Premium Carto FRIED MY BATTERY!

[ImYourSalt]

I have been using the premium cartoz from LiteCig for about a week now and have been uber stoked! until just now...

I pulled a fresh blank from the box, unwrapped and filled it. i screwed it onto my auto battery and tried to take a puff. the battery flashed 3 times. no vapor. just 3 flashes... I had never seen my bat flash just 3 times before (normally it flashes like 10-15 times to signify it needs a recharge). I assumed the battery was in need of a recharge anyway (even though I had only been using it lightly for about 3 hours). I stuck it on the charger and replaced it with the one that was charging.

I tried to take a puff. this time I got the same 3 flashes, but SMOKE came from the LED end of the battery. NOT VAPOR, SMOKE! My whole room smells like burnt plastic now! I pried the ashcap off and underneath the whole LED circuit board is fried! BLACK! DEAD! 8-o

This was my favorite battery too!

I am truly disappointed! I have been touting the LiteCig premium cartos all over the forums lately. Raving about how great they are. I must now recede my earlier enthusiasms.

I am now down to 1 working battery!

I have yet to contact customer support about the issue, but until i do, can not recommend the LiteCig premium cartomizers anymore.

I just needed to vent. I will be contacting litecig regarding the issue, and will update with any new developments.

In the meantime, my advice is do not use the Premium cartomizers from LiteCig unless you are willing to go through the same. Granted, this could be a 1 in a million type scenario, but better safe than sorry, no?

salt

 

[Drozd]

Sorry to hear that man..and I don't know anything about these premiums or the resistance on them...

The horrible truth is though that really just about any of the atties we use horribly over abuse stock batteries..
and other places that have gotten "premiums" by just lowering the resistance are seeing them killing batteries quicker...because the lower the resistance the higer the amp draw and the more that amp draw exceeds the max drain capabilities of the batteries...
Again sorry to hear it...but it unfortunately makes sense...

 

[ImYourSalt]

pardon me, but i dont think it makes sense. If the battery says KR808d-1 and the cartomizer says KR808d-1, then it should work. plain and simple. there was no warning or disclaimer that said this may reduce battery life, or KILL THE BATTERY in my case, like there is for LR atomizers. I am a little upset right now. as I have to go spend a ..... load more money, not only to replace the dead battery, but also all my cartomizers, as I can't trust them anymore!

It truly is a shame when a 2 dollar carto blows a 16 dollar battery.

 

[Thyestean]

I know this won't be a popular response but....

Are you positive that it was the carto that killed the battery and not just something going wrong with the battery itself?

I understand not wanting to kill another battery by testing it to see but really if you had just one battery die that has been in use for awhile while using one carto for the first time there is just as much chance that the battery failed as there is that the carto killed it.

 

[Drozd]

pardon me, but i dont think it makes sense. If the battery says KR808d-1 and the cartomizer says KR808d-1, then it should work. plain and simple. there was no warning or disclaimer that said this may reduce battery life, or KILL THE BATTERY in my case, like there is for LR atomizers. I am a little upset right now. as I have to go spend a ..... load more money, not only to replace the dead battery, but also all my cartomizers, as I can't trust them anymore!

It truly is a shame when a 2 dollar carto blows a 16 dollar battery.

Sorry...but it does...
lets say you have a 280mA standard stock battery...that has a max drain rate of, well, 280mA....
a standard carto has a amp draw on that battery of 1230mA...you're overstressing it...it's useable duty life (the # of times you can recharge it) is is being shortened every time you use it...
Now if they took the same approach to "premiums" that V4L did by achieving "premium" by dropping the resistance on the carto to get more heat and thus more vapor out of them...
their premiums for example are 2.5Ω so their amp draw is 1480mA...so yeah they stress the batteries more... reduce the time that they can be vaped before having to recharge...and killing the batteries faster by overstressing them more...(and this is being seen by several people all over the other vendor's board

I know this won't be a popular response but....



Are you positive that it was the carto that killed the battery and not just something going wrong with the battery itself?



I understand not wanting to kill another battery by testing it to see but really if you had just one battery die that has been in use for awhile while using one carto for the first time there is just as much chance that the battery failed as there is that the carto killed it.

I'd say that the battery wasn't long for this world anyway....but the premium very likely did help it give up the ghost...
The sad truth is that just about any stock battery is on borrowed time with any of the atties we run on them as everything overstresses them..

