►►► Prodigy V1 Troubleshooting Guide ◄◄◄

[Scottes]

Since this is the prodigy troubleshooting thread I thought I'd throw this question out there. From all my dripping I seem to have gunked up my 901 adaptor, and due to the design I'm a little confused as how to to clean it to draw the vapor quality I have grown used to.

My laymans knowledge tells me I should soak it overnight in something strong...like vodka vinegar or rubbing alcohol, but I don't want to render the sucker useless.

Any advice to have me vaping like a champion again?

Did you try just blowing it out?

Running under hot water often works too - e-juice is water-soluble.

To get serious cleaning, I would use vodka or Everclear (Pure Grain Alcohol) since they are (somewhat) tasteless. Rubbing alcohol is a bad idea to smoke. Vodka vinegar may leave a taste in the atomizer for a long time, but would be safe I'd think. Personally, I'd run out and buy a mini of the strongest vodka you can find. Soak it for an hour, let it drain out, and then dunk it and let it drain a few times. Then blow it out from both ends, turn it upside down and let it dry for a long time.

 

[aoti]

Yes, I tried the staple mod and didn't help. And i've tested that on multimeter also. So shouldn't be anything wrong there. Problem is the same with Zenith and rn4072 atomizators.

 

[Scottes]

If you connect the multimeter to the adapter and hit the switch, you get 6 volts?

But if you connect an atomizer, it doesn't work and doesn't get warm or sizzle or produce vapor? (I generally take the cart off and put the atomizer up to my ear. If I hear a sizzle it means everything is working.)

And the staple mod didn't work? Still no warmth/sizzle/vapor?

And that atomizer does work on a standard battery, right?

 

[aoti]

To all your statements: correct, i get 6 volts when i hit the switch, but when i connect the atomizer, no warmth/sizzle/vapor and atomizer worked with standard battery.

Only thing that popped to my mind was that could the adapter and atomizator short circuit itself. Though that seems unlikely on 2 different adapters and few different atomizators.

 

[Scottes]

Maybe this?
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...rodigy-ps-pt-users-please-read-thank-you.html

If not, I'm out of ideas.

 

[aoti]

I realized that zenith atomizers weren't connecting but now they are, bless the staple mod .

Though it didn't really help, yes it connects but no vapor what so ever. Atomizer isn't even short sircuiting, i tested the resistance when the adapter is attached to the atomizer and it gives 3 ohms resistance, same that the atomizer, if it would short i believe i would get 0 ohm reading.

How the battery polarity should be aligned? Plus or negative to the spring cap?

Thank you for your patience and great answers.

 

[Scottes]

"Pointy" part of the battery goes in first, so the negative touchs the base spring.

But I don't understand the rest of your post. I think I'm too tired, sorry. So the staple mod makes the connection now, but you're still not getting warmth/sizzle/vapor?

 

[aoti]

Yes, still no vapor. I ran out of ideas of what could be wrong. Everything should be fine, though it just doesn't work. Does the batteries mAh rating mean much and what kind of ohm rating i should get from the resistor? Getting desperate.

 

[Scottes]

I'm out of ideas dude. Sorry.


I'd PM "Casey@PS"
Link: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/private.php?do=newpm&u=7205

and point her to the start of our conversation, post 219
Link to post 219: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...gy-v1-troubleshooting-guide-6.html#post635689

 

[Vapinginmyboots]

Yesterday I was vaping off my 7 or so month old Prodigy, I havnt had any problems at all with it, kept the 901 adapter I use the most clean and havnt dropped or done anything with it at all. It just stopped working after vaping off it for a while. I tried 2 sets of batteries fully charged, different attys, blown out the entire device to get rid of any dust, still doesnt work. Im not very technically inclined, and depend on my Prodigy a lot. I was wondering what the 1st diagnostic step I should take to figure out whats wrong with it? I see nothing physically wrong with it up close. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Casey@PS]

Try pushing the batteries up into the tube. This will ensure that the switch and adapter are making solid contact. Be sure your endcap spring is making solid contact with your batteries, and try inserting you batteries in different combinations and orders in the tube.

 

[Vapinginmyboots]

Try pushing the batteries up into the tube. This will ensure that the switch and adapter are making solid contact. Be sure your endcap spring is making solid contact with your batteries, and try inserting you batteries in different combinations and orders in the tube.

I just tried your suggestion, still didnt work. Im using an atomizer that works with my PS passthrough so it isnt that either. Could it maybe be the switch? Not sure how to tell if its working or not, but I hear a small "click" when I push the button but no telltale sizzle from the atty.

 

[lotus14]

I just tried your suggestion, still didnt work. Im using an atomizer that works with my PS passthrough so it isnt that either. Could it maybe be the switch? Not sure how to tell if its working or not, but I hear a small "click" when I push the button but no telltale sizzle from the atty.

