Provari v2 button flashing once on its own from time to time...

[xpen]

Hi,

I've a Provari v2 since a month or so, and recently I've noticed that (relatively) quite often the fire button flashes once on its own.

I keep the button illumination (Lo) set to OFF, so that behaviour is even more surprising, but the main question is WHY on earth is the button illuminating on its own...

it emits a single flash, and it's got nothing to do with discharged batteries: I see it with either a 18490 or 18650 battery, sometimes just after a drag and other times even when resting in my shirt pocket.

other than that - provided it's a defect, that is - in principle the provari is working fine, just sometimes it has a strange idea of when a battery is depleted...it rapidly flashes to show the battery being depleted, but if I take the battery out and re-insert it I can still vape for hours.

Note: I only use AW IMR batteries, as recommended by provape, and have a pair of each size: the problem shows with all of them...

any clues?

thanks in advance

 

[SmaBob]

Are the batteries loose??

SMABob

 

[xpen]

that was my first thought, in fact, but I'd say no - or not enough, anyway.

so far I've tried to stretch a bit the spring in both caps, and to clean the contact point up the tube with alchool, but the symptom still persists.

thanks

 

[MonsterKenny]

Xpen, I'm looking into this for you.

 

[MonsterKenny]

Typically when this happens one possibility is that the device is loosing power from the battery and when it moves around a little it reconnects.

Try cleaning the contact pin down inside the tube with some Isopropyl and some long q-tips. If you don't have access to these items we now offer a little cleaning kit which comes with these items. The contact pin inside that the battery mates to should be shiny clean otherwise it might do this.

 

[xpen]

Typically when this happens one possibility is that the device is loosing power from the battery and when it moves around a little it reconnects.

Try cleaning the contact pin down inside the tube with some Isopropyl and some long q-tips. If you don't have access to these items we now offer a little cleaning kit which comes with these items. The contact pin inside that the battery mates to should be shiny clean otherwise it might do this.

Hi,

as said I've already tried cleaning the top pin with a cotton swab and some 99% pure alchool (I don't think it's isopropyl, but heck if you can drink it, it should be good enough for the purpose ).

But OK I'll try to clean it again, and possibly to stretch the cap spring a bit further, and let you know if that fixes the symptom.

Besides, you said this is 'one possibility': what are the others, just in case?

thanks

 

[xpen]

Typically when this happens one possibility is that the device is loosing power from the battery and when it moves around a little it reconnects.

Try cleaning the contact pin down inside the tube with some Isopropyl and some long q-tips. If you don't have access to these items we now offer a little cleaning kit which comes with these items. The contact pin inside that the battery mates to should be shiny clean otherwise it might do this.

hi, I've toroughly cleaned the top contact point (inside the tube) again, with an alchool-soaked cotton swab.

but differently from the first time I've done that, this time I've managed to apply some slight force in the process, and now it looks like the problem is fixed!

I've been testing the provari for a couple hours now, and so far couldn't see the usual occasional blink when moving it around.

by the way, best test I've found for diagnosing the problem: go into the menu of the provari, and set PO to OFF (thus turning the provari off); after that, give the poor provari a few shakes. if going again in the PO menu you still find it set to OFF, no problem. (I've learned that a battery disconnect will reset that option to ON every time)

thanks Kenny!

 

[xpen]

a quick update: after cleaning the top pin with alchool the provari worked fine for approx 2 weeks, then the blinking light symptom appeared again. I've cleaned the top pin again, and it's fixed.

Since the "q-tip with alchool rubbing" method seems to lasts only a couple weeks, I'm now wondering if there's a way of cleaning the damn top pin so that it stays clean for longer...

Perhaps using a drip of WD-40 (or even CRC656) on the q-tip, instead of isopropyl, would do a longer-lasting job?

 

[TheBlueAdept]

When you say top pin, I'm assuming you mean the positive batt connection inside the tube. With that understanding, I do not get how the top pin gets so dirty inside a few weeks. Does dirt or gunk get in the tube somehow? Are the batteries not clean for some reason? It seems really odd. Usually when something seems really odd its because I don't understand it correctly, so am guessing I got something wrong.

Sent from my phone; Please excuse typos / autocorrections.

 

[narcosleepygirl]

Whenever you put a fresh battery in the ProVari, arcing occurs between the pin and battery. Arcing creates oxidization which leaves a film of carbon/dirt behind on both the contact pin and the battery button. We recommend cleaning these two things once a week for preventive maintenance so you can maintain a good solid connection.

 

[Str8V8ping]

The blinking its because its loosing battery connection for a split second and the fllash is showing the the battery is connected again. It should flash if you give it a good shake. If you stretch the bottom spring a little it wont happen anymore because it will hold the battery tighter . The spring is either getting worn or compressed to much from using a longer battery . Be carefull when strtching the spring not to pull it off . Hold it at the bottom and pull from the top.

 

[TheBlueAdept]

Whenever you put a fresh battery in the ProVari, arcing occurs between the pin and battery. Arcing creates oxidization which leaves a film of carbon/dirt behind on both the contact pin and the battery button. We recommend cleaning these two things once a week for preventive maintenance so you can maintain a good solid connection.

Thanks for this info! I would have thought since I screw the battery cap end on last, that the arc would happen on that end, but I learn new things every day.

 

[meeems]

Whew!, I was hoping when i googled this problem something would show up. I had the EXACT same problem, was driving me nuts for the past week, i did all the cleaning tips, and nothing worked. everytime i moved the provari the red light would go on, tipping it, just barely touching it, it would light up'...so i did the suggestion of pulling up the spring, while holding down the bottom, by putting a q-tip in the center and pushing down, while taking a heavy needle and pushing up the spring. and it worked!, everythings fine now. very happy. thanks everyone!

 

[oplholik]

For cleaning the contact pin down inside my Provari and Provape, I use a pencil eraser, shines em right up.

 

[meeems]

awesome, that sounds way easier than the other methods, thanks Oplholik

For cleaning the contact pin down inside my Provari and Provape, I use a pencil eraser, shines em right up.

 

[adami]

If I could change one thing on the ProVari I'd rhodium plate the contacts. Then all we'd need to worry about is clean threads.


If you need someone to beta-test this I'll send you my PV for the retrofit