Pico issue

[somdcomputerguy]

A few days ago I filled the True rta that was on my Pico. I took a nap when I was done, but forgot to close the filler ports.. I guess it was the air pressure because of the open ports that pushed all 3 mls of eliq. out the AF which I had left open (like I always do). So two hours or so later I come out to my Pico surrounded and covered in juice. Now my Pico won't run, the screen just displays 'locked', the + & - buttons together won't unlock it, or used individually they won't change the wattage. Unfortunately, I don't have the proper size Allan wrench to take the thing apart and try to clean it. I'm going to look in the garage tomorrow for a proper sized tool, or maybe borrow one from my neighbor.

 

[puffon]

If it's a Pico 75 you need a Torx driver, T5
Good Luck!

 

[somdcomputerguy]

If it's a Pico 75 you need a Torx driver, T5
Good Luck!

It is and I do have a set of Torx drivers, and wouldn't you know the only one missing is the one between the one slightly too big and the one slightly too small. Seems Mr. Murphy (the guy who makes the Laws..) was thinking ahead on this one..

 

[Kennneth]

Noob with vaping but not electronics. Take out battery for safety, clean with isopropyl around the switches. Let it set on napkin or something that helps wick it out, repeat many times with toothbrush or other small brush that can help with alcohol ingress into switches. May just be juice in switch contacts. Alcohol thins it and then let it run/wick out, you may be ok. Let gravity do its job so keep it in upright position so it will. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[somdcomputerguy]

Good luck and keep us posted.

Did that except I used some 'electronic cleaner' spray instead of isopropyl. I'm pretty sure it's just a juice/contact issue since the buttons don't do anything, but the device seems to power up just fine. I want to disassemble this thing and clean the contacts properly.

 

[somdcomputerguy]

Well I repeated the 'spray & let sit' process several times, and it seems to be working fine now. The idea of a disassembly and cleaning are still in my mind though..

 

[Kennneth]

I know how ya feel, but some Sage advice, "First, do no harm" ; )

Glad you got it going : )

 

[somdcomputerguy]

"First, do no harm" ; )

Ya. There's old electricians, and there's bold electricians. There are no old, bold electricians..

I think Mr. Murphy was just teasing me, as my Pico is back to it's unworking state. I've re-started the 'spray and sit' routine.

 

[somdcomputerguy]

Well my Pico is operating correctly. I still plan on taking it apart and fully cleaning/inspecting it.

 

[stols001]

Good luck. The true can and will leak through its airholes in what seems like seconds if the fill ports are open. It is definitely a pressure issue but that tank! It would not have mattered really how long or short your nap was.

Glad you got the pico going hope its internals are just all fine and dandy when you inspect them.

I feel YO pain. I just killed my beloved Punk tube mod..... It was an impressive display. The weird thing is I just kind of tipped it over onto the table. I think there was a prior drop that made it happen. I got that battery out of there as fast as I could, while it disintegrated in my hands.

It's under the "warranty" period but frankly, I don't think Teslacigs would let me warranty it, it looks like someone took a hammer to it.....

Kind of unusual for Tesla, but apparently I am not allowed to possess tube mods without some kind of holder for them (which the husband kindly made) only the dang Teslsa tube is so fat, it won't fit anywhere. I think I will let the husband drill another hole in my mod stand before I replace it. LOL.

RIP Tesla punk 86w, I had you for such a short time but I loved you so much.

I KNOW I'm happier without the stink and yet.... I sort of miss the carpet.

Anna

 

[DaveP]

Well my Pico is operating correctly. I still plan on taking it apart and fully cleaning/inspecting it.

Amazon has sets of Torx drivers fairly cheap. Be sure and read the reviews. Some are pot metal bits and others are said to be hardened. I have a cheap pocket set from Harbor Freight that fold in and out (like allen wrenches, but Torx tips). First time I used the T5 it stripped the points with very little pressure. I was able to cut back the stripped part with a pair of dykes, but it worked once and stripped again after that. Go figure.

Seems the Chinese sometimes keep their best tools in their own country and send lots of junk to the USA.

I looked long and hard on Amazon, read the reviews, and bought the set below for $9.99. It seems to be as good as expected for the price, but I've only used the T5 twice and it didn't strip and there was no sign of wear afterwards on the Torx tip. So far so good.

The good news is that the shafts are a bronze shade and they came magnetized. That tells me there's iron/steel in the shafts, not some unrecognizable pot metal concoction. I was able to pick up tiny screws with the shaft and align and install with one hand while holding my Pico in the other.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BYCPMR5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[somdcomputerguy]

I ended up buying a set of Torx drivers at the hardware store in the next town over. I disassembled it as much I could (I didn't feel like un-soldering and re-soldering), spray cleaned it and dried it well, and reassembled it. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it to work properly then, although I was able to get to work temporarily before. The + - switch seems to be beyond a simple spray fix, and maybe some day I'll replace it (the switch). I've bought another Pico to take place of the non-working one.

 

[DaveP]

I ended up buying a set of Torx drivers at the hardware store in the next town over. I disassembled it as much I could (I didn't feel like un-soldering and re-soldering), spray cleaned it and dried it well, and reassembled it. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it to work properly then, although I was able to get to work temporarily before. The + - switch seems to be beyond a simple spray fix, and maybe some day I'll replace it (the switch). I've bought another Pico to take place of the non-working one.

The great thing about Picos is that you can usually find one on sale for under $30. I recently bought my 4th one for $24 and change from a U.S. vendor with free shipping.

Those switches are just tiny microswitches and they usually last a long time, but sometimes you get a dud. I recently disassembled my oldest to see if the screen was flaky because of a bad connection. It wasn't, but still works fine. It just has a faded display screen.

For the price, Pico is a great mod.