not to miss any step.

15+ Masterbuilt 560 Problems with Troubleshooting Guide

Here, I am going to address the major Masterbuilt 560 issues reported by its users over the years. I also faced some of these problems while running my smoker. 

You don’t need to worry though. This Gravity series workhorse might malfunction once in a while in some particular departments. It’s not like you need to fix all the following issues in a single smoker. So, relax!

Masterbuilt 560 Not Turning On

Suppose, you’re all set to smoke some steaks after a long time in your Masterbuilt 560. You add sufficient charcoal, light them up, and plug in the grill.

But guess what, the grill just doesn’t turn on!

What on earth happened? Is it because of the worn-out extension cord? Or did you set the temperature wrong? There could be other reasons as well.

Here are some key points to look forward to if the Masterbuilt 560 suddenly doesn’t turn on-

• Check if the power source is working or not.
• Clean the heat sensor and controller if they are dirty. 
• Check the thermostat. If it’s too old, you should replace it.
• Verify if the temperature gauge is set above 40° F or not. Otherwise, the smoker won’t start.
• Clean the circuit board thoroughly to operate the smoker smoothly. 
• Finally, confirm that the power light is working. 

Masterbuilt 560 Wifi Problems

Now, you might find it weird, I did too. But what to do when Masterbuilt 560 doesn’t connect to wifi when your router has more than 10 characters as a password?

Wait, there is more. The password cannot even have any numbers or special characters, only letters.

What you need to do now is to download a firmware update. Connect the device to your phone hotspot to download it.

Now, go to the grill settings to check whether it’s updated or not. After the update completes, you can connect Masterbuilt 560 to your regular Wi-Fi network.

Another thing to remember is that you can only connect this cooker to 2.4 GHz wifi. So, you must use a 2.4 GHz network instead of 5 GHz.

Masterbuilt 560 Bluetooth Problem

Honestly speaking, Masterbuilt 560 rarely has troubles with Bluetooth connectivity. But if it happens, you should first check whether your phone’s Bluetooth is updated or not.

For Android users, the Bluetooth operating system should be version 4 or higher. For iOS devices, it must be 11 and higher.

If you cannot connect the cooker to your phone via Bluetooth, try inputting the “0000” code. 

Nevertheless, if you open the lid while cooking, the smoker automatically goes to the “Monitor Only” mode and loses Bluetooth connection. 

To solve the issue, you need to close the lid first. Then press and hold the “connect” button on your cooker until you hear a long beep.

If your phone’s Bluetooth is on, it will automatically get paired to the Masterbuilt 560.

Masterbuilt 560 App Problems

To solve Masterbuilt 560 app issues, you must install the latest version of the app whether you use an Android or iOS device.

Despite having the latest version installed, if the smoker doesn’t connect through the app, uninstall and reinstall it. 

Also, you need to clear the cache data of the app before you connect it to your grill.

Problem With The Control Panel 

Is the control panel in your Masterbuilt 560 not working? Don’t fret! You are not alone. Mine also gave me a hard time.

Nevertheless, these are the probable causes behind the control panel malfunction-

• Dirty control panel
• Overuse of the smoker 
• Blown fuse
• Breakage or physical damage 
• Exposure to direct sunlight or freezing temperature 

If you are curious how these reasons manipulate the control panel/display to go out of work, check out my Masterbuilt 560 Control Panel Not Working article.

Problem With Fan 

Well, there are two types of problems regarding Masterbuilt 560 fans. Sometimes, it doesn’t work and sometimes, it doesn’t turn on at all.

If you cannot turn on the fan, there is probably charcoal or food grease stuck inside. You should check carefully and remove them.

Secondly, the fan motor is probably broken. So, you have no way but to replace the fan.

Here I talked about some suitable fan replacements for your Masterbuilt 560 charcoal smoker. You can check that out if needed.

But if the fan suddenly stops working, there is room for repair. It might be due to the faulty controller, damaged temperature sensor, open ash door, stuck charcoal pieces, or wrong temperature setting. 

And the potential quick fixes are as follows-

• Identify any frayed wires and repair them between the fan and the controller.
• Check the temperature sensor to be sure of its accuracy. If it’s faulty, just replace it.
• To make the 560 fan work, you must keep the ash door/ hopper lid closed.
• Remove any charcoal pieces or food particles that stop the fan from moving. 
• Make sure that the cabinet temperature never goes beyond the fan’s set temperature. 
• Finally, the fan might stop working due to overheating. So, turning the smoker off, waiting for a while, and restarting it will solve the problem.

Masterbuilt 560 Sensor Problem 

If you leave the smoker outside for too long, the cheap materials of the door sensors don’t hold up. Resultantly, the sensors won’t work accurately. 

