How to get Lithium/Burning smell off mod?

[XhalleyscometX]

hi all,
So today I was at best buy waiting on something to be released so I could buy it,it was limited so all buyers had to wait outside in the heat for about an hour. I had some efest 18650s in my IPv4 and I didn't want my mod and juice to get too hot,so I turned it off and put it in my purse,fast forward about 45 minutes later I start smelling something like rotten eggs, I thought it was best buy until I went to pay,when I got my wallet out of my purse I noticed my IPv4 was like 300 degrees,and when I took the batteries out they had brown lines on them. I've disposed of the batteries,aired out my ipv 4 and cleaned it all with alcohol pads,it still works but smells horrible,is there a way to fix this? Or should I consider it gone and buy a new mod?

 

[Baditude]

Hmmmm, not good. Sorry about your misfortune.

My guess is that you didn't actually turn the IPV4 off, the fire button got pressed against something in your purse and caused it to autofire resulting in a rapid over-discharge of the batteries, and that fried the batteries into thermal runawy.

The IPV4, being a regulated mod, is "supposed" to have protection circuitry (auto shutdown after so many seconds of firing) designed to prevent what happened to you. But, we've been reading more and more about regulated box mods which have been experiencing auto-firing events. I wonder why this is so?

I personally would never use that mod again, and not because of its odor. Internal circuits are probably fried and the reason that it stinks. I could never trust using that mod again, myself.

If in a similar situation in the future, remove either the batteries or the atomizer from the mod. This will prevent an auto-fire incident.

 

[Rabbit Slayer]

the fire button got pressed against something in your purse and caused it to autofire

Is that really auto-firing, to me auto-firing means firing w/out anything touching the button

 

[Baditude]

Is that really auto-firing, to me auto-firing means firing w/out anything touching the button

To me, auto-firing is any firing of the mod which is unintentional.

What would you call what happened to the OP?

 

[XhalleyscometX]

Maybe you are right, I hope not mainly because I like the mod so much and it still works. I'm not sure how that would have happened, I have a little pocket in my purse that it just fits perfect in, I've done it a bunch of times,so it would definitely be weird for it to have turned itself on and been auto firing this time,but I guess that does make sense. It definitely smells like the lithium from the batteries,but I guess even if it seems like it works fine it could still be faulty. What a bummer I haven't even had it a month.

 

[Hans Wermhat]

I haven't even had it a month.

3 month warranty. Send it back.

 

[XhalleyscometX]

3 month warranty. Send it back.

Good idea,but I'm not sure they'll cover "bad smell" haha

 

[Hans Wermhat]

Tell them it autofired and toasted the batteries.

 

[daviedog]

An unfortunate incident. 2nd the suggestion on tossing the mod..

To me, auto-firing is any firing of the mod which is unintentional.

What would you call what happened to the OP?

 

[XhalleyscometX]

Tell them it autofired and toasted the batteries.

Thank you, I didn't even remember the warranty I was just going to toss it and try something else,now I'm going to try to get it replaced,luckily I've still got my trusty Istick 50 as backup.

 

[suprtrkr]

I don't know either. But I have to go with @Baditude . I don't think I would trust it again.

 

[XhalleyscometX]

I was just thinking the batteries must have gotten really hot,and vented lithium inside my mod,even though it was off but you guys are making me think it was the ipv4s fault now

 

[Baditude]

Maybe you are right, I hope not mainly because I like the mod so much and it still works. I'm not sure how that would have happened, I have a little pocket in my purse that it just fits perfect in, I've done it a bunch of times,so it would definitely be weird for it to have turned itself on and been auto firing this time,but I guess that does make sense. It definitely smells like the lithium from the batteries,but I guess even if it seems like it works fine it could still be faulty. What a bummer I haven't even had it a month.

How many times do you have to press the button to turn the mod on and off? Things in your purse could have repeatedly pressed the fire button and caused the mod to turn back on. That still doesn't explain why the protection circuitry in the mod failed.

I experienced a similar type of incident years ago with a mechanical mod (no protection circuitry in a mechanical). I used to place my mod in a pants pocket in my work locker. I didn't think anything of it, but that mod had a protruding horn-shaped fire button, and the fire button got compressed against something in the pocket. This caused a rapid over-discharge of the battery and it went into thermal runaway. It caused the battery (protected ICR chemistry) to explode and catch fire, scorched my pants, and ruined the mod. I considered myself lucky that I didn't burn my employer's building down.

It was this incident which inspired me to learn more about battery safety.

I was just thinking the batteries must have gotten really hot,and vented lithium inside my mod,even though it was off but you guys are making me think it was the ipv4s fault now

It's true that batteries don't like heat. However, unless they are in a hot environment like in direct sunlight in an unvented car in the summer, I don't think they got that hot by being in your purse and you were wearing it at the time.

 

[XhalleyscometX]

How many times do you have to press the button to turn the mod on and off? Things in your purse could have repeatedly pressed the fire button and caused the mod to turn back on. That still doesn't explain why the protection circuitry in the mod failed.

I experienced a similar type of incident years ago with a mechanical mod. I used to place my mod in a pants pocket in my work locker. I didn't think anything of it, but that mod had a protruding horn-shaped fire button, and the fire button got compressed against something in the pocket. This caused a rapid over-discharge of the battery and it went into thermal runaway. It caused the battery (protected ICR chemistry) to explode and catch fire, scorched my pants, and ruined the mod. I considered myself lucky that I didn't burn my employer's building down.

It was this incident which inspired me to learn more about battery safety.

You have to push the button 5 times in a row in quick succession,sometimes I can't even turn it on right the first time because it's a little tricky,but to turn it off you go into the menu physically and select "turn off" so I'm sure I did that right.

 

[Rabbit Slayer]

What would you call what happened to the OP?

Sucky and unfortunate

 

[suprtrkr]

That truly sux. But it really does sound like you got a runaway and the battery vented in the mod. Without understanding why... I dunno. I'd have a hard time trusting it.

 

[Mooch]

I was just thinking the batteries must have gotten really hot,and vented lithium inside my mod,even though it was off but you guys are making me think it was the ipv4s fault now

I'm inclined to think that it was the ipv4's fault.
I've brought a couple dozen different vaping batteries to over 200°F without any problems while testing them. I had two others (of a different battery chemistry) gently vent some of their internal goop when I brought them to over 210°F but was never able to repeat that incident with four more of the same battery.

Sorry this happened! Glad it wasn't more serious. My vote...don't use the ipv4 again and try to have it replaced. Just not worth the risk in my opinion.

 

[Wraith504]

Likely the on board battery charging board.

 

[XhalleyscometX]

I went to the pioneer4u Facebook page while looking for something about where to send it for warranty,apparently the company that was doing warranty quit because there were too many repairs,not good,there are 3 comments from the last 48 hours about the IPv4 catching on fire..also not good
Anybody have any recommendations on what to replace it with? I'm going to a music festival and some weekends trips this coming month so I'd like to buy something to replace it while it's being repaired.

 

[Baditude]

I've not heard of any bad incidents involving the Innokin MVP series. Same form factor, better warranty experiences, variety of power options.

The popular Eleaf iSticks require that you purchase directly from Eleaf to honor their warranty. You also must have been using one of their own clearomizers. The iStick 50 has had autofire issues like you experienced.