Protege stuck on? Please help.

[medic23]

I just got my Protege back today after switch replacement. I took one puff on it and it wouldn't shut off. Luckily I was paying attention and didn't burn up the atty. I immediatly took battery out and took the switch out. The switch didn't seem "stuck". It clicks when pushed and seems to be working fine. Put switch back in and it stayed on again after releasing the button (I'm not real sure but don't think it was on until I pushed the button). Again took apart and all seemed ok. This time when I put it together it wouldn't work at all. Messed with it some more, checked button again but this time I pushed the center post out on the part the atty screws to and when I started to put the atomizer I heard the sizzle that tells me it's working, only I'm not pushing the button. I guess the question is, do you think it's the switch, which is new today, or is there something that I'm doing or that I need to check before I start a ticket for a new switch, again. BTW this is similar to the problem I had when I sent in for first switch. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Casey@PS]

Hey Medic,

Were you using the same atomizer as the first time the switch stuck?

 

[G_Jones]

My protege is stuck on also. I just got it back yesterday, finally working. When it first arrived (after 5 weeks), it would not thread any atomizers at all so I shipped it back. The replacement did work OK yesterday after it arrived, it produced nice vapor, but now the switch is definitely stuck on and I tried some different atomizers just to make sure it wasn't the atomizer. I noticed it was really hot after leaving it for a long time, and sure enough, the atomizer is on no matter what.

At this point, I just want to send the whole lot back and be done with it, I don't want to keep shipping stuff back and forth.

 

[Gibby]

Loosen your adapters, quick!!!!

 

[medic23]

It's not the same atomizer, it burnt the first one up. Also I tried 2 different ones, a janty and the kind from puresmoker. Thanks for the reply Gibby but I have tried loosening up the adapter and it is either on all the time or wont work at all, there is no happy medium on the tightness of the adapter. It's funny that you said that though because that was what I figured the problem was, that maybe the adapter was too tight on the switch or something.

 

[medic23]

G jones that is what happened to me the first time I sent in for a new switch. It seemed like the entire unit got hot though, not just the atomizer. The entire unit was warm when I picked it back up then it wouldn't work. I suppose it could be the switch but I'm not convinced it's not something else. I just don't have any other ideas. I've tried different combinations of batts and atty's, tried loosening and tightening, and taking apart and reassembling and it still the same results.

 

[a2dcovert]

My question is did you guys send the entire unit back for repair or just the switch. There is a possibility that the adapter is shorting right at the button housing.

Kevin

 

[medic23]

I sent back the whole unit back but I don't know if they tested for that because I told them I thought it was just the switch.

 

[lotus14]

My question is did you guys send the entire unit back for repair or just the switch. There is a possibility that the adapter is shorting right at the button housing.

Kevin

Yeah, hopefully the new mechanical switches will have a little more clearance there.

 

[LuckySevens4U]

They are coming out with a mechanical switch????

 

[Mustang394]

Hey Medic,

Were you using the same atomizer as the first time the switch stuck?

Interesting, how could an atomizer make the switch stay on?

 

[medic23]

My question is did you guys send the entire unit back for repair or just the switch. There is a possibility that the adapter is shorting right at the button housing.

Kevin

How would I be able to tell if this is the case and if it is can I fix it?

 

[lotus14]

How would I be able to tell if this is the case and if it is can I fix it?

If you take the adapter off, pull the switch button back into position, then press the brass connector back as if you had the adapter on, you will see there is VERY little room between the brass and the switch housing. Some people (there are pics somewhere?) have taken a small round file and removed a little of the switch housing to give it more room. The cut out should have been made a little bigger to begin with.

 

[Casey@PS]

Hey Lotus, the new switch housings are actually different than the first batch- we sliced off the top.

And to answer Mustang's question, if an atomizer is overtightened, it will short the switch. Biggest indicator of this is if you flip over the atomizer, you'll see a gold center contact post surrounded by a silicone gasket. If you over tighten the atomizer, the gold post gets pushed up into the gasket causing a short. Also, if there is no silicone (I've only seen that happen twice- and Steve removed the gasket on purpose the second time), that will short as well.

Medic, it sounds like possibly your adapter could be shorting or possibly the atomizer. If you wouldn't mind sending the Protege back to us one more time, we can replace everything to be triple sure that nothing shorts it again- that is unless you're overtightening the atomizer. In which case, you'll have to ease up on them a bit.

 

[medic23]

I'm sure that I'm not over tightening the atomizer. I have tried different atty's to same results. Will check on the adapter when I get home. Thanks for all the help it is appreciated.

 

[Mustang394]

And to answer Mustang's question, if an atomizer is overtightened, it will short the switch. Biggest indicator of this is if you flip over the atomizer, you'll see a gold center contact post surrounded by a silicone gasket. If you over tighten the atomizer, the gold post gets pushed up into the gasket causing a short. Also, if there is no silicone (I've only seen that happen twice- and Steve removed the gasket on purpose the second time), that will short as well.

Thanks Casey that makes sense. I know I put mine on pretty tight I would think you would really have try to tighten it that far. But I am sure that people do it. Especially with the gap the protege has.

 

[ome]

I am having the same problem with my protoge. I open it up and take it apart then put it back together over and over untill eventually it works fine. I wish I knew how to fix it, Sometimes im fiddling with it for hours untill I get it working fine again. If it helps, I know
what cause's this to happen for me. It's when im daydreaming and forget to take finger off button that causes it to get stuck on. Love the protege though. Looking forward to a fix I can do at home. I dont want to send it back and forth. I waited over a month to get it and I dont wanna go back on analog cigs again.

(update)

Seems I cant get it to turn off now. It has nothing to do with the metal switch cus it happens with that off. Its something to do with the plastic switch.

(update)

I opened up the switch, then put it back together. I think I aligned the little rubber thing inside the switch wrong because the button is soft touch now. But its not stuck on now and works great!