If your vape mod isn’t working properly, you’re in the right place. This page is your ultimate guide to fixing any problem with any vaping device. Modern vape mods are incredibly reliable. Most of the time, you can expect your device to be entirely dependable, even if you use it constantly every day. Eventually, though, you’re bound to encounter some problem. Maybe you’re new to vaping and aren’t sure what to do when your vape tastes burnt. Maybe you’ve noticed some strange behavior when connecting your device to its charger. Perhaps it seems like your vape mod isn’t working at all. Whatever the problem might be, you’ll find some actionable tips for fixing it right here.
First Steps When Troubleshooting Any Vape Mod
If you’re an experienced vaper, you can probably skip this section of our troubleshooting guide. If you’re new to vaping, though, you should know that every vaping device with a fire button has a built-in locking function to prevent the device from firing when you don’t want it to – for instance, while you’re carrying the device in your pocket. If you’re trying to use your vape mod and it doesn’t seem to respond at all, it’s possible that the locking function is engaged. With almost every vape mod, you can disengage the lock by pressing the fire button five times.
If your vape mod doesn’t do anything when you attempt to unlock it, the next thing that you should do is try charging the device. It’s possible that the battery is completely dead, and in that case, the device may not even have sufficient remaining battery life to display an error message. If that’s the case, charging the device should resolve that issue.
Time for a New Vape Mod?
If constant troubleshooting is making your vape mod more trouble than it's worth, it's time to upgrade to a more modern device. Here are a few of the best vape mod kits on the market today.
- Voopoo Drag 4: If you've been vaping long enough, you might remember how revolutionary the original Voopoo Drag was when it was first released. Voopoo's advanced Gene chipset could make any coil fire almost instantly, eliminating the lengthy ramp-up times that were common with high-end vape mods at that time. If you haven't tried a Voopoo device recently, the Drag 4 is almost as revolutionary in the world of vape mods as the original Drag was back in the day. With luxury features like three-amp charging and real wood trim, the Drag 4 is guaranteed to be a major step up from whatever you're currently using.
- Geekvape T200: Also known as the Aegis Touch, the Geekvape T200 is easily the most advanced touch-screen vape mod ever released. If you've ever tried a mod with a touch screen in the past, you probably found that the screen wasn't sensitive enough and that the interface didn't really allow you to access your device's functions more quickly. With the Geekvape T200, those problems are long gone. Slick and intuitive, this device is also impressively durable. It meets the IP68 standard for dust and water resistance.
- SMOK Morph 2: If big cloud production is an absolute must for you, the SMOK Morph 2 is a device that definitely deserves your consideration because its maximum power delivery of 230 watts is just about the most that you'll find anywhere. The Morph 2 includes SMOK's TFV18 tank, which is the latest member in the famed Cloud Beast series. Using wide coils and extra-large air vents, this tank's vapor production is truly awe inspiring.
How to Troubleshoot the Battery in Your Vape Mod
Let’s suppose that your vape mod doesn’t respond at all when you try to use it. You’ve tried connecting the device to a power source, and it doesn’t seem to be charging normally. How can you find the cause of the problem?
If your vape mod isn’t charging, the first thing that you should do is troubleshoot the power source. Remember that you should never charge a vaping device by connecting it to the wall adapter for a mobile device. A modern mobile phone or tablet has a high-end battery that can handle a “quick charge” current without overheating. A typical vaping device, on the other hand, requires a 5-volt, 1-amp charging current. If you’ve been charging your vape mod with a mobile device charger – and the device has suddenly stopped responding – it’s entirely possible that the higher charging current has killed the battery.
There are some other ways to tell if the battery in your vape mod is on the way out. When you use the device, does the battery seem to die extremely quickly – and when you charge the device, does the battery seem to charge much more quickly than it once did? Those signs indicate that the capacity of the battery is permanently reduced. If the device’s battery status doesn’t seem to change at all after hours of charging, that’s a sign that the battery is no longer capable of reaching its target voltage. In either of those cases, you’ll need to replace the battery or the mod.
Before you assume that your device’s battery is permanently dead, you should make sure that the charging cable is working properly and that the device is connected to a compliant power source. Try charging the device through your computer using a different USB cable. If the device has a removable battery, you can also try removing the battery and charging it in an external charger.
