The thing about these carto tanks is they know when someone is new to tanks and they want to um...screw with them a little. Almost nobody gets a tank to work the first time or two or three.. you have to work with them for months until they finally give up and work. That's how it seems anyway.
I've had all the problems you're having and more. I gave up and tried again, gave up and tried again. would get one to work for awhile and think I had it all figured out and the second I tried to give advice, it would wake up and flood. Really. No lie.
I have no problems now. (But you can bet that since I typed that the next time I pick up my PV with a tank on it... juice will leak out all over me) Seriously. No lie. That's how it seems anyway.
But I kept at it and am glad I did. I can't imagine vaping without a tank now (other than when I use my bottom feeder but that's another story) I guess the one thing that helped me the most was finally figuring out what condom filling was. I'd heard about it for the last couple years but never thought much about it.. sounded messy. But then I watched
this video and thought...Hey.. that looks easy. It is. My routine now is a punch a carto. I currently use the xxl boge 3 ohm single coil carto. I first try with my saddle valve and if it's not in the mood to work I take my carto out back and hit it with a hammer and screw. So I punch one largish hole. Then I condom fill it. Then I stick it in a tank. I'm currently using a polypropylene dctank I got from a co-op (she said that they're the same exact ones that Liberty-Flights sells) Polypropylene stands up to those juices that are known to crack the polycarbonite tanks. Anyway, after sticking it in a tank I fill the tank by pushing the batt end down into the tank just a bit and filling with a blunt needle syringe. Slide the carto back through the hole. It's ready to vape. Sometimes the carto will vape and wick great right off the bat. Sometimes (like with the one I just started using) I need to take dry hits everyonce in a while for awhile. Suck on your carto without firing the PV.. this will help pull the juice up through the hole into the carto.
I used to swear by using fill holes, you know those tanks that have a hole with a screw in them. I even bought bunches of screws and spent weeks finding out which screw would fit what hole. Then I finally found it was easier to ditch the fill hole and fill the tank the way I described above. Some cartos wick better than others.. some need some dry hits. Some don't.
My problem was more with flooding. If air is getting into your tank as you vape, excess air pressure in the tank will eventually (and quickly) force the juice through the punched hole and into your lap. I used to have that problem a lot when I used the grommet style tanks (sub and chibi tanks) but since I started using the dctanks.. I haven't had that problem.. yet.
If you are getting horrible burnt taste and no vapor.. your juice isn't getting where it need to get.
This has been my experience with tanks. I hope I helped a little. Good Luck.
