If your vape isn’t hitting, that’s bad news – particularly if you don’t have a second device that you can use while you’re troubleshooting the problem. Today’s vaping devices are so problem free that you always expect your vape to work when you want to use it. That makes it particularly surprising if your vape isn’t pulling smoke – and if you’re like most of us, chances are that you’re not the world’s greatest troubleshooter when you’re in the middle of a nic fit.

Never fear. If you have a vape that isn’t hitting, chances are that the fix is a simple one. There are some troubleshooting steps that apply to any vape that isn’t working, and there are also some steps that only apply to certain types of devices. In this article, we’re going to walk you through some steps that can help you fix any type of vape including a disposable vape, a pod system, a vape pen and more.

Are you an herbal vaping aficionado? Never fear – this article will also include tips for fixing a cart battery or dab pen that isn’t hitting. Let’s dive in!

Vape Not Hitting: General Troubleshooting Tips for All Devices

There are many different types of vapes on the market today, and each type has its own design quirks that can sometimes lead to the device not working. Regardless of what you’re using, though, there are a few troubleshooting steps that always apply to a vape that isn’t hitting. Before you dig too deeply into this guide, try these steps to get your device working.

• Connect the vape to your computer and charge the battery. Your vape can’t pull smoke if the battery is dead. In most cases, charging the battery is all that’s necessary to fix the problem. If the device doesn’t light up when you connect it to your computer, your vape isn’t charging – and that’s an entirely different issue.
• If you have a vape with a manual fire button, make sure that the device is turned on. Usually, this is done by pressing the fire button five times.
• Replace your device’s pod, cartridge or coil. Your vape can’t work if the device doesn’t have a solid electrical connection with the heating element. If the pod, cartridge or coil is damaged or has a manufacturing defect, your device won’t work until you replace it.

Disposable Vape Not Hitting

A disposable vape that isn’t hitting must be one of the most annoying problems in all of vaping because disposables are supposed to be the most user-friendly devices on the market. There’s no reason to expect anything other than a big mouthful of vapor when you puff on a disposable vape – until that doesn’t happen. In addition to the steps listed above, here’s how to fix a disposable vape that isn’t hitting.

Check for a Blinking Light

Check to see if the device is blinking when you puff on it. When a disposable vape blinks, it means the battery is dead. If the device has a USB port, you can recharge the battery and continue vaping. You can often recharge a disposable vape several times before it runs out of e-liquid. If your disposable vape doesn’t have a USB port, it’s time to dispose of it. A non-rechargeable disposable vape is designed to run out of vape juice and battery power at about the same time.

Check for an Airflow Issue

So far, manufacturers have only created disposable vapes with automatic puff sensors – not with manual fire buttons. That means air must be able to flow through the device, or it won’t work. To prevent leaking and unwanted activation, many disposable vapes ship with stickers over their airflow openings. If your disposable vape has a sticker, you’ll need to remove it before you can use the device. You should also check to make sure that you aren’t inadvertently covering the airflow hole with your finger while you use the device.

Puff More Firmly

The last thing that you should try with a disposable vape that isn’t hitting is simply puffing more firmly on the device. Disposable vapes are manufactured cheaply and in massive quantities. Once in a while, a device may ship with an airflow sensor that doesn’t quite work normally – and when this happens, you can often force the device to work simply by puffing harder.

Vape Mod or Vape Pen Not Hitting

Vape mods, vape pens and pod systems are a bit more complicated than disposable vapes because they have more components and often have controls that you can manipulate as well. The tips at the top of this article are particularly useful for troubleshooting a vape mod or vape pen that isn’t hitting because fixing the problem is often as simple as turning the device on or replacing the coil. If your vape still isn’t hitting, try these troubleshooting steps.

Check for an Error Message and Determine Its Cause

If you’re using a vape mod with a screen, the first thing that you should do is check the screen to see if it’s displaying an error message when you try to vape. Here are a few common error messages and their causes. You can consult your mod’s instruction manual for more information.

• No Atomizer, Check Coil, Atomizer Short, Coil Short: Your vape either isn’t detecting the connected atomizer coil, or the coil has a problem that’s causing a short circuit. Make sure that the coil is properly installed. If the coil is installed correctly, replace it.
• Low Battery, Low Volts: Your vape’s battery doesn’t have sufficient voltage to power the connected coil. Charge your mod.
• High Temperature, Overheat: Your vape’s internal temperature sensor detects that your vape has overheated. Move your device to a cooler location and stop using it for a while. Don’t use your vape in direct sunlight, and don’t store it in your car when you aren’t using it.
• Low Resistance: The resistance of the connected coil is lower than what your device supports. If you know that the coil should work with your mod, the coil is probably defective or installed improperly.