 

[ImYourSalt]

I'm pretty sure it was the carto. The first battery i tried it on, that blinked 3 times but didnt vape, works fine on regular chinese cartoz (thank god that one didn't die too!!!!).

i don't know a lot about batteries and such, but maybe the carto was polarized, and shorted out the battery??? why else would there be smoke and melted plastic?

I know this won't be a popular response but....

Are you positive that it was the carto that killed the battery and not just something going wrong with the battery itself?

I understand not wanting to kill another battery by testing it to see but really if you had just one battery die that has been in use for awhile while using one carto for the first time there is just as much chance that the battery failed as there is that the carto killed it.

 

[ImYourSalt]

I understand what you're saying DROZD. but wouldn't that mean that the batteries life just gets shortened, and dies? or does that also explain the smoke and melted plastic?

please excuse my naivete, but this is my first experience with a fried battery....

dont get me wrong, i'd much rather the battery was to blame for the failure. in which case it would be covered by V4Ls great warranty! I just don't believe it to be the case.

Sorry...but it does...
lets say you have a 280mA standard stock battery...that has a max drain rate of, well, 280mA....
a standard carto has a amp draw on that battery of 1230mA...you're overstressing it...it's useable duty life (the # of times you can recharge it) is is being shortened every time you use it...
Now if they took the same approach to "premiums" that V4L did by achieving "premium" by dropping the resistance on the carto to get more heat and thus more vapor out of them...
their premiums for example are 2.5Ω so their amp draw is 1480mA...so yeah they stress the batteries more... reduce the time that they can be vaped before having to recharge...and killing the batteries faster by overstressing them more...(and this is being seen by several people all over the other vendor's board



I'd say that the battery wasn't long for this world anyway....but the premium very likely did help it give up the ghost...
The sad truth is that just about any stock battery is on borrowed time with any of the atties we run on them as everything overstresses them..

 

[doots]

Sounds like your atty had a short in it.. these things can happen from time to time.
Sorry you lost your battys!!

 

[Drozd]

I understand what you're saying DROZD. but wouldn't that mean that the batteries life just gets shortened, and dies? or does that also explain the smoke and melted plastic?

please excuse my naivete, but this is my first experience with a fried battery....

dont get me wrong, i'd much rather the battery was to blame for the failure. in which case it would be covered by V4Ls great warranty! I just don't believe it to be the case.

Well yeah it gets overstressed and the life gets shortned...and as far as Li-Ion batteries go a protected battery would vent gas and stop working, possibly fry the PCB board too...in an unprotected battery you'd get the same thermal runaway the venting gas followed usually by venting flames..
Because the stock batteries are so small compared to the larger batteries the mods use that we hear about failing the burnout is way less energetic..
But it's the same type of battery failure just on a smaller scale and in a tube where we cant actually see the cell...
Bottom line is yeah if it's a battery that you were using for a while it was probably on the verge anyway but the premium probably helped it along in giving up the ghost as they will overstress a battery even more than a standard carto already does...
I'd suspect that you did have a battery failure due to overdrain..and that the PCB in the battery should have caught the thermal runaway a bit quicker than it did and the smoke was from the PCB getting fried..me, I'd probably try to claim the battery if it's under warranty

 

[Fonzy]

maybe if you over filled it? killed more than a few vx2 auto battys when i filled a cart too full. thats why i only use manual these days.

i haven't browsed the forum to see if thats actually a problem, but from what i understand auto batts aren't sealed, and i think i might have gotten liquid in mine and shorted it somehow. i had a auto m201 battery that i dripped it alot, if it got liquid in it, it wouldnt even flash. just acted dead. but if i sat it standing upright and let it drain for a few hours it would work again.

 

[sanfordf]

I'd suspect that you did have a battery failure due to overdrain..and that the PCB in the battery should have caught the thermal runaway a bit quicker than it did and the smoke was from the PCB getting fried..me, I'd probably try to claim the battery if it's under warranty

Hey Salt, how old was the batt? I would send both the batt and carto back for the experts at Litecig to check and determine what happened.

The batts in the cigs are AAAA size I believe. It's amazing they work as well as they do. And if it was an auto, juice could seep into the batt. But I wouldn't know since I have yet to try cartos. Been thinking of the Litecig 510 ones. Now I don't know. I would use them on a manual just to be safe.

