Hobart Legacy+ Mixer Error Er2: Timer Board Communication
Er2 on a Hobart Legacy+ HL800 or HL1400 mixer is a timer board communication error: the SmartTimer board and the motor drive have stopped hearing each other over their RS485 link. Switch the mixer off with the guard closed and cycle power once. If Er2 keeps coming back, book service with us.
Medium: the mixer will not run while the boards cannot communicate, and the cause lies inside the machine.
What does Hobart error code Er2 mean?
Inside the mixer, the SmartTimer board that you see and the motor drive that runs the motor are separate boards. They talk constantly over an RS485 link, a two-wire digital connection. If that conversation stops, the timer board cannot start or stop the drive and Er2 is shown. The code stays until power is cycled and the cause is corrected, and the mixer will not run while it is held. The maker lists four places to look. RS485 wiring and plugs between the boards are first: a loose or disconnected wire is the simplest cause. Damaged insulation where the wire passes through the mixer comes next, since vibration and washdowns wear it over time. Then the timer board itself, and finally the drive, once the wiring and board are cleared. A loose wire and a failed board look the same on the display, so the link has to be tested. Moving or washing the mixer shortly before the code is a useful clue. The display text is Er2.
Affected models and control systems
Hobart Legacy+ HL800 and HL1400 mixers with the SmartTimer display. Other Hobart mixers use different board layouts.
Code numbers and their meaning can change between control generations. We match the full model and control before acting on a code.
What you may notice
- Er2 on the SmartTimer display
- Mixer will not start
- Code after the mixer was moved or washed down
Possible causes
Listed in Hobart's documentation
- RS485 wiring and plugs between the timer board and drive
- Damaged insulation where the wire passes through the mixer
- Timer board
- Drive, once the wiring and board are cleared
Other likely causes — what usually sits behind error code Er2 on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.
- Water that reached a plug during washdown and left corrosion on the pins
- A cable chafed where the head tilts or the bowl lift moves
Safe checks before calling for service
- Switch the mixer off with the guard closed.
- Cycle power once and watch whether the display comes back normally.
- Note whether the code appears at start-up or after the mixer was moved or washed down.
- When Er2 keeps coming back, book service with us.
- Do not open the mixer to look at the wiring.
How a technician diagnoses error code Er2
- Read Er2 and ask what happened shortly before it appeared.
- Inspect the RS485 plugs and wire path for corrosion, chafing and pinch points.
- Check continuity of the communication wires with power removed.
- Reseat both ends of the link and power up to see whether communication returns.
- Test the timer board with a known good board where possible.
- Replace the drive only after the wiring and timer board are cleared.
- The link runs inside the mixer, so checking it is not an owner step.
- The drive stores charge and carries line voltage, so panels are opened only with power isolated.
- A loose wire and a failed board look the same, so we test the wiring first and only then price a board or drive.
Technical reference
- Document
- Large Capacity Mixers Customer Maintenance Manual F48065 (10-22), Diagnostic Error Codes
- Maker documentation
- Hobart owner support
- Edition
- F48065
- Models / control
- Legacy+ HL800 / HL1400 motor drive + SmartTimer display
- Section
- Diagnostic Error Codes HL800 & HL1400, PDF pp. 9-11
- Checked
- October 2026
We use the maker's document to read the code and do not reproduce it. Always confirm the complete model and control before applying these steps.
Related Hobart mixer error codes
What is RS485?
It is the wire pair the timer board and motor drive use to talk to each other.
Can I wash the mixer down after Er2?
Not near the controls. Water in a plug is a common cause of this code.
Will cycling power fix it?
Only if the connection was briefly lost. A repeat points to the wiring or a board.
Need help with Hobart error code Er2?
A technician confirms the cause on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.