How to Troubleshoot a Vape Mod That Works but Isn’t Vaping
In the next section of this guide, we’ll explain what you can do to troubleshoot a vape mod that charges and turns on but doesn’t vape. In this situation, you can often learn the nature of the problem simply by looking at your vaping device. If the device has a screen, you may see an error message like “Short Circuit” or “Check Atomizer.” The message will give you an idea of where to begin in troubleshooting the problem. If you have a device without a screen, your vape mod’s light may blink when you try to vape. The number of blinks will signify the device’s fault condition. Count the blinks and consult the device’s instruction manual to find out what’s wrong.
If your vape mod turns on but doesn’t vape, it’s most likely because the mod isn’t making a good electrical connection with the atomizer coil or because the coil itself has a problem. In the event of an incomplete or short circuit, your vape mod should always refuse to fire.
Start by removing the tank from your vape mod and making sure that there isn’t a pool of e-liquid under it. If the tank has leaked, it can cause a wide variety of different problems. Clean the e-liquid with something absorbent such as a cotton swab or paper towel. After drying your device, reconnect the tank. Can you vape? If not, remove the tank again.
If your vape mod is completely dry and still isn’t working, the source of the problem – if the mod itself hasn’t suffered some electronic failure – must be the atomizer coil. With some vape tanks, it’s necessary to screw the atomizer coil in extremely tightly, or it won’t make a good connection with the plate at the base of the tank. Screw the coil in very tightly and reassemble the tank. If your vape mod still isn’t working, replace the atomizer coil. If replacing the coil doesn’t resolve the issue, try using a different tank if you have one. If your mod still isn’t working, it’s possible that the mod itself has a problem.
How to Troubleshoot a Vape Mod That Leaks or Gurgles
The next two problems that we’re going to discuss in this guide are problems that don’t indicate a hardware failure but do affect the quality if your vaping experience. The first of those is when your tank or pod gurgles or leaks. If you hear a gurgling noise when vaping, it means that e-liquid is stuck in the airflow chimney of your device’s tank or pod. The e-liquid blocks airflow, reducing vapor production. It can even lead to e-liquid spitting into your mouth, which is a pretty unpleasant experience – especially if you’re using a high-strength nicotine salt vape juice.
If you’re using a pod system, the most likely reason why your device is gurgling is because you’re using too much air pressure when vaping. The air pressure overwhelms the wick in the atomizer coil with excess e-liquid, causing the coil to flood. The e-liquid begins to move up the pod’s center chimney, which is what causes the gurgling sound. If you’re puffing very firmly because your pod system isn’t providing a satisfying experience, you should consider increasing the nicotine strength of your e-liquid or buying a new pod system – but it’s important to always puff gently.
If you’re using a sub-ohm tank, the tank probably has very large airflow vents, making it almost impossible to puff too firmly. In that case, the reason why your tank is gurgling is most likely because it has a damaged gasket or because it isn’t assembled correctly. To confirm that, you’ll need to disassemble the tank. Check for any sign of damage to the silicone gaskets. The gaskets are there to prevent leaks, and if one is torn or warped, you’re going to experience problems. Replace any damaged components using the spare parts kit included with the tank.
When you reassemble the tank, do so very carefully to ensure that none of the tank’s threads are crossed; crossed threads can also result in a leaking or gurgling tank. Turn the tank’s parts carefully, and if you feel the threads getting stuck, back them up and keep trying until the threads turn smoothly.
How to Troubleshoot a Vape Mod That Tastes Burnt
The final common problem that affects the experience of using a vape mod is an unpleasant burned flavor that manifests itself when you vape. Vaping is supposed to taste good. If it doesn’t, that’s obviously a major problem – and you can find the source of that problem by thinking about how long you’ve been using the atomizer coil that’s currently in your tank. Did you just replace the coil, or have you been using it for a day or two?
If you just replaced the coil, a burned flavor probably indicates that you’re vaping at too high a wattage or that you didn’t give the coil a few minutes to rest after you installed it. When you install a new coil, it’s very important to give the wick several minutes to absorb e-liquid from the tank. If you don’t do that – or you try to push your device’s wattage too far – you can burn the wick. If the cotton is burned, it’ll cause the coil to produce a very unpleasant flavor. There’s no solution for that except to replace the coil.
If you’ve been using the coil for a day or two, you’ll probably need to replace the coil in that case as well – but it’s important to understand the distinction because a coil that begins to taste burned after a day or two of use is a problem that you can mitigate by using a different e-liquid. When you use heavily sweetened e-liquid, the sucralose in the vape juice creates a coating on your atomizer coil. The coating becomes very thick and eventually starts to burn. There’s no way to prevent sucralose from ruining your atomizer coil, but it is possible to make your coils last much longer by using unsweetened e-liquid.