 

[shawnp1]

if anything it could of been a defective cartomizer and was a dead short, that would kill a battery. i would be more then happy to replace the cartomizer with a whole pack of new ones. i never have seen or heard of it but it could happen. i dont sell vapor4life batteries or i would replace that for you also. im sorry to hear about the defect i will try to get back to your voicemail tomorrow or monday at the latest and get you on the right track again.

 

[ImYourSalt]

Thank you Shawn. I am glad to hear from you! I have more cartomizers, and that is not my main concern. My main issue is my dead battery. I understand you don't carry the V4L Branded batteries, but if you would be so kind as to replace it with one you do carry I would be more than grateful!

I ordered the battery from V4L 56 days ago. So it has had less than 2 months use. Unfortunately the warranty on my battery expired at 45 days, so no dice there. But thanks for all the input. I really appreciate everyone's thoughts on the issue. I have since been in contact with LiteCig, and V4L, and will let you know how it all turns out

Jules was kind enough to send me a PT to get me by until my next order arrives.

(I don't mean to badmouth LiteCig [S... happens, parts fail, doesn't make it their fault]. Up until this happened, they have been nothing but great. I will let you know what they have to say in regards to the matter. And I know mentioning another supplier within the subforum is frowned upon, but I wanted to give the whole story, and felt that these details should not be left out. please let me know if I am out of line here)

 

[sanfordf]

That's what I like to see customers and vendors getting along!

 

[ImYourSalt]

Shawn is a good guy. I have nothing against LiteCig! I am just disappointed at this turn of events and wish it could have been avoided!

I am confident the issue will be resolved. But you must understand, I was pretty upset when my battery nearly caught fire (It lies here on my desk blinking as we speak), and malfunctioned. I needed to vent.

I will let everyone know what the outcome is. Please do not hold anything against Shawn or LiteCig, as this, I'm sure, is a manufacturing defect, and does not reflect LiteCig's sales or service as a whole.

 

[SudokuGal]

I really hate seeing a vendor 'bullied' like this. Other posters have given logical, reasonable explanations of how/why that battery fried, yet the OP thinks that LiteCig should replace the battery? Just shaking my head.

 

[shawnp1]

if thats all you want to correct the problem on a battery that wasnt mine, since my cart supposively killed it, sure ill send you a battery and a pack of cartomizers. all i have are the 180mah black manual batteries though at the moment. ill be glad to send you that stuf though.

 

[ImYourSalt]

I didn't mean to come off like a bully. My apologies. I was understandably upset last night, as mentioned above, and just needed to get out my frustrations.

Thank you for your willingness to help out Shawn. A new pack of cartoz will be fine. You are right, I didn't buy the battery from you, and you shouldn't be expected to replace it. If you decide to do so, I would say that definitely reflects very positively on your character and business practices as a supplier! Kudos my friend!

Whatever the case may be, Shawn is a good supplier. He sells quality products, which he stands by, and is willing to back that up. Many suppliers fall very short of that benchmark.

I will continue to recommend LiteCig. And again, offer my apologies for my earlier rant!

Take care, and Happy Vaping!
Ty

 

[MacDiver]

Salt,
When I refill my cartos, 510 and 808s juice gets into the tube and sometimes gets onto the end of the batt and I have to clean it out with a paper towel. It happens quite often as I'm learning how much to refill with.

Evidenty, juice got down inside your auto battery and shorted it out. It's known to happen. That's why most peeps, including myself, only use manual batts.

And no, you shouldn't expect Shawn to replace the battery. This particular hazard of autos is talked about all over the site and I think you know that too since you've been vaping since May of last year. Hell, I know that and have only been vaping since mid Feburary.

 

[Rocketman]

Salt,

I'll skip all the NEWBIE type of failure modes, because you ain't a newbie.
may I suggest you contact V4L about the battery, not necessarily about warranty, but about a failure analysis. If it is the battery/charger then they would be interested from a product quality standpoint. The carto could also be tested to see if it has a short. Try not to disturb the carto and possibly alter an intermittent problem. THis is more than just replacing the bad parts. This is product confidence and would impact buyers and sellers.

ROcket

and if no one wants to look at the dead parts, I would, you have my address I believe