E-Power battery changes/charges are weird...

[dragonladee]

Ok, this is gonna sound weird...

I have an E-Power that I am using Smoktech 18650 batteries in. I have 4 different batteries that I rotate. I use Stardust CE4's.

Every time I put a fresh, fully charged battery in, it doesn't wanna put out any vapor. It feels like the draw is REALLY tight. When I pull on it, the switch stays lit until cutoff and I get NO vapor. Of course I have tried multiple CE4's

If I let it sit for a couple of hours, it works fine later-and it is fine all along until I put a fully charge bat on it again. Not one specific battery does this, they all have the same result. This has been going on for weeks and it is driving me insane. Normally when you put on a fresh bat is when you get the best vapor production, right?

This makes no sense to me. It seems like the battery has to be slightly drained to work properly? So is there something wrong with my charger or my PV? Is it possible to OVERcharge a battery?

 

[Rocketman]

Check the voltage fresh off the charger with your meter.

Probably won't get a valid answer unless you can post voltages.

You can try and clean all contacts in the PV.

 

[dragonladee]

Thanks-I will...I don't know much about voltages, etc, but the Hubs is a mechanic and he does have a meter. So if I ask or say something totally ......ed, it is because I am a noob!

I just tested the battery I had come off the charger and it was 4.1 volts.

(these are 3.7V bats)

I tested the battery I've been using for most of the day today, and it was at 3.9 volts.

 

[Rocketman]

4.1 is acceptable.

From the info you have posted, the following can be deduced:
The cell is not overcharged,
with the light on during the dry hits, the protection circuit (if the cell is protected) is not tripping,
but current may be low due to a poor connection.

Since it starts working after a while (light and vapor) the electronics in the switch have not fried (yet),


My best guess is a low resistance carto is overloading the switch when voltage from the cell is up.

The cell would provide voltage (and current) to light the blue light, but the load on the switch causes it to shut down power to the carto.

If your cartos are low resistance (like 1.5 ohms) this could be what is going on.

A little higher resistance carto would be easier on the switch unit (has a Mosfet device in it).

A new switch can be bought for about $10.

Try it with a cell pulled off the charger a little early (get hubby to check voltage and stop at about 4.0 volts. See it it FIRES the first time.


Clean the inside connection on the switch unit and the carto connection.

 

[Rocketman]

BTW,
the tight draw is a airflow problem, not related to the electrical problem.

 

[dragonladee]

Thank you for your help Rocket...

I'm using the V2 Stardusts right now, resistance on these is 2.1-2.4 ohms. Would that still be low enough to be an issue?
I have about 20 of them on hand at the moment, so I have tried multiple units just to make sure I haven't had a faulty one mucking up the experience - all to the same result.

These Epowers are the Ego's that have the switch built in...can't be changed out, all one piece It's only about $20 for a total replacement, but I may not go with this particular unit again for that reason. Might as well piece it together cheaply in case this happens again.

 

[Plumes.91]

wait, that last paragraph confuses me. can you post a link to the product page? I dont know much about the electronics side of vaping. sounds like rocketman is the type of person that will be able to solve this one. I handle his light work but I'm interested to see these 18650 e-powers you speak of.

 

[Rocketman]

Does it consist of a bottom tube and switch unit, or is it one piece with a removal cap at the bottom?

A dry clean pencil eraser can be used to clean contacts.

Like this one?
http://www.litecigusa.net/Joye_ego_t_Mod_Battery_p/ego-tmodbatt.htm

2.1 ohm should not cause a problem

 

[dragonladee]

ego-epower

This is not who I bought it from, but the smoktech information page on that model.

My batteries and charger do not look exactly like that.

 

[Rocketman]

Gotcha.

Pencil eraser to clean contacts.
If that doesn't work then put it in the hutch with the thimbles

 

[yzer]

I'm not sure how available new switch units are for the new E-Power 18650 (Ego-Epower). I know that the switches are readily available for E-Power 14650 for about $10 apiece.

Both units are powered by a single cell 3.7V battery. Although the 18650 battery has about twice the capacity of the 14650 battery both are 3.7V and not boosted. They should work best with low resistance (LR) devices of 2.5 ohms or less. I use 2.0 or 1.7 ohm single coil cartos with the 14650 all of the time.

A hard draw is usually a problem with the atomizing device. Maybe the Stardusts are the problem, here. Check resistance of the Stardusts. Sometimes coils will change resistance with long-term use. Make sure the 510 connector is clean as mentioned by Rocketman. Old juice in the connector can break electrical contact and even block airflow to the atomizing device.

Finally, a long shot. I had a E-Power 14650 switch that suddenly quit working after several months of daily use. It wouldn't even light up: totally dead.

I left the switch module out in the sun for two weeks. Guess what? It worked fine after that and I'm still using it today. I believe that moisture condensed inside the switch electronics from the cartos somehow and caused that problem. Good thing I have backup switch modules.

 

[Rocketman]

Check the link, this one is different that the e-power that we are used to.

It has a bottom Cap. Cell goes in from the bottom.

Odd that it starts working on it's own after a while.

 

[dragonladee]

I clean the outside connection with a Q-tip regularly because these Stardusts leak pretty often, but I have never cleaned the connection inside the tube that meets the battery...so I did that by reaching inside with a pencil eraser end as you suggested, Rocketman. It did have a little bit of black muckety muck on it.

Playing around with this meter and tested the resistance 3 Stardusts I have juiced up right now...they tested 2.4, 2.4, and 2.3 (after subtracting for leads).

I am also going to start taking the batteries off charger early. This charger's indicator light blinks before turning green when it is almost done, so if I put it in my line of sight I will be able to see before it is fully charged - and I will keep track of voltages when I pull it off for the next few charges.

 

[dsy5]

If fresh off the charger is reading 4.1v, I would not bother taking them off early - 4.2 is the recommended maximum. You can purchase replacement switches for these - I have seen them on various sites while browsing. I would recommend cleaning the spring, also. And check the spring to see if there is an adequate amount of it making contact with the battery. Some springs tend to have a small point of the wire that makes contact; you want to get a good portion of the spring coil to make contact.

 

[dragonladee]

I cannot replace the switch, this is a one-piece unit. I know what you guys are talking about. I had a Kgo before, the switch screwed onto the tube on top of the battery. This isn't like that. The unit only runs $20-25, so I can replace if I have to.

A partially charged battery works every time. A fully charged battery will not fire the first time, not ever. Full charge is 4.1-4.2.

When I am pulling the batteries off early and they work fine, the resistance I am getting is 3.7-3.9.

When I put in a fully charged battery - I press the button, it does light up but it stays lit after you let it go for several more seconds and I get no vapor.

If I take this same battery and leave it out until tomorrow, hit the button lots of times to drain it...then it will work fine. This is a new issue. A few weeks ago this was not a problem.


I am stumped, I suppose it has to be the switch going bad. I guess I am just in the market for a new mod, I might as well just start over. I have bought a few of these cheapies. For what I have spent on them, if I added it up I could have had a great setup

 

[Rocketman]

This device has gotten to the point that is could be a risk instead of just an annoyance.
Do not leave it with a cell in it or a carto on it. It could just decide to fire on it's own.

Don't feel bad about tossing a cheapy. still better than tobacco.