If You’re Using a Pod System, Check for a Leak

Pod-based devices are some of the most popular vapes on the market today because they’re small, sleek and easy to use. One problem with some pod systems, though, is that the pins allowing the pods to interface with the batteries are often poorly sealed. If a pod leaks, the e-liquid can travel below the pins and contaminate the device’s internal components.

If your pod system isn’t hitting, remove the pod and look under it. Is the device’s chamber full of e-liquid? Dry it with a paper towel. Turn the device over. Hold a clean paper towel over the chamber at the top of the device while blowing hard through the airflow hole at the bottom. This will force most of the e-liquid out. Try using your pod system again. If it still isn’t hitting, seal it in a bag with some desiccant packets or dry rice for a few days and see if it starts working.

Check the Tank’s Center Pin

One of the pleasures of owning a vape mod is that you don’t need to use the tank included with the device – you can connect any tank you want. In rare cases, though, a third-party tank may not work because the pin at the bottom of the tank doesn’t touch the pin in the center of your mod’s threading. If your tank’s pin has an indentation for a screwdriver, you can adjust it manually. If it doesn’t, it may still be possible to extend the pin with a pair of tweezers.

If You’re Using a Pre-Filled Pod System, Puff More Firmly

Pre-filled pod systems are a bit like disposable vapes in that they’re often manufactured very inexpensively using cheap components. That means – just like with disposable vapes – it’s possible for a pod vape to occasionally have an airflow sensor that isn’t sensitive enough. Try puffing on your device more firmly. If that doesn’t work, try covering the device’s airflow hole partially with your finger to increase the air pressure.

Cart Battery Not Hitting

We told you that we wouldn’t leave you in the lurch if you’re an herbal vaping aficionado. A 510-thread battery is basically the same as any other type of vaping device, so the tips that we provided at the beginning of the article will apply to you even if you aren’t using your vape pen for nicotine e-liquid. Oil cartridges aren’t the same as e-liquid tanks, though, so there are a few different troubleshooting steps that you should try with a 510-thread battery that isn’t hitting.

Check for a Leak Under the Cartridge

One of the first things that you should always do if your cart battery isn’t hitting is remove the cartridge and check for a leak under it. An e-liquid leak is always bad, but a leaking oil cartridge is something else entirely because herbal oils are extremely thick and will block the flow of power from the battery to the cartridge. If a vape cart leaks, you should remove the oil from your vape pen promptly. If you find the oil difficult to remove, use a cotton swab dibbed in rubbing alcohol to dissolve it.

Check for a Clogged Cartridge

If you’re certain that your vape pen doesn’t have a leak, it’s possible that you’re dealing with a clogged cartridge. A vape cart can clog in two ways. Vapor can condense in the airflow channel and solidify, and in this case, you’ll find it difficult to inhale through the cartridge. It’s also possible for a vape cartridge’s wick to clog because the oil is too cold and viscous to absorb into the ceramic. If your vape pen isn’t hitting because the cartridge is clogged, here’s how to fix it.

• If you’re having trouble inhaling through the cartridge, run a paperclip down the cartridge’s mouthpiece and see if you can feel a clog. If you can dislodge the clog with the paperclip, the cartridge should begin working.
• If the cartridge has airflow but no smoke, it’s likely that the oil is too cold and thick to absorb properly into the ceramic wick. To fix this, you’ll need to warm the cartridge. Seal it in a zip-top bag. Place the bag in a bowl and run warm water over it for a while. Once the oil is sufficiently warm, you’ll see bubbles forming around the wick openings inside the cartridge. When the wick is fully saturated, the cartridge should begin working.

Dab Pen Not Hitting

A cart battery isn’t the only type of herbal vape pen. Dab pens have become increasingly popular thanks to the flavor and potency of wax extracts. As with the other types of vapes discussed in this article, you can often fix a dab pen that isn’t hitting by charging the battery, making sure the device is turned on and replacing the coil. If your dab pen still isn’t hitting, try following the tips outlined below.

Check for a Leak

In the section on 510-thread batteries above, we discussed the importance of checking for a leak when your vape pen isn’t hitting. That’s doubly important if you’re using a dab pen because wax coils often have very large airflow holes, which makes occasional leaks almost inevitable. To make matters worse, a wax concentrate is solid at room temperature – so if wax gets into your device’s threading and hardens, your dab pen probably won’t work. You can remove wax from your dab pen’s threading using a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Make Sure the Coil Isn’t Dry

One of the drawbacks of using a dab pen is that you’ll only get a few puffs out of each dab of wax. After that, you’ll need to put more wax on your device’s coil. If your dab pen isn’t hitting – but you’re getting a very harsh flavor when you try to vape – it’s likely that you need to add wax.