Help with removing the top of an iStick Melo - ISTICK011300

[smokin billy]

Hi friends,

I'm having trouble with my istick. When I charge it, it says "battery too hot" even though it has not been in recent use. It does not charge.

I've tried fiddling in the settings, and have decided it is either a faulty battery, or faulty circuity, or something.

I wanted to open it to see how I go about removing the battery, but I cannot remove the top plate/screen. There are no screws.

I can remove the bottom but the batteries do no slide out easily and I assume they are somehow welded up near the screen, so I don't want to pull them it out with force.

My only thought is that I need to remove the top using some sort of '+' shaped tool, right where the tank screws in.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Mordacai]

Hello @smokin billy, unfortunately it sounds like the circuitry is in the process of dying.

Not too much you can do about that really with a sealed battery mod, they're unfortunately designed to be thrown away (planned obsolescence).

Have you got another mod you can use?

 

[smokin billy]

Nope. It seems to charge very slowly when i turn it off an leave it plugged in.

I bought this an less-expensive mod to see if it could help me stop smoking (it did!) and figured if i liked it i would get a fancy one. Sounds like it's time to upgrade!

Thanks mate!

 

[stratus.vaping]

Yes internal cells limit the life of the device. Time to upgrade. 8) Always have a backup.

NB unless you have experience of high current cells & circuits please don't attempt to take such things apart. One mistake with a metal tool and you will surprise yourself as to how much charge is still in there and how far you can jump when the cells overheat, spark or your screwdriver glows red.

It's possible to recell most things as there are standard sizes (many!) usually they are tagged, but you need to know what you are doing.

 

[Mordacai]

You don't necessarily need fancy @smokin billy, just something that works for you. And sorry to hear that you haven't got another mod you can use, seems these things usually happen at those sort of times. So in future it may well be worth considering getting more than one mod and keeping one at one side as a backup, just in case.

So to try and help give you some ideas, we'll need to ask you some questions.

What tank / atomiser do you use or what's your vaping style? Big clouds or slight mist?

Do you mind removable / replaceable batteries? It's a good option, as when they reach the end of their lifespan you can replace the batteries and not the mod.

Would you like a ruggedised mod? Useful for the occasional drop, knock and bath.

Do you have an external charger or would you use the mod to charge batteries? Best practice though is to use an external charger, as charging batteries using the mod can stress the electronics and cause them to fail over time. As it seems with a lot of mods the charging circuitry was an afterthought and only really should be used in emergencies only, the USB port is predominantly used for customisation and firmware updating.

Also, do you have any preference in the size and or weight of a mod?

 

[stols001]

It really sounds from your description that the battery has just completed its useful life cycle, not the wiring.

So it has served you well, what are you looking for in your next TWO setups because you really should have a backup. Maybe you want something large with external batteries, and something smaller, that may or may not be rechargeable.

It does not need to be expensive, one of my favorite two battery mods, the eleaf invoke, I've had for a year. I bought 8 of them on sale for like 27 bucks each. I have had this mod going on 2 years and it's light, tiny, can do TC (without too many bells and whistles) unless you load arctic fox.

It's the mod I decided to stock my vapocalypse closet with, because I have dropped it more times than I can count, and it just keeps going. For that kind of price, seems like a no brainer. I can't remember where, but I could look although it was a while ago.

But you can find great deals on stuff, once you have decided what you want.

Anna

 

[bombastinator]

You want to replace the non replaceable batteries in an internal battery mod?!

Is it possible? In theory.
Should it be done by anyone but an expert? No.
Is it dangerous? Oh yes!

Buy a new mod and take that one to a lithium battery recycler like batteries plus or whatever your local system is. Do not simply throw it in the trash. It’s both toxic waste and a fire hazard.