So, make sure to go for regular grill care and maintenance suggested by Masterbuilt to make all its components work.

Firebox Problem

It’s true the Masterbuilt 560 firebox gets hot easily. 

As a result, it doesn’t last long leading to sudden flare-ups. 

Dangerous, isn’t it? That’s why you should be more careful and often check the firebox unit for any crack, rust, corrosion, hole, or warp.

Upon noticing any physical damage, you should replace the unit with a compatible replacement. 

Looking for the correct Masterbuilt 560 firebox replacement unit? I have already suggested one in one of my previous articles.

Bad Workmanship Or Engineering

Some customers complained that they couldn’t assemble the 560 smoker due to the misalignment in the holes.

If you are unfortunate enough to face a similar issue, register your product on the Masterbuilt support site with the required evidence. Hopefully, you will get a refund.

Meat Probe Reads The Wrong Temp

Do you remember what I discussed in one of my articles called Masterbuilt 560 Temperature Issues? If you don’t clean the meat probe after every use, it doesn’t provide the correct temperature reading. 

But sometimes, the probe doesn’t work right out of the box. If it starts reading temperature incorrectly from the very first smoke, you should contact customer service and claim for a replacement. 

Chassis Leaks

If you unfortunately get a faulty unit, you will see that the chassis leaks from every seam of the smoker despite leveling.

What else can you do other than contact the Masterbuilt team and wait for their response? 

Thankfully, most people get either a refund or a replacement in such cases.

Grease Leakage 

One of the major issues with Masterbuilt 560 is that it leaks food grease everywhere including the whole patio, all of its legs, and wheels. What a mess!

If you notify them about this problem, they will send you a bottom tray to catch the grease. If that doesn’t work, they will send you the entire body to stop grease leakage.

Uses A Lot Of Charcoal

Despite being the smallest smoker from the Masterbuilt Gravity series, it eats a lot of fuel. If the hopper isn’t filled with sufficient amounts of charcoal, heating gets slower.

Well, it’s partly because of the super thin body, partly because of the wider grates.

I mean you need almost half a bag of charcoal for 10 pounds of chicken and a couple of steaks. Does it make any sense?

Nevertheless, you can try mixing different wood pellets with charcoal to minimize fuel consumption. 

But it takes a lot of trial and error to mix them in the right proportion. 

Also Read: Best Fire Starter For Masterbuilt 560 (My Top 5 Picks)

Shuts Off On Its Own

This is perhaps the biggest complaint regarding Masterbuilt 560. After a certain period of use, the unit shuts off suddenly in the middle of a cook.

Then you need to unplug the grill, plug it back in, and hit the power button to restart the grill. What a hassle, isn’t it?

I think Masterbuilt should pay serious attention to this issue and solve it immediately. 

Bad Quality Material 

The Masterbuilt 560 is an affordable charcoal smoker for sure. But unfortunately, it has been subjected to cost-cutting.

The manufacturers used poor quality material which made the unit rust quickly.

Besides, the stainless steel parts are so soft and thin that they get smashed during assembly. 

Rotisserie Problem 

It’s sad but true that the rotisserie motor fails after a few cooks. If only Masterbuilt made all the components more carefully! 

Poor Customer Support

Reportedly, Masterbuilt customer support is not very friendly. If you want to claim a replacement or refund, there is a lengthy registration process that requires providing pictures of the invoice, serial no, etc. 

Moreover, they usually direct you to their PDF if you ask for a solution instead of explaining them.

Though the PDF has everything regarding troubleshooting, it’s a bit of a hassle to find out the exact solution. 

Hopper Latch Easily Get Rusted

As I discussed above, the entire unit is subjected to poor quality control. No wonder the hopper latch starts rusting within a few weeks.

Poorly Made Unit

Due to the cheap material quality, serious grillers aren’t very happy with this product. 

Reportedly, the fiberglass matting inside the coal chute gets exposed within half a year of smoking. 

And the soft metal body is so light that it sometimes bends while getting shipped.

Furthermore, the interior walls and the firebox don’t last long when you use the grill regularly. 

I hope Masterbuilt upgrades its product quality by using high-quality materials.

Conclusion

If I have to talk about the pros of Masterbuilt 560, I can actually go on with the list. It’s smart, compact, versatile, beginner-friendly, and an absolute value for money. 

But what about the Masterbuilt 560 problems? 

With countless positive features, it does come with some negatives as well. 

Fortunately, all these are minor issues that mostly result from the mismanagement of the smoker. If you strictly follow the user manual to maintain the grill, it is a true workhorse, indeed.

Still, if you find any issues while running the smoker, I hope this guide gets you covered for fixing them at once.