True Refrigerator Error Code P2: Dixell Evaporator Probe Failure
P2 on a True cabinet with a Dixell controller means the evaporator probe, the sensor clipped to the cooling coil, has stopped reporting. The cabinet may keep cooling for a while, then warm as frost builds. Silence the alarm, look for frost, check food temperature, and call us.
Medium: defrost control is lost, so frost and warm product can follow over days.
- Code
- P2
- Maker
- True
- Equipment
- Reach-in refrigerators
- Applies to
- Dixell controller
What does True error code P2 mean?
The evaporator probe tells the Dixell control when a defrost has melted the ice, so models such as the T-49-HC and the TSSU-48-12M-B-HC prep table depend on it. When the control stops getting a signal from it, P2 appears. Losing the probe can leave defrost running on a timer, ending early or too late. Ending early leaves ice on the coil, and ending late wastes heat in the cabinet. You may see a cabinet that keeps cooling for a while and then gets warm as frost builds on the coil and airflow drops. Because the effect takes days to show, P2 is easy to put off, but the frost does not clear on its own. A technician checks the plug and clip on the coil, the wire between the coil and the control, and finally the second probe input on the board.
Affected models and control systems
True cabinets with a Dixell controller, including the T-49-HC and the TSSU-48-12M-B-HC prep table.
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
- P2 on the display
- Heavy frost on the back wall or coil cover
- Cabinet warming after several days
- Water in the drain pan area or on the floor
Possible causes
Listed in True's documentation
- A loose or corroded plug on the Dixell evaporator probe lead
- Ice or a loose clip leaving the evaporator probe off the coil
- A chafed or iced-over probe wire between the coil and the Dixell control
- A dead input for the second probe on the Dixell control board
Other likely causes — what usually sits behind error code P2 on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.
- A probe clip knocked loose when the coil cover was removed for cleaning
- A defrost that has already ended early and left a base layer of ice
- Water that refroze around the probe lead
Safe checks before calling for service
- Press a button to quiet the display if it is alarming.
- Open the door briefly and look for heavy frost on the back wall or coil cover.
- Check product temperature with a thermometer.
- If P2 stays on or the cabinet warms up, move perishable food out.
- Call us and tell us how heavy the frost looks.
How a technician diagnoses error code P2
- Read the code and confirm cabinet temperature.
- Inspect the evaporator probe clip and the coil for ice.
- Measure probe resistance and compare it with the expected value.
- Check the plug and the wire to the control for chafing or ice.
- Run a manual defrost and watch how it ends.
- Replace the probe, then the board only if the second input is dead.
- Defrost heaters run on line voltage in the evaporator housing.
- Chipping ice off a coil can puncture it and release refrigerant.
- Probe checks need a meter and a reference temperature.
How error code P2 differs from similar codes
P1 is the thermostat probe on the same Dixell control, while P2 is the evaporator probe that governs defrost.
Technical reference
- Document
- Commercial Refrigeration General Control Guide TEC_TM_001 Rev C, Dixell p.96 Display Code Definitions
- Edition
- TEC_TM_001 | REV. C | EN, 09/3/2025, P#811072
- Models / control
- Dixell controller
- Section
- Electronic Control (with Display) - Display Code Definitions: Carel p. 74, Danfoss ERC/ETC p. 87, Dixell p. 96, LAE p. 110
- 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 True reach-in refrigerator error codes
Will the cabinet keep cooling with P2?
It can for a while. Over days frost builds and cooling suffers.
Is P2 the same as P1?
No. P1 is the air probe and P2 is the evaporator probe.
Should I remove the frost?
No. Tools can damage the coil, so leave it to a technician.
Need help with True error code P2?
A technician confirms the cause on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.