Genesis Silver B igniter question


 
J

Jerry Gavin

New member
My grill is eighteen years old and the igniter has not worked for years. I purchased a replacement a few days ago and installed it after cleaning the grill. I get gas from the burners and a spark from the igniter but it does not light the grill. I watched a video, followed the instructions and talked to the people where I bought the igniter. They don’t know why it’s not working, any thoughts from the forum would be appreciated, thanks. This is my first post, hopefully I’m phrasing the question correctly.
 
Did you replace the small hood that covers the spark? Mine tends to rust out and that tends to prevent the starter from having enough propane near it to light.
 
The opening of the box should also be facing the burner tube. Double check that you have the ground wire connected to the box and you should be able to light it ....
 
I second the comment about the hood. I fashioned one from part of a flattened out tuna can and it worked well for a few years and was easy to replace. At the very least it would diagnose your issue.
 
New igniters come with the metal hood, right?

Could the burner be a little clogged near the igniter? Try cleaning the burner really well with a wire brush.

Can you post a pic?
 
DanHoo said:
Could the burner be a little clogged near the igniter? Try cleaning the burner really well with a wire brush.
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This is a great suggestion too. The box holds some gas and some oxygen, then the spark ignites it so a lack of spark, fuel or air would cause a lack of ignition. Gas is a good place to start!

I have cleaned / sanded the contacts before, looking for the strongest spark I could get. My ignitor works most of the time, and it's at least as rusted out as the picture but since it ain't broke, I don't fix it.
 
I cleaned the holes on the burner and the new igniter came with the metal hood. The open part was facing the burner. Since it wasn’t working I returned it to the store. There wasn’t much of a spark when I tested it, is that normal?
 
Jerry Gavin said:
There wasn’t much of a spark when I tested it, is that normal?
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That's what I meant by saying I have cleaned the contact on the metal box to get a good ground. I have increased my spark strength that way before. Also, just kind of really check the connections at the button too, make sure the electrical connection is as good as you can get it. Did you get another one?
 
THyde said:
That's what I meant by saying I have cleaned the contact on the metal box to get a good ground. I have increased my spark strength that way before. Also, just kind of really check the connections at the button too, make sure the electrical connection is as good as you can get it. Did you get another one?
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Yes, I made the connections as tight as possible on both ends, many times. I didn’t get another one, but if I do, I’ll try cleaning the contacts. When I returned it, they took out another one to compare the spark. It was about the same.
 
Bruce said:
Grab the end of the white lead in one hand, then grab the end of the black lead in the other hand. Then have someone push the button. If don't start cussing immediately, there is a problem with the igniter.
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Those igniters do put out a "shocking" amount of electricity. That's probably why the grill usually starts on the first push of the button.
 
The hood is a gas collector. The gas mix comes out of the burner holes that are directed toward the collector and are ignited by the spark that jumps between electrode and collector. You have to have gas collected inside the hood to ignite. It's a simple system, not much to go wrong. Are the round burner holes (and the other holes in the vicinity of the collector) open? You've said you have spark, so I'd be looking for no gas mix in the collector.

Igniter inside view Burner Holes.png
 
Ed P said:
The hood is a gas collector. The gas mix comes out of the burner holes that are directed toward the collector and are ignited by the spark that jumps between electrode and collector. You have to have gas collected inside the hood to ignite. It's a simple system, not much to go wrong. Are the round burner holes (and the other holes in the vicinity of the collector) open? You've said you have spark, so I'd be looking for no gas mix in the collector.

View attachment 52187
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I checked the holes the other day and rechecked them today, and they are open. I used a toothbrush and pick to make sure there was gas escaping. I tried turning on the first burner and lighting a lighter a couple inches away, presto. I’m thinking of buying the igniter again and cleaning the contacts as was suggested, who knows. Thanks for all the replies, there’s a lot of knowledge here.
 
I'm sorry that your brand new OEM part did not work for you. I've never had that experience.

Based on what I've read above, the part worked and the grill lights up with a match.
That makes me think the installation is faulty.
You verified that the box is facing the burner so the mechanical installation was probably solid.
Next I would check the wiring. A poor connection would likely get some spark and eventually light. I wonder if you hooked up a wire to the wrong place and thus aren't getting any spark at all. Best thing that I can think of that matches all the evidence.
 
Scott Smith said:
I'm sorry that your brand new OEM part did not work for you. I've never had that experience.

Based on what I've read above, the part worked and the grill lights up with a match.
That makes me think the installation is faulty.
You verified that the box is facing the burner so the mechanical installation was probably solid.
Next I would check the wiring. A poor connection would likely get some spark and eventually light. I wonder if you hooked up a wire to the wrong place and thus aren't getting any spark at all. Best thing that I can think of that matches all the evidence.
Click to expand...
The connections were made correctly. If I do buy another igniter, I’ll make sure the contacts are cleaned before installing. I’ve seen photos were the tab for the white wire is bent at a 45 outside the box, is that correct?
 
It should be bent as flush with the box as possible. The gas collector on the inside should be as perpendicular to box and parallel to the burner after install as possible.
 
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