If you've stretched the spring a bit and are sure you're getting solid contact then you probably need to test it with a multimeter.

 

[a2dcovert]

I guess I will soon be known as Mr. Clean, but have you cleaned all the threaded connections on the Prodigy? I mean the end cap and spring, both ends of the tube,and all threaded connections of the adapter. Also you need to clean the brass contacts on the switch housing, the adapter, and the atty connection. If you haven't you should. Use alcohol and where needed q-tips work well. If you do a good cleaning and still no results you are going to have to do as Lotus14 said and get access to a multimeter and see where the problem really is. It doesn't take much resistance to cause the atomizer to stop working..
Kevin

 

[Vapinginmyboots]

Thanks for the advice. I tried cleaning the heck out of all the connections but dont have a multimeter. Good news is I ordered/recieved a new switch+housing, and its now working like it should (awesomely) after replacing that workhorse of the Prodigy. Im going to continue to troubleshoot the old switch+housing to try to figure out (if it happens again) how to repair. Thanks for the suggestions! Its probably a bad wire or something, but thanks for the cleaning suggestions. I shall follow them and hope my Prodigy continues to work for a long time.

 

[BradCarroll]

Recieved a new Prodigy V2 lat week and I am having an issue with it blowing atomizers.
I have gone through 4 so far. I checked the resistance of all of them and they read infinate so it looks like the heating element is smoked. This morning I put a new 801 on with 5 drops of liquid and as soon as I pressed the switch I heard a pop and the atomizer was dead.

I put my one remaining atomizer on my Protege and it has been smoking fine all day.
Could I have a defective resister disk? is there a way to check this?

I have been using a Protege and this is my first over voltage e-cig so I might be doing something wrong (

 

[fahjr56]

I recently purchased the Protege V1.1 and was loving it, then I decides upgrade things by buying a USB cable extension for it wow vaping at 5v is the best, I will never go back to 3.7 so much for all those extra batts I bought, Instead of using my computer USB Port I decided to use my apple USB power adaptor so I could plug it in anywhere it works great.
Anyway without getting to long winded here go's, today I was looking at the switch on the unit and noticed the copper washer that makes the connection was kind of dark so I decided to to give it a light polish to enhance the connection, all I used was a polishing cloth, then I reassembled it I'm a watch maker so taking things apart are second nature to me besides the mechanical switch on the protege is a very simple design, afterwards I plugged my USB in and started vaping all was good I set it down making sure it was not laying on the button so I could answer the counter where I work when I got done about 5 min the thing was smoking and so hot it melted the plastic tip 8-o on the atomizer no damage to the button only the plastic tip, so I decided to inspect the button a little closer from what I could see it has two connection pointe one from the power that go's to the adaptor and on to the atomizer and the copper ring completes the connection when you push the button, the problem is there is nothing to stop the copper ring from falling onto the connection points and that is what happened, anyhow like I said I'm a watchmaker by trade so i did a little mod and took a small rubber Rolex O-ring gasket out of my tool drawer and put it on top of the copper connection washer to hold it back so it would only make a connection when I depressed the button it seems to work fine my question is when I was looking at the switch I could see a rubber washer under the copper washer, Is it possible that when the unit was shipped to me they got things in reverse and the rubber washer belongs on-top of the copper washer to hold it back instead of under it, it seems to big to do what I did with my own rubber washer like it would block the connection.
I haven't tried it yet but I'm thinking a #5 or 6 O-ring gasket would probably do the same job as the Rolex O-ring gasket.

 

[Derfman1963]

This one has me stumped. My prodigy stopped working and I cannot for the life of me figure out why. I tested it with a multimeter at every step of the circuit using a known good atomizer and it just won't work. On top of that the resistor has been heating up. Seems like a short but I can't find it.

Tested for voltage from case to center post with switch activated, ok
Tested for voltage with switch not activated, none, so thats ok
Tested for shorted adapter, no short between post and case
Tested for complete circuit (while atomizer is installed) between adapter and atomizer. Circuit OK
Tested switch for proper operation, open when not pressed, 3 ohms when pressed, not sure if thats proper resistance but it should still work

Am I missing something here? It should work. Getting 6.6 volts at the post when switched on. This is what it has normally ran.

I would just order a new switch, but they are out of stock.

Using a jury rigged cell charger to smoke atm, not as convienient but gets the job done.

 

[yknotagain]

Well Derfman, sounds like my same problem: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/puresmoker/86805-i-am-so-confused-prodigy-v1-problem.html

 

[walkstheplanes]

I'm having a similar issue:

I've searched and attempted many fixes for my V1 Prodigy, but with no success..

I hope this puzzle gets solved soon.