Napoleon is undoubtedly one of the best American Manufacturers of grills, and offers a massive lineup of feature-rich grills and accessories.
Even though my Napoleon Prestige Pro 500 grill came loaded with innovative features, the first thing that was a bit challenging was turning it on.
After a few attempts, I finally fire up my grill and prepared it for my grilling session. In this article, I will go over the steps I took to turn on my Napoleon grill, key lighting tips, and troubleshooting your Napoleon grill in the event it won’t start.
Table of Contents
How to Turn on Napoleon Grill for First Time Use?
Since napoleon manufactures a massive range of grills, the instructions may vary slightly across models, so it’s a good idea to refer to your owner’s guide for specific lighting instructions.
1. Ensure the Grill is Assembled Properly
Most Napoleon grills don’t come fully assembled, so the first thing to do is put the parts such as the burners together.
Depending on the model you buy, you may need an extra pair of hands to help with the assembly process.
Next, place the propane tank in its dedicated slot at the bottom of the grill, and attach the regulator hose.
Whether you’ve assembled your Napoleon grill yourself or through a dealer, you need to make sure that the electrodes are fitted securely with their connectors. Electrodes are one of the most important components of a grill and are responsible for producing the spark.
The electrodes of most Napoleon grills are located under the control panel or tucked away neatly under the grill’s cabinet.
Next, check the burners to see that they are seated properly in their respected valves. Further, take a closer look at the sear plates to ensure that the burners are lodged in their housing correctly.
Lastly and most importantly, you should perform a leak test at least twice a year whether your Napoleon grill is brand new or used. For the leak test, you will require a 50/50 mixture of dish soap and water.
Brush each connection where the gas is flowing with this mixture including the main burner connections and side burner connections, and if notice any bubbles forming, tighten those connections and test again.
2. Turning on the Napoleon Grill
Regardless of what type of Napoleon grill you’re using, the first thing to do before starting the appliance is to open the lid and make sure the burner controls are in the off position.
The burners of Napoleon grills are clearly marked with their functions such as left burner, right burner, rotisserie burner, etc.
Speaking of which, you shouldn’t use the rotisserie burner while the main burners are operating.
You can fire up any of the burners in your Napoleon grill by pushing and turning any main burner knob to the “hi” position, which ignites the pilot flame, and lights the burner selected. Keep pushing down on the knob until the burner lights, and then release the knob.
How to Turn on Napoleon Grill When It Won’t Light?
In spite of setting up your Napoleon grill correctly according to manufacturer instructions, there may be times when it just won’t light up, and this may be caused due to several reasons, most notably:
1. What are the reasons a Napoleon Grill won’t light?
A. Burners, electrodes, wires, and batteries aren’t in good working condition
Over time, components of a gas grill can receive significant wear and tear, and some may even fall apart and get disconnected.
B. Dirt and debris clogged in the grill’s burners
This is a common issue that can cause your Napoleon grill to not light, and typically happens when you don’t clean your grill regularly.
C. Dirt or rust may be affecting the igniter electrodes
As I mentioned earlier, electrodes are perhaps the most important parts of a gas grill, because they ignite the gas to fire up the grill.
The electrodes can also be affected by dirt and rust, which can prevent your Napoleon grill from lighting.
D. Propane tank not properly connected to the grill
If your propane tank isn’t connected properly to your Napoleon grill, it will probably not light. The solution to this is simple, where you check that the coupling nut is connected properly to the tank’s cylinder valve.
E. Bad weather
Outdoor conditions are unpredictable, and windy weather can prevent your grill from lighting.
F. Grill’s igniter battery may be dead
Most, if not all Napoleon grills come with advanced ignition systems, which operate with the help of an ignition battery. The grill should have no problem lighting when the battery is charged and good, but will have trouble lighting if the battery is dead.
G. Ignition module may be faulty or damaged
The ignition module is essentially the brain of your Napoleon grill and is engineered to send a current to the
H. Spark generator may be damaged or worn out
The spark generator of a Napoleon grill can come in two forms—battery or piezo. Regardless of which one you have, you should check for a clicking sound, which wil indicate if it’s in food working order.
2. How to Make Repairs and Light a Napoleon Grill?
A. Fixing Burners, electrodes, wires, and batteries
If you don’t clean your grill burners often, you’re going to have to deal with clogs and perhaps damage over the long term.
Over time, dirt, debris, and even insects and pests can clog the tubes of the burners, which you can clean by first disconnecting the grill from its fuel source.
Next, open the grill to air it out, remove the burners, inspect the ports, and clean any dirt and debris.
Similarly, check the igniter electrodes to see if they’re affected by dirt or rust. You can use a toothpick along with a bleach-free cleaner to remove the dirt and rust, after which dry the electrodes with a paper towel.
B. Connecting the propane tank properly to the grill
Connecting the propane tank to your Napoleon grill is fairly simple, and you can do it with just your bare hands—no tools required. After you’ve made the adjustments, light up the grill to see if it’s working.
C. Grilling in bad weather
Let’s be realistic, the weather isn’t always going to be sunny with no chance of rain. Both moisture and freezing temperatures can prevent your grill from lighting, but that shouldn’t stop you from grilling!
If your gas lines are frozen, bring the propane tank inside and let it sit until it warms up to room temperature.
D. Fixing Napoleon grill igniter battery
Most Napoleon grills operate with the help of an ignition battery, and just like your TV remote, if the battery is dead, the grill won’t light up.
Before buying the battery for replacement, check if the current battery is positioned properly. Use a dry cloth to rub the battery, and reinstall it to see if the grill lights. If it doesn’t, it’s time to replace the battery.
E. Repairing the ignition module
Remember that clicking noise when you press the igniter button, if you don’t hear that clicking sound, then your module may be damaged.
You will have to get in touch with Napoleon to have your grill looked at and or to order a replacement module.
When to Call an Expert if Your Napoleon Grill Won’t Light?
If you’ve tried all the aforementioned tips to fix your Napoleon grill that won’t light up, then it’s time to ring the experts.
Napoleon is one of the few companies that offers a long and impressive warranty, so you may be able to get the repairs done at no cost to you.
Final Thoughts
If your Napoleon grill won’t light, there’s no need to break a sweat just yet, because there may be several reasons for the issue.
Refer to your owner’s manual for troubleshooting tips, and call the manufacturer if none of them get the issue resolved.
