Smok Priv V8 - lots of flashing lights all of a sudden

[Graham A]

My first post (apart to say hello), so please be kind to me!! I have had a smok Priv v8 since June of this year and all has been fine up to now. But just recently, I'm getting a lot of the '15 flashes' on the LED and i'm not entire sure what it means.

Is the battery on the way out, or has the battery discharged completely? I'm only getting 3 or 4 good tokes on it before the kit starts flashing like billy-o..... or is it as fault with the unit itself? It looks to be fully charged but i'm really not sure.... how long do the 18650 batteries last before they don't hold a charge any longer?

Really in the dark here as i'm quite new to all this - any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks
G

 

[Eskie]

According to the Smok site that indicates a low battery. Are you sure you're fully charging it before use?

Here's the info on the Smok site Priv V8 - SMOK® Innovation keeps changing the vaping experience!

 

[Violetti Usva]

Just a couple more questions to help us help you:

What batteries are you using?
How are you charging them?

 

[Graham A]

On the battery itself it says IMR 18650 2500mAh 3.7V. I am using a micro USD wall socket
charger which plugs into the unit.

 

[Graham A]

According to the Smok site that indicates a low battery. Are you sure you're fully charging it before use?

Here's the info on the Smok site Priv V8 - SMOK® Innovation keeps changing the vaping experience!

I found this page, but i was a bit puzzled as to the <3.3v bit. The battery appears to be fully charged, the red LED goes out but for some reason i'm getting the 15 flashes every other time i am using it.

 

[Eskie]

Isn't it an internal battery? You cannot remove it?

It seems it's either not being charged correctly or unable to hold a charge which is resulting in the low battery error. How long ago did you buy it?

 

[Topwater Elvis]

Always best to remove the cell & use a decent quality charger to recharge.

What exact cell are you using?
Name brand & any numbers or letters to help identify if you don't know.
It is important to use a quality name brand cell with a sufficient CDR, many 18650's are not suitable for vaping use.

 

[Violetti Usva]

I would suggest trying another battery, ideally new and from a reputable brand and vendor. Perhaps the cell is old/damaged and not holding anywhere near the 2500mah it says, but if the problem persists then at least you'll know whether the problem is with the device itself.

 

[Graham A]

Isn't it an internal battery? You cannot remove it?

It seems it's either not being charged correctly or unable to hold a charge which is resulting in the low battery error. How long ago did you buy it?

It's a removeable battery.

 

[Graham A]

Always best to remove the cell & use a decent quality charger to recharge.

What exact cell are you using?
Name brand & any numbers or letters to help identify if you don't know.
It is important to use a quality name brand cell with a sufficient CDR, many 18650's are not suitable for vaping use.

It does not look to have a brand.... just the numbers/letters i stated earlier.......

 

[Eskie]

You need a proper, known battery to safely vape. A 20A battery such as a Samsung 25R would be fine. Here's a list if Mooch's recommended batteries along with a list of trusted vendors. Don't get batteries off of eBay or even Amazon as there are many off brand and counterfeit batteries out there.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

It does not look to have a brand.... just the numbers/letters i stated earlier.......

If it has a rectangle shipping label on the wrap
covering the manufacturer number remove it, then if you can't identify it from the chart Eskie provided.
Stop using it, until you get a quality name brand cell & charger from a reputable source.

There is an outside chance if you've had leaking problems e liquid has found its way into the circuitry & wrecked it, always a good idea to have backups. Also smok is not known for a decent level of QC or reliability.

 

[Graham A]

If it has a rectangle shipping label on the wrap
covering the manufacturer number remove it, then if you can't identify it from the chart Eskie provided.
Stop using it, until you get a quality name brand cell & charger from a reputable source.

There is an outside chance if you've had leaking problems e liquid has found its way into the circuitry & wrecked it, always a good idea to have backups. Also smok is not known for a decent level of QC or reliability.

Mmmm, interesting I took the rectangular label off the battery (it's green by the way) and it's a Samsung 25R 18650 SD1.

That said, i took the advise and went out and got a new battery and another i ordered up on eBay (eFest 18650) also arrived to day. It looks like the new battery has sorted the problem. No 15 flashes since the new battery was installed..... and it's still charging after 2 hours..... guess the old one was just shot, but i wasn't sure if there was a problem with the Priv V8.

 

[Graham A]

Thanks for the chart by the way - very helpful. I'll be looking elsewhere other than eBay for batteries moving forward.......

 

[stols001]

Yes, please do that ASAP, efests are not known for their reliability and excellence (or ebay) so as soon as you can it might be useful to find a battery from Mooch's chart that has the type of specs that would work for your wattage needs, which will mainly depend on your usual wattage needs, the higher the wattage, quitte often, the more mAh you will need, if you vape sort of middling wattage, you may do better with a lower rated mAh battery with longer runtime.

Also it's good that you were able to identify your battery it certainly COULD have been authentic but just very heavily used as well as being charged via USB, you'd be better served by two batteries and swapping them out into an external charger, that way the batteries get more time to rest and you will be rotating them so you won't put the same amount o strain on them. It is equally possible that you got a rewrapped or seconded battery from a vendor, and there is absolutely no way to know, other than ordering from known genuine suppliers, listed in Mooch's battery chart in the last cell. They're often less expensive than buying from ebay or unknown vendors in any case, but you will have the peace of mind of knowing what you have obtained is genuinely what it says it is.

Good luck,

Anna

 

[Graham A]

Yes, please do that ASAP, efests are not known for their reliability and excellence (or ebay) so as soon as you can it might be useful to find a battery from Mooch's chart that has the type of specs that would work for your wattage needs, which will mainly depend on your usual wattage needs, the higher the wattage, quitte often, the more mAh you will need, if you vape sort of middling wattage, you may do better with a lower rated mAh battery with longer runtime.

Also it's good that you were able to identify your battery it certainly COULD have been authentic but just very heavily used as well as being charged via USB, you'd be better served by two batteries and swapping them out into an external charger, that way the batteries get more time to rest and you will be rotating them so you won't put the same amount o strain on them. It is equally possible that you got a rewrapped or seconded battery from a vendor, and there is absolutely no way to know, other than ordering from known genuine suppliers, listed in Mooch's battery chart in the last cell. They're often less expensive than buying from ebay or unknown vendors in any case, but you will have the peace of mind of knowing what you have obtained is genuinely what it says it is.

Good luck,

Anna

Thanks Anna. A very informataive post. Cheers!