Fix My Grill Parts finder · repair notes

fix

Side burner will not light

Mains work, side burner dead: separate electrode lead, spider in the side venturi, or a thermocouple tip out of the flame on some carts.

easy PT40M Updated 2026-09-14

Top-down gas firebox layers Cooking grates on top, inverted-V flavorizer bars over the burner tubes, electrode at the left tube. TOP DOWN · GAS FIREBOX 1 cooking grates 2 flavorizer bars 3 burner tubes + ports 4 electrode (left tube) LAYERS (top → bottom) 1 Grates — food sits here 2 Flavorizer / heat tents 3 Burner tubes + ports 4 Electrode at left port Lift grates, then tents, to reach tubes. Gas off.
Fig. — Firebox, top down: grates, flavorizer bars, burner tubes, electrode.

When the main box lights and the side burner does not, treat it as its own gas and spark path. Genesis II E-330 / E-335 sear and many Char-Broil / Nexgrill side burners use a dedicated electrode lead.

Related: Genesis II E-330 igniter (side lead on many 330/335 schematics), lights with match only, spider webs, will not stay lit (thermocouple drop-out). Finder: /.

Procedure

  1. Lid of the side burner open. Try igniter, then a match at the side ports.
  2. No spark on the side only: that one lead / ceramic — not a full main-box module swap yet.
  3. Spark, no fire: clear the side venturi; nests love the short side tube.
  4. Lights then dies on a thermocouple side burner: tip must sit in the flame; bend carefully back into the cone.
  5. Tank off. Soap the side valve and hose after any work.
  6. Cap / grate warped so the electrode shorts: straighten or replace the side grate.
  7. Mains also weak: stop chasing the side burner — regulator.
  8. Sear burner on Genesis II: confirm you ordered the side electrode SKU (often separate from main ceramics).

FAQ

Can I run without the side burner?

Yes for cooking on the mains. Cap it if the valve leaks — soap test; do not ignore a side valve that smells of gas when off.

Related notes

Replace Char-Broil burner tubes

Pull stamped Char-Broil tubes, match length and inlet, reseat on the orifices, and leak-check. Universal tubes that are short are how flashbacks start.

Replace Char-Broil heat plates

Measure tent length and width on Performance and Commercial carts. Heat plates are the drip shields — when they lace, burners die. Do not buy by lid name alone.

Char-Broil igniter replacement

Box-store Char-Broil Performance and Commercial carts: piezo versus AA collector, electrode clips on stamped burners, and why the side burner is a separate lead.

How to find your grill model and serial number

Where rating plates live on Weber, Char-Broil, Nexgrill, and Traeger, what to photograph, and how to use the number in the parts finder without guessing from the lid badge.