Pilot - Need Help!

[Can'tWaitToTry!]

What is the best way to get a consistent good hit from a Pilot? My batteries are charged, the atomizer looks good, and I just refilled the cartridge. Usually 2 of 3 things happen.

1. get a good hit for quite a while (This doesn't happen that often)
2. get a good hit for about 3-4 hits, then get a mouth full of juice (Quite frequently)
3. get a mouth full of juice (Again, quite frequently)

Maybe it's the way I fill the cartridges. I don't have a syringe, so I use the dropper bottle and add drops until the filling looks wet. Then I use a paper clip and move the filling around to make sure the juice gets all the way down with no ponding at the top. I then make sure the filling is about level with the top of the inner cartridge and push it back down with the paper clip making sure I don't slop the juice out of the inner cartridge.

When the Pilot works well, it is a joy to behold, and I don't long for anything else. When I am messing around with it for an hour trying to get a good hit, I get so stressed all I want to do is smoke an analog.

What am I doing/not doing right? Thanks so much!

 

[kaeo773]

I think you could be flooding your atomizer/ carts with too much liquid. I only smoke the pilot/M-401/Evo, and that has happen to me only when I try and fill my carts to the max. Try and go a littler lighter on you next refill, and I think that should solve the problem

 

[Idahojo]

Good luck with that one. Had mine 2 weeks and still don't know. Gave up and bought a different ecig.

 

[Midnight Toker]

This has happened to me before. One thing to keep in mind is that once you've inhaled juice the cart needs to be cleaned out or it'll keep happening. Clean the inside cart and the inner cup and make sure juice stays on the inside of the inner cup. Also, try not to over fill the carts.

 

[Cyborgasm]

I only drip now and my m401 is always consistent. Carts are terrible IMO.

 

[F8kr]

I get a consistant throat hit & tons of vapor everytime I take a drag...
I have never gotten a mouthful of liquid either... You may be flooding it..
When I top off I use the dropper bottle (i dont push the cart up with a paperclip or anything)... I aim it dead center...and only top three drops max... try it...three drops...

 

[RatPack]

Cyborgasm, pick up some carts for your Pilot at Parked's site. M401 Atomizers - Diet Smokes .com

They are the large ones.

 

[Can'tWaitToTry!]

I only drip now and my m401 is always consistent. Carts are terrible IMO.

When I drip, I only get 2-3 good hits. I guess I'm not doing that correctly, either. I hold the bottle next to the top of the atomizer and let the drop touch, let it soak in for a few seconds, then add another drop. Is that correct?

 

[thenoser]

the first atomizer i used (not from puresmoker) was very inconsistent. sometimes i would get great vapor, but most times did not. i just assumed this was how they all worked since this was my first e-cig. after a week of use, it died. i then switched to the second atomizer in the kit and it worked wonderfully. i realized the first one was just a dud.

 

[Lorddrek]

I only get a few hits when I drip too. My newest trick is to fill the cart to the top and hold it vertically for about 15 hits then enough liquid is used so it won't bleed into the mouthpeice. Yeah it ain't perfect but it's close.

 

[teardrop88]

I only drip now and my m401 is always consistent. Carts are terrible IMO.

Ditto. Dripping works great on these units. I've had nothing but issues using cartridges as the padding needs to be set just right. Too far down... no juice makes contact with the wick. To far up... then it touches the wick and get a burnt taste or no vapor at all. Dripping is the way to go IMHO.

 

[WiηgC¤mmαηdεя]

Each time i refill my carts(I do a days worth at a time = 3-5 for me) I take the inner cart out and use a q-tip to clean out the excess e-liquid from the bottom recess of the inner cart, and rinse and wipe out the outer cart. I only fill the carts 4/5 full and I no longer get juice in the mouth. Mine is a Evo with the large carts which i understand is very much like the Pilot
*edit* forgot to mention important to make sure that cart filler material is wet to top - thanks for the observation Nuck

 

[Nuck]

Drip.
Drip.
Drip.

Smoking the vapors off the plastic filler isn't all that appealing.

 

[RjG]

I found you need to fill it to the point where the wool is wet and even with the top of the plastic cup, but when you push it aside with the paperclip, you can see the level about 1/2 way up.

The atomizer bridge pushes into the wool quite a bit, so if you fill it more than that, it will run out and into your mouth or flood the thing.

 

[Can'tWaitToTry!]

Since I originally posted I have been having very good luck with my Pilot. I listened to everyone's advice and am being extra careful with filling the cartridges. Almost every hit is consistently good now.

Could it be that it takes a few weeks to break the Pilot in? Thanks again everyone!

 

[Idahojo]

I don't know but it seems too high maintenance too me. I emailed Steve about the batts seeming to have no life and he emailed me back and suggested maybe I was hitting the cutoff on the batt. If you do that he said the batt will die for like 2 min. When you guys say you are dripping with the Pilot, are you just putting drops on the atomizer and putting the cart back on without the inside piece? I keep hearing about the drip method and I must be a drip cause I haven't quite understood it. That would seem to be a pain too especially if you were driving. How many hits do you get doing it that way? I bought 2 penstyles and like them so much more than the Pilot. A lot of people rave about the Pilot. I just don't see it.

 

[tpboles]

I don't think it would matter if you left the cart in or not. I personally do both methods. I drip sometimes and other times I will pop the cart up and put a few drops in there.

At my best estimate I would say 3 to 4 drops is about a cig worth (more or less). If I am at home I mostly drip. I will say though I drip quite a few drops onto my atomizer and actually in the space between the atomizer wick and pot were the juice goes into the pot and not on the atomizer wick (try this at your own risk). To be honest I have never been able to flood the atomizer to the point that it didnt work. With my 901 I was constantly wiping juice off my lips. I have not had the juice in mouth problem with the 401's. Just remember most suppliers will not recommend dripping because it "could" cause damage to the atomizer and void any warrantys that may apply to your product.

I could understand why the pilot and 401 models may not be for everyone. I work from home, so it is the perfect fit for me so far. If I was out and about alot then I would probably use something with a larger cart (or fill several pilot carts b4